the Wayfarer Ontarios
Lac Deschênes Sailing Club * July 28-29, 2007
Saturday race 1.5
pics by Doug Netherton and Tom Douma
...     

Tony (4105) has recovered nicely on this beat, moving past the speedy Sue (l) among others.
...

Boats two through nine are still very close:
(l to r) Dave, Bill (yellow hull), John, Colin, Tony, Sue, Andrew, Al (who has the chute up and almost drawing properly)
...

Note how Frank (648) also heels his boat to assist the turn. At right, the SHADES chute is set, and we are ready to roll!
...

Bill has overdone his turn and now has to make sure he stays clear of Andrew Gumley (4610) just now approaching the mark on starboard after an ill-fated jaunt to the far left side of the beat.
...

Ditto for Jamie and Ben who will still need a short hitch on port before they can lay the mark.
...

The tack is complicated by a sudden puff, one good reason not to tack with your main cleated!!
...

The "run": (l to r) Dave, Tony, Sue, Al
...

Going up in the lulls and down with the puffs has allowed Al to pull away from the boats who had rounded close astern, but ...
...

... John and Dolores remain out of reach, having sailed equally well! They will win race 1, while Al will be happy enough having rescued a 2nd from what could have been a disaster.
...

A pretty smile and a wave for the photographer from Janet Foster aboard one of the safety boats.
...

Just what Frank and Kim need after their second-beat wipe-out: a few dead spots on the downwind leg!!
...

Andrew and Steve (4610) close in on Bill and Deirdre.
...

Alas, it's been all downhill for Lori and Jason after their ace start.
...

In the distance - and in this case, considerably closer - we could see the action of the Britannia Yacht Club’s National Capital Regatta, a huge multi-class extravaganza, where in 1959, your Uncle Al made his out-of-town sailing debut as a crew on Lightning 7100. I vividly recall several things from that memorable first trip out of town:
  • sleeping upstairs in someone's riverside cottage and waking up to that beautiful river water smell through the open window beside my bed
  • my skipper, Alf Dutton, admonishing me: "You just watch that spinnaker. I will keep you posted on how we are doing in the race!"
  • George Blanchard playing the piano in the upstairs bar, with people crowded a dozen deep around him, singing along
  • George and Tom Johannsen (W649) strolling the BYC gardens on Sunday morning, holding a pair of jeans upside down between them - which puzzled me until I saw George lift his (pant) leg to his mouth and have a sip of beer - Ottawa was "dry" on Sundays in those days!
...     
No wonder Sue is smiling: she and Steph have just come back to grab 3rd in the first race.
...
Tony (4105) is doubtless smiling, being about to rescue a 4th, while Andrew and Colleen (9657) will take a close 5th ahead of ...
...
... Colin and Heather.
..
next photos page
return to 2007 Ontarios index