I'm learning fast - thanks, Will!
So, looking again at David's photo (
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Qanta...438/0260864/L/), rotation has apparently been delayed until the last few metres of runway, which would mean that the takeoff roll went well beyond V1 as you've explained things. Doesn't that create a risk of something going wrong after V1 that would be avoided if rotation occurred as soon as possible after V1?
Or is 34R so short that rotation with a 744 really can't occur before the last few metres of runway?