| 2004
AEC
Wayfarer
Worlds the first day of racing - 3 photos by Bob Thayer (note: all of these photos were - in larger size - on the competitors' CD created by Bob) |
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| 167 ... |
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| When there was
wind, it was weird! Note Michael McKechnie (10377)
pointing at almost
180° to the port tack boats around him. And a novel
experience for
Mark Taylor (7673) who has the current ... ... |
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| ... push him to
windward and into the mark. Of course, this same current
was pushing
those lucky enough to be on the run in the right
direction, so that
their lead was growing with every minute! ... |
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| Guy Hacon took
full
advantage of every little whiffle of wind to finally
beat the current
around the marks and end up with a very nice little 5th
just ahead of
... ... |
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| ... Toby Mace (r)
whom the RC missed at first in a close finish Guy Hacon
but who later
got reinstated to his rightful 6th. You would think that
above, Peter
Kozak (just crossing 8888, Graham Barker) has finally
licked his
windward mark nemesis ... ... |
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| ... but no, Peter
has
to put in at least two more tacks as he joins a bunch
desperately
fighting ... ... |
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| ... to avoid going backwards. Graham Barker has
a little puff and will slide around the marks and very
nicely rescue a
7th from this race. Mark Taylor (7673, presumably
returning from his
360) and ... ... |
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... Peter Rahn
(286,
who had been even closer to last than Uncle Al when he
got his own wind
while sitting directly in Uncle Al's supposed wind
shadow, sailed
through to leeward of Al, went well wide of the marks
- as did Al when
he finally got leftovers) made it around the mark.
Peter ultimately
placed 8th ahead of Roger Challis who somehow got
through this barrage
of photos without once being captured. The Taylors
took 10th.
... |
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| This time, Peter
takes
no chances and leaves a good current margin before ... ... |
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|
... tacking
and
rounding the marks in 11th place. He will end up 12th
after being
passed on the run by Uncle Al. The latter has bypassed
many of the
boats fighting each other and the current in the almost non-existent winds, by thoroughly overlaying both
marks and is now
well off to the left of Peter's position in this
picture. Once around
the mark, the SHADES team lowered their jib
to help the
spinnaker get maximum nourishment from very sparse
wind fare - a trick
learned from Canadian Olympian and W builder, Bill
Abbott. It seemed to
help enough to enable us to pass Peter who had been
several lengths
ahead and had a considerably lighter all-up weight.
... |
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| Stewart Reed and
Robin
Albert likely rounded just before Stephan and Troels
Nandrup-Bus (4898)
and Roger Shepherd with Joanne (7700). The Reed team
ended 13th, just ahead of Stephan (14th, his best finish
of the series)
and Roger (15th). ... |
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| Heider makes it
around
at last, and Hans (938), John Hartley and Mike O'Malley
(roll-tacking)
have hopes. ... |
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| Neil (9644), Mike
O'M.
(551), Steve Carroll (sails hidden) and Peter Ayres (far
right) close
in on the elusive mark, while
Alan Chaplin
(10188) breathes a sigh of relief and is amazed how
much the current is
setting him down to leeward. But whoa, Alan, not so
fast with the
relief! That current means you'll have to ... ... |
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| ... tack at least
twice more before you get round the offset mark! As so
will ... ... |
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| ... Stephan!
Crew,
Troels, at least, looks pretty philosophical about the
whole thing. ... |
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| Aaaaah! The fun
never
ends!! Still waiting for enough wind to round are (l
to r)
Andrew Gumley, Geoff Edwards, Paul Laderoute, Peter
Ayres, Andrew Haill
(partially hidden), Neil Fletcher and Doug Honey. ... |
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| Meanwhile, John
Hartley and Hans Gottschling (to leeward) are finally on
their way to
the offset mark. ... |
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| Ted crosses Alan
Simpkins on his way to the mark. ... |
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| Looks like Doug
Honey
has an actual bit of breeze as he crosses behind
starboard tackers
Peter Ayres (blue hull) and Mike Codd. Geoff Edwards
(behind Mike) is
having so much fun that he's decided to tack yet again!! ... |
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| Things could be
worse
for Nick Seraphinoff and Joe Blackmore - they could be
where the
Gumleys are in 4610!! ... |
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| Sink the Pink
appears rather sunk here. ... |
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| And now, as a
special
treat and reward for your long-suffering efforts to get
round the
windward marks, you'll have a nice, exhilarating spinnaker reach! ... |
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| Chris Purtle
(3664)
and Geoff Edwards start their "run" at long last, while John Dowling (8322) and Dave Platt continue their quest for the mark. ... |
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| Liz Feibusch in Ten
Grand, and Jeff Cox (661) round onto the run
together with Doug
Netherton close astern. ... |
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| The hoist is
complete. ... |
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| Having crossed
Brian
Mills (4675) and Alan Hallwood (3568), Dave Hansman
decides a tack is
in order. ... |
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| Richard is either
checking the upper part of his main or asking the Lord:
"Why me??!!"
Michele, too, looks less than her usual cheery self.
Doing poorly in
good sailing weather is one thing, but in this weather,
I think they
really need a beer!! ... |
Other race 2
series
bests not already mentioned were recorded by:
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