the North Bay Wayfarer Weekend 2006
Don Rumble Memorial - race 1
photos by Gillian Danby

No piddling about by RC Chair, Fred McNutt: At the first sign of something resembling wind, he sends Trevor out to set a short triangular course, and we are off like Marc Bennett's "herd of screaming turtles".
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With Marc unable to stay longer than the one day, Uncle Al is back at the helm of 3854 with Michele as crew. Their attempt at a full-speed boat-end start is successful. Dwight (4606) looks good at the pin end, too. The trick for Al is now to convert his slight windward edge into a forward lead before the starboard tack can knock and let Dwight tack and cross. Note how Al has his sails eased (as do most of the others) and is now ...     
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... starting to move on out.
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Good light-air form for Lori who heels Green Side Up to reduce wetted surface and help her sails set as intended.
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Working on the assumption that if he can beat yesterday's winners, Dwight and Pat, he'll be in good shape, Uncle Al (3rd from left) has held starboard until Dwight (far left) tacked, and is now positioned between his #1 threat and the windward mark as wise tactics suggest. Ross Jamieson (far right) is looking great. Note the difference in sail shape among the three boats on starboard: Andrew's sails (9657) are wisely eased and looking powerful while the other two have too much main leech tension resulting from too much mainsheet tension or - God forbid! - vang tension.
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It was a tough day on which to learn a new boat's spinnaker set-up and get it to fly, but Michele managed very nicely and has held of the speedy Dwight and Pat (4606) through two reaches, giving Al the lead as SHADES (3854) rounds the leeward mark and starts a final beat back to the finish line at the windward mark. As can be seen in this photo taken from the RC boat on the rhumb line to the finish, the wind has veered, and Al should be able to virtually lay the finish line when he tacks. To be on the safe side, however, Al will hold port around the mark for another length or two and then tack so that he will have a windward and ahead position on Dwight which should preclude the possibility of Dwight getting a lift that Al does not get, something that could happen if Al put his entire lead off Dwight's bow.
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Michele and Al ghost past the RC boat on their way towards being first across the windward mark finish line in dying winds. Note how they have their weight well forward in order to ...
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... reduce wetted surface by lifting the transom, which pays at this slow speed, when the boat generates very little ...
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... wave-making resistance.
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It will be a second place for Dwight and Pat.
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Dave and Carol also have their weight where it should be, as do ...
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... Andrew and Joanne.
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Here, Al (2nd from right) has tacked towards the finish line (far right) where one boat is still struggling to complete the first beat. (These light-air conditions are usually the hardest sailing skills for an aspiring racer to master, since it is so easy to oversheet and stop the boat dead.) Not a very promising-looking day at this point!
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Ross and Lori Jamieson are nicely heeled to reduce wetted surface.
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Waiting for race 2 (and wind) are (l to r) Tony, Geoff and John.
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Gillian Danby, our photographer du jour, found the silver lining to our windless cloud, in the form of reflection shots.
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What ho??!! Is that a breeze I see before me??!! Michele is on watch duty while Al lounges with his feet on the aft tank.
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Lori finds the perfect antidote to this hot, windless day as Jason holds the fort.
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Aha! A bit of wind has arrived and Fred McNutt springs into action as he radios the mark layers.
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Meanwhile the rest of us, like Tony and Mary above, can relax and wait for race #2.
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2006 North Bay Wayfarer Weekend