the 2008 Warm Water Regatta
Race #4 pics - 5
pics by Joanne Van Kampen
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With only a short beat left to the finish, Dwight and Pat are in the driver's seat. Al and Julia (3854) figure that their only hope is to make a great rounding, and then either pinch up above Dwight or quickly tack away, etc. etc. But, as Nick Seraphinoff's young son, Nicky once said:
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"Well, there goes the race!!" Al managed to get his mainsheet all tangled up, and the last faint hope of catching Dwight was gone.
- click here for full-size pic
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Continuing an excellent race, Leo and Daryl round 3rd.
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Still lying 4th, Marc and Julie approach this leeward mark with appropriate caution, no doubt recalling their fiasco at the end of the race 3 run.
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Al (3854), meanwhile, has tacked to put some of his lead over Leo onto each tack, all the while hoping against hope
that he'll sail into a big knock, tack, and be lifted magically into the lead over Dwight who has yet to tack to defend.
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Wow! Not a big, but rather a huge knock for Al (r). A very nasty gust blew into the wrong side of the sails, and Julia and I had to dive into the boat while letting the sails fly. Only the fact that we had the sheets in our hands saved us from a capsize! Now, quick! Let's see how much we've gained on Dwight and Pat!!!
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Well, sh*t!! We didn't want this much of a lift!!! All our distance gained by being on the right side of the lift is worthless. We (l) are to windward all right, but the lift is so great that Dwight (r) is able to cruise straight towards the middle of the finish line (see RC boat at far right). Meanwhile, Marc and Julie gybe right at the mark, which pretty well rules out a ...
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... flawless rounding!!
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As Brian rounds 5th ahead of Al Nichols ...
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... Dwight (2nd from left) noses out Uncle Al (l) to take a well deserved first.
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Al and Ken make a nice, crisp rounding onto the final beat.
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Coming across on starboard way up there are Leo and Daryl who will place 3rd after sailing the best race that I have seen them sail.
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With this beat having turned into a virtual port-tack fetch, there is little hope of gaining places, and ...
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... indeed ...
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... they finished in the order that they rounded the leeward mark: (l to r) Marc 4th, Al N. 6th, Brian 5th, Roger 7th.
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