|
For the final race of the 2002 DM, the winds remained the
same
- about 3 - 6 m/sec and oscillating about 20º. It's too bad that
Christian
didn't have a chance to take any pictures of this start where the whole
fleet started at the Committee boat except for Uncle Al and Anders P.
who
had decided that this time they would go left and no half
measures
about it, would start at the pin end. After the wind oscillated about
three
minutes before the start to favour starboard tack and the RC boat end,
most of the boats headed for that end. When one last boat that had been
between Al and the pin end tacked back towards the boat end with 30
seconds
to go, Al was left alone to go for the pin end where he got a nice
start
- on time and at full speed. And sure enough, the left side super shift
was still there. Al and Anders sailed Whistle well into it,
tacked
and easily crossed the fleet. After this it was mainly a matter of
protecting
the left side against Joel Bøgh who was the nearest competitor
and
also going far left. We also kept an eye on Anders Friis who was moving
up through the fleet by playing the shifts in the middle left. At the
windward
mark ...
|
|
... it was Al, Anders and Whistle
rounding with about 100 m. of lead
on Joel Bøgh, Søren
Jonasen,
Steen Madsen and Anders Friis among others.
..
|
|
10249 crew, Keld Forchhammer,
keeps a
very good lookout as 10249 comes in along the port lay line
just to windward of Søren
Jensen.
Both will easily cross Perlen...
..
|
|
... but it won't be easy to get
into
this line of starboard boats without fouling someone! (l to r) Christian
Bovet (5128), Mogens Just (dark hull), Bo Christensen (2042), John
Friis
(3264), Poul Ammentorp (red hull) and Per Christoffersen.
..
|
|
Christian prepares to bear away
onto
the reach ahead of Mogens and John while Per Christoffersen comes up on
the inside and further back, Per Larsen (currently in series 3rd) will
have some catching up to do!
..
|
|
On their way to a fine 16th -
their best
result of the series, Per Christoffersen and Joakim Gundel round the
first
mark in the top 10. (I would however, talk to a sailmaker about that
horrible
crease in the mainsail which looks quite new and should set better than
this!!) Meanwhile it looks like things have gotten even
worse for
Per Larsen (just crossing Mikael Mogensen and Mr. Fogh) as he's been
knocked
and may have to tack twice more to get around the mark!
..
|
|
Mogens and Helle round with
everything
all set for a fast spinnaker hoist...
..
|
|
... while just ahead, Steen and
Keld
have borne away as they get ready to set the spi. Steen should probably
have waited until Keld was completely
ready
before bearing away, or not borne away at all because ...
..
|
|
... here comes Mogens, who will
take
Steen's wind. Note Mogens steering with his foot as he completes the
spi
hoist while Helle untangles the spinnaker - looks like one of those
moments
where on our boat, we have to crank the jib in tight for a second in
order
to free the windward spi sheet from under the jib. Pushing the pole
forward
would also help!
..
|
|
Two guys with serious catching
up in
mind: Per Larsen with Steen Ammentorp (9733) and Søren Jensen
(10212).
..
|
|
Christian Bovet keeps an eagle
eye on
the spi while crew, Lone Holm Hansen, jots down a few notes for the W-Nyt???
..
|
|
A moment for serious
concentration as
Christian is bow to bow
with Bo Christensen (who will be inside
at
the gybe mark that is coming up soon) ...
..
|
|
... and just barely ahead of
Poul and
Irene Ammentorp who in turn have to defend their wind from ...
..
|
|
... Gunnar Petersen with
Jørgen
Svane (another FAS volunteer who worked endlessly and very hard to make
the 2002 DM the great success that it was!!) who are on their way to an
excellent 13th which will be their best result of the DM!
..
|
|
So, Mogens! Has someone lost a
contact
lens?
..
|
|
Gunnar and Jørgen have
caught
Poul and Irene.
..
|
|
Stephan Nandrup-Bus and David
Magnussen
begin a come-back that will see them get back up to 8th by the finish.
..
|
|
After being passed by Gunnar,
Poul ...
..
|
|
... seems to have hit a "dead
spot" and
looks understandably nervous as boats bring wind from astern!
Note how Irene is a model of
concentration
as she gets the most out of her spinnaker!
..
|
|
Gunnar and Jørgen are
"on a roll"
and look like they may pass Bo (2042) before the gybe mark! Note how
well
and easily their spi is flying in the light winds because the pole is
not
too high and their boat is heeled just a touch to windward.
Very nice form!! To make sure that the
boom
doesn't swing in because of windward heel on our own boat, the crew
sits
out on the windward deck while Uncle Al holds the boom out while
standing
as far to leeward as is desirable to get the right angle of windward
heel
- a system which works very well.
|