Just uploaded a photo of the Sonata I'm crewing on to my webshots album...

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...41632364dbwQyG

It's from an Article in Yachting Life (regional sailing mag) and is from our
first race of the season (28th March). I'm in the yellow jacket on the boat
on the left.


--
Wally
www.forthsailing.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

A second photo from a later race has just been sent to me, so I've added
that as well. It gives a clearer view of the boat. I'm the good looking one
in the shades. It should appear in my ASA album in a few minutes. The album
URL is...

http://community.webshots.com/album/82664733oTMSXh


--
Wally
www.forthsailing.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

Wally wrote:
A second photo from a later race has just been sent to me, so I've added
that as well. It gives a clearer view of the boat. I'm the good looking one
in the shades. It should appear in my ASA album in a few minutes. The album
URL is...

http://community.webshots.com/album/82664733oTMSXh

Nice pics. I like the crossing, looks like Auberge's helmsman likes to
cut it close (shouldn't they have eased the main a bit?).

Where is the second photo taken? Wind looks a bit spotty, the boat on
the far right is heeling. Also, does Salmon's motor drag on stb tack?

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

DSK wrote:

Nice pics. I like the crossing, looks like Auberge's helmsman likes to
cut it close (shouldn't they have eased the main a bit?).

I suspect it looks a bit closer than it was due to foreshortening through a
telephoto lens. They're not about to hit us amidships, but are probably on a
line towards our stern. Looking at it, I think we had just tacked - the
bowman is on the rail, but me and the other crew are still in the cockpit.


Where is the second photo taken?

Both are on the Firth Of Forth in Scotland - that's the 1890 cantilever rail
bridge in the background. There's also a 1960s suspension road bridge which
is out of shot (there's a bit of it in the very top-left corner of the
photo).


Wind looks a bit spotty, the boat on
the far right is heeling.

We get wind shifts and it can be gusty - the bridges are at narrows on a
tidal river and the land either side is fairly hilly. Prevailing wind is W
to SW, sea breeze comes in from the east, river/estuary runs E-W.


Also, does Salmon's motor drag on stb tack?

The skipper modified the track thingy that the bracket slides up and down
in - extended upwards for more height. I gather it did drag a bit before. He
was keeping an eye on it during the prestart of the first race, and it seems
to be okay now.


--
Wally
www.forthsailing.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

Wally wrote:
I suspect it looks a bit closer than it was due to foreshortening through a
telephoto lens. They're not about to hit us amidships, but are probably on a
line towards our stern. Looking at it, I think we had just tacked - the
bowman is on the rail, but me and the other crew are still in the cockpit.

If the crossing is really close, it looks like it's gonna be a heck of a
BANG to everybody except the helmsman. Having just tacked makes it a bit
harder for the oncoming helm to judge since the boat is still
accelerating & may be making more leeway than usual. Also you have to
remember to look up, sometimes the boats miss but the masts cross... big
OOPS!




Where is the second photo taken?


Both are on the Firth Of Forth in Scotland - that's the 1890 cantilever rail
bridge in the background. There's also a 1960s suspension road bridge which
is out of shot (there's a bit of it in the very top-left corner of the
photo).

Cool! I'd love to sail there. Isn't it cold this time of year?

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

DSK wrote:

If the crossing is really close, it looks like it's gonna be a heck
of a BANG to everybody except the helmsman. Having just tacked makes
it a bit harder for the oncoming helm to judge since the boat is still
accelerating & may be making more leeway than usual.

Ah, duly noted.


Also you have to
remember to look up, sometimes the boats miss but the masts cross...
big OOPS!

Yup, I do try to look up when things are close - we had a close call with
mastheads a week or so ago when a fast yacht (different handicap class) was
coming downwind while we were closehauled. Passed within a handful of
metres - I think the helm luffed us a bit to bring our mast more vertical.


Both are on the Firth Of Forth in Scotland ...

Cool! I'd love to sail there.

I haven't sailed anywhere else, but it is certainly good fun - always
changing and challenging. Tide can be a major factor in winning races.


Isn't it cold this time of year?

The Gulf Stream gives us a temperate climate - very mild for 56N. The wind
can make it a bit chilly if it isn't sunny. A couple of weeks ago, we were
on a longer race, and most of it was a slow drift in warm sunshine.


--
Wally
www.forthsailing.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk