17th April 2022 Race Report

by Adam Hilton

Mandy Pollard

Barnwell 3

Jane Anderson, eyeing the force 5 gusts shooting up the Lake from the south, would have chosen to sail her Topper, had it not been damaged in the winter storms by an adjacent flying dinghy. Instead she chose her Laser with a little 4.7 sail, crossed the start line at the front of the fleet but a little before the horn. She had to return and began the race at the back of the field. However she had worked her way up to third place by half way through lap 3. At the front were the Pollard brothers in full-sailed Lasers, James initially leading but already overtaken by Inlet. They finished more than six minutes in front of the rest of the field. Behind them raged a race long battle between Mike Coley’s Laser Full and Adam Hilton’s Solo, the Solo eventually triumphing. John Dabbs’ maroon Bosun (Linda Spiller as crew) led Brian Pollard’s yellow one (Cilla Gilbert crewing) with Robin Spiller’s Streaker, slowed by its small size sail, in the mix. Halfway through the race the wind chose to turn right round and blow from the northwest.

  1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
  2. James Pollard (Laser Full)
  3. Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7)
  4. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
  5. Adam Hilton (Solo)
  6. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
  7. Mike Coley (Laser Full)
  8. Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave)

Sailboat 3

Over lunch the wind dropped but it returned, still from the northwest, for the start of Sailboat 3 along with some dim and murky conditions. Nathan Pollard’s Laser led away and stayed in front on a course no longer starting towards the Dam but aimed straight up to Pinkie. Adam Hilton’s Solo followed but further reduced the already depleted fleet by retiring. The Pollard/Gilbert Bosun was third to start but Jane Anderson, fourth starting, was already on its beam as they passed the inlet and she stayed at second from then on but was not far enough ahead of the Dabbs/Spiller Bosun to overcome the double-handers’ handicap advantage when the results were announced

  1. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
  2. Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7)
  3. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
  4. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Retired Adam Hilton (Solo)

Geoff Floyd was Officer of the Day: many thanks to him and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.