2002 Ontario Provincials

Once Again the Bowl Leaves the Province

Joe Jospe, this time paired with Tom Egli, has added the Ontario Provincials to his string of titles acquired this season (following wins at the US Nationals and Canadians). The event, tagged on to the National Capital Regatta, was held in light to medium winds and flat water. A Laser Gold Cup regatta, we were the first of four starts on our racing circle, sharing it with Lasers, Laser Radials, and Laser IIs.

The wind started from the west and gradually clocked around to the south during the course of the regatta as a low pressure system passed below the Great Lakes. The key to doing well consisted of four main factors:

• Get a good start - the start line was long and frequently very pin favoured (to the point where you could sometimes not cross on starboard). Picking the favoured end and starting with good speed gave one an immediate and significant advantage.
• Stay in the wind lanes. Get in a good lane of wind and you would be planing upwind on the beat. Miss, and you were bobbing.
• Stay generally left. The left side of the course usually had a wind speed advantage, and the wind direction was gradually clocking in that direction as well. The sailor that committed to riding the header in towards the beach would be rewarded with a nice lift to the mark once tacked over.
• Stay out of Laser dirt. With forty-odd Lasers on the race course, they had the ability to dice up the wind until it seemed there was no power left in it. At all costs one had to avoid trying to follow and overtake a flock of Lasers upwind. On the runs one merely had to avoid running them over (sometimes a challenge!).

The course was a bit unusual - a beat to a windward mark, then a short hop to an offset (sometimes placed upwind of the windward!), then a downwind run to a leeward mark positioned just a few yards off the pin, back up the beat to do a triangle (two reaching legs), then once more around the sausage, finally rounding the leeward mark and reaching off for a 'hook' finish at the committee boat. The runs were a real rush, especially if riding a large puff downwind into a fleet of approaching Lasers. And every mark rounding seemed to be more a matter of avoiding the capsized kids rather than executing a proper wide & close tactical round. Especially interesting (ask Mike McEvoy) was when rounding the leeward mark (on port) co-incided with a Laser start and hordes of little plastic boats coming at one on starboard!

The RC managed four races on Saturday, and following a short delay Sunday morning for the wind to fill in, an additional two races. The Ottawa fleet was very happy to host our out of town guests from Montreal (1), Halifax (2), Victoria (1 - Rob Thompson sailing in a borrowed boat and local helm) and Vermont (Gary Godberson sailing with Zane from Halifax). A BBQ & party was held Saturday night at Gary Branscombes... and a leftover mini-keg found its way to the boat park for after-sailing festivities on Sunday.

Overheard at the results board - one kid to another - "stay away from those Fireballs - they're dangerous!".

Phil Locker
CAN14678

20002 NCR ALPHA COURSE BRITANNIA YACHT CLUB

Printed On: 14-Aug-02 16:44:56

DvRnk	Skipper	Club	Sail	dv Pts	1 2 3 4 5 6
1	JOSPE /EGLI	PCYC	14767	3.75	(1) 1 1 1 1 1
2	THOMPSON /SPURDLE	RVYC	14758	11.00	3 2 (4) 2 2 2
3	LAVOIE /LEBLANC	NSC	10295	13.00	2 (3) 2 3 3 3
4	LOCKER /SIMPSON	NSC	14678	19.00	(4) 4 3 4 4 4
5	CORNER /LOCKER	NSC	12362	27.00	(6) 5 5 6 5 6
6	MCEVOY /DOYLE	NSC	13890	28.00	5 7 (9) 5 6 5
7	MURDOCH /GODBERSON	LYC	6083	35.00	(11) 6 6 9 7 7
8	SERRE /SMALLCHUCK	SMSC	4736	39.00	(11) 8 8 7 8 8
9	BRANSCOMBE /GAG	NSC	5250	43.00	(11) 10 7 8 9 9
10	FOSTER /BUIST	NSC	11456	48.00	7 9 10 (11) 11c 11c