| 2004
AEC
Wayfarer Worlds the Practice Race - 2 photos by Bob Thayer (note: all of these photos were - in larger size - on the competitors' CD created by Bob) |
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| And they're off!
Staying on starboard off the line are Brian Lamb with Tony Hunt (l)
who are sailing their boat super-flat and will increase the effect of
their backwind on Stewart Reed with Robin Albert (10288), while Peter
Kozak with Annelies Groen (300) will have to sail well to stay out of
Stewart's backwind. Meanwhile the parade of those who have bailed out
onto port tack is led by Liz Feibusch with Frances Lilley, Dave and
Charles Hansman (282) and Richard Johnson with Michele Parish (10139). ... |
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| Off to a fine start is
Brian Jeffs with Scott Bamford (9235) who has just crossed Jeff and
Barry Cox (661) and the Manxmen, John Dowling and Terry Holt (8322).
Also heading out to the right side are Dwight Aplevich with Al Nichols
(4606) and Hans Gottschling with Pedro Santos (938) as well as W4601,
Ed Morysiak and Karin Fairbairn who are just crossing Peter Kozak and
doing very nicely in their first open Wayfarer race. ... |
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| So, lads, here's how
it's done: Ian Porter and Kevan Gibb started well and got better. They
rounded with a 200-yard lead which they increased on the run. At the
end of that first run, they kept right on going back to PCYC, not
wanting to risk the supposed jinx that accompanies winning the Practice
Race. ... |
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| The surprisingly
strong east-going current (from left to right in this picture) has set
Gordon Harris and daughter, Emma, below the windward mark. Looks like
they're about to do a couple of quick roll tacks to get around the mark
before ... ... |
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| ... the starboard
hordes arrive. Above, Graham Barker and son, Robin, get a head start on
the run by setting the spi on the short 50-yard leg
to the offset mark. Crews take note how Robin makes life easier for
himself by bringing th sheet to the pole such that he can easily insert
the sheet into the pole fitting - especially useful in waves. ... |
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| Neil Fletcher and Chas
Edwards make it around nicely before the real mess begins. Uncle Al
(3854, second from left) had thought he was in OK shape until Stephan
Nandrup-Bus (not visible above) crossed him on port just before the
mark and tacked on his wind. Still, he had hopes of making it around
the mark until Roger Challis and Mark Johnston (left) threw in a nifty
tack right at the mark without fouling Al who ... ... |
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| ... nearly made it
past the mark before the current pushed him into it. Nerves of ice on Toby Mace (8848) who nips in just in front of Mark Taylor (7673) to ... ... |
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| ... round just behind
Stephan and Troels Nandrup-Bus. Al (3854) meanwhile, contemplates a
360 but the thought of trying it in the crowded area between the
windward and the offset mark was daunting - and then it was too late,
so we decided to sail two sausages, retire, and get to the bar early. ... |
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| The windward mark
traffic jam continues: Guy Hacon and Daniel Watson (8686) look like
they'll just nicely have room to tack in front of Heider Funck once
they finish bearing away for Peter and Alex Rahn (286), but I wouldn't
want to be Brian Jeffs and Scott Bamford (9235, second from right) in
this position! Hey, John! Brian's not wearing his life
jacket!!!! ... |
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| Guy makes it around
nicely, but keep an eye on Peter Kozak (red bow) for whom this rounding
will be memorable for all the wrong reasons: Here he has no place to
go, being boxed in by Roger Shepherd and Joanne Kumpf (far right) and
is apparently deciding to shot the mark in a one-knot adverse current.
John Goudie and Suzanne Hall (second from left) meanwhile are about to
meet a starboard boat and decide to tack, but alas ... ... |
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| ... the current is too
strong and they meet Mr. Mark. Peter, meanwhile has found a spot in
which to tack but ... ... |
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| ... dammit, Michael
McKechnie and Simon Turner (10377) and Kit Wallace with David
Weatherston (black bow at extreme left) are in the way. So he tacks but
hits the mark, or so ... ... |
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| ... Doug Netherton and
Roger Redwin (1366) seem to be telling him. During all this, a wise Brian Mills with Louis Jaillet (4675) has overstood but avoided a lot of stress and aggravation. ... |
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| If the pics on Bob
Thayer's CD are in chronological order, this sequence is interesting.
Near the mark, Doug Honey (6280) appears to be the only one laying it,
while Nick Seraphinoff with Joe Blackmore (864) and Kit Wallace (1037)
are pinned. Meanwhile, on port tack, John Hartley with Nick Philp
(7628) and Doug Netherton (blue bow, second attempt??!!) are about to
meet starboard boats: ... |
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| Søren Jensen
with Jesper Friis (9355), Alan Bell with Gordon Reid (1539) and Dave
Platt with Lou Scaglione (7218). Doug has to take their transoms but
John (7628) decides to tack. ... |
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| Alas, the current is
too strong and he has to tack yet again. Don't know what
brought Peter Kozak back here for another date with the mark. These
pictures are full of guys that should have been around and gone long
ago but of course, we did have quite the current! ... |
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| Ah! Some fresh faces:
Steve Carroll and John Attwell (red racing stripes) and John Dowling
(3613 a.k.a. 8322) are about to tack around the mark, while Mike
O'Malley (551) wonders if the starboard layline parade will ever end.
Back for another try at the windward mark are: Doug Netherton (to
leeward of 8322), Kit Wallace (1037) and Nick Seraphinoff (864).
Blissfully uninvolved in all this are Gordon Harris (yellow hull) and
Guy Hacon (8686) spinnakering down the run. ... |
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| Kit Wallace and David
Weatherston look a bit stressed out as they look like they have finally found a
clear path to the elusive windward mark. Thomas Vendely with Zoltan
Takacs is not quite as well off but not as doomed as Dave Hansman
(black bow) who is being blanketed by
Kit at a most unfortunate time. Not
pushing their luck too hard in their first Wayfarer race are Thunder
Bay's Andrew Haill and Julie Colbourn (right) and Outer Harbour's Alan
Simpkins with Paul Earley (4581). |