| 2004
AEC
Wayfarer Worlds the Practice Race - 4 photos by Sid Atkinson |
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| The start as Sid
Atkinson saw it: seconds to go before the gun - to view this full
size, click here ... |
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| As you can tell by the
chewed-up water, Peter Rahn (286), Jeff Cox (661), Kit Wallace (1037) and Andrew Gumley (4610) got left-overs at the start. ... |
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| Heider Funck heads up
the beat on starboard with the Four Sisters (and Ted Lacelle W3133) in
the background. ... |
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| Brian Lamb and Tony
Hunt do the right thing: they keep a good look-out even though they're
on starboard. Andrew Gumley (4610) and Thomas Vendely (9658) seek greener pastures on the right side of the beat. ... |
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| Not too long after the
start - note RC boat in background: While Liz Feibusch (10000), Dave
Hansman (282), Richard Johnson (10139) and Andrew Haill (9657) are off
towards the right side of the beat, a somewhat disembodied-looking John
Dowling sticks to starboard. ... |
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| Aha! The body returns,
along with crew, Terry Holt. ... |
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| Andrew (4610), Liz
(10000) and Bob Kennedy "dig back in" towards the rhumbline to keep
their options open while Richard (yellow hull), an unidentified but
well-placed Wayfarer, and Dave Hansman (black hull) gamble on better
things nearer the starboard layline. ... |
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| Ted Lacelle and Don
McLean got off the line a bit late but now have W3133 Engaged
in fine form. ... |
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| Close quarters up the
first beat. ... |
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| Nasty Uncle Al is
sitting right on Liz's wind (10000) while Doug (1366) may be about to
backwind her. Hans (938) and Dwight (4606) are either pointing
pathetically or they have discovered a starboard boat they've chosen to
bear away for. ... |
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| The Porter/Gibb lead
one more time. ... |
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| Championship form as
Ian and Kevan already have their spinnaker perfectly set and trimmed in
the few seconds they have been on the offset leg. Having found
happiness on the port layline are Toby Mace (l) and Graham
Barker (heads just visible to left of mark) and of course ... ... |
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| ... Gordon Harris who
rounds second. Interesting tiller, and note how the current is taking
him almost into the mark! Those rats, Roger Challis (9174) and ... ... |
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| ... Neil Fletcher
(9644) are getting set to lee-bow Uncle Al (3854). What with Stephan (4898)
tacking to windward, what had seemed like a potentially relaxing
rounding ... ... |
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| ... has become a
nightmare that will end up seeing us hit the mark. By now, it's even
too late to tack because the current would still carry us into the
mark. No such problems for Stephan (4898) or Roger (light-blue deck) or
for ... ... |
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| ... Toby (8848). Not
so for John Goudie (9812) who appears to be doing 360 for obvious
reasons, as Guy Hacon (8686) looks on. ... |
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| Lucky Guy! He just
clears four starboard tackers (none of whose positions are to be
envied, especially Brian Jeffs just to the right of the mark), finds a
nice gap behind Peter Rahn and will round beautifully. Not so for 404,
Jay Colville (far right) who looks like he's contemplating a gybe just
to get out of his box. ... |
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| As Mike Codd once said
to my wife during a close, light-air race: "Hit 'im again!!" John
Goudie hits the mark (a second time, one presumes). And Brian Jeffs'
and Søren Jensen's (white hulls, just completing early tacks)
position doesn't appear too enticing, either! ... |
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| While John de Boer
(7351) heaves a sigh of relief that he has escaped the mark mess, Peter
Kozak hits the mark. Of course, Nick (864), Kit (1037) and Doug (1366)
are probably wishing they could just get close enough to the mark to be
able to hit it!! With Doug Honey (6280) wisely giving the mark a wide
berth, Peter K. should just go past the mark a length or two on port
and
then tack and find a spot to do his 360. 360.... |
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| Alas, Peter tries to
tack too soon and backs over the mark. Could this whole mess be used to depict a racing sailor's conception of hell? ... |
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| Eventually, everyone
made it around. Some of the new arrivals here - those who missed much
of the excitement - are: Steve Carroll (6066), Alastair Ryder-Turner
(10137) and Roger Shepherd (7700). And I do believe that over there,
behind Nick's jib we can sort of see Peter Kozak trying to find enough
wind to do a 360 and get back up to the mark. ... |
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| Nice broad reaching
spi form for George (CAN 90), Kit (1037) and Doug (1366) while Bob
Kennedy (under the 1366 boom) tries going a bit deeper (i.e. closer to
the rhumbline). ... |
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| For spectators, it was
a pretty scene; for those in the boats, it was nerve-wracking! ... |
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| (l to r) Doug,
Thomas and Dwight at close quarters in the foreground ... |
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| (l to r) Alan
Bell, Dave Platt, Thomas Vendely, Doug Netherton, George Blanchard
hiding some of Alan Hallwood, Dave Hansman, Jeff Cox, Anne Armstrong,
Andrew haill and Peter Ayres. Just think of all the Rules situations
that could arise here! ... |
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| Heider and Tom (600)
are off to try the left side of beat #2 as the runners appear to be
splitting into groups for the two marks that form the leeward gate. ... |
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| While Ed Gillespie
(7525) and Peter Ayres (1191) near their roundings, Toby (8848) has decided to go to the right of the running boats. |