by Adam Hilton
Mandy Pollard
Tamar 3
Winds of force four gusting to six were forecast and sure enough powerful blasts came screeching out of the northeast across Tamar Lake. Several single-hander skippers retreated to the comparative safety of the gunwales of two-handed Bosuns, Geoff Floyd raised a cut-down sail on his Solo and Jane Anderson chose her Topper. But Nathan Pollard and Bob Sampson, undaunted, had full-sized sails on their Lasers.
It was Roger Heasman and Dave Perrett in their Bosun who got away first on a course which went all the way up to the top of a Lake lined with fishermen in a competition. The beats were crucial and the Heasman/Perrett boat couldn’t point high enough to get to the first buoy, Home 2, in one tack, letting most of the fleet past. This meant that the late-starting Laser pair of Bob Sampson and Nathan Pollard could assert themselves and take the lead and that the fast starting Jane Anderson and Vicki Duncalf in Toppers could follow. The Dabbs/Hilton boat led the Bosuns at this stage. Tacking up to Far buoy, with fishermen camped on the Cornwall bank, proved tricky, but did little to change the order which, on the run back to the Dam, remained first Nathan Pollard, second Bob Sampson and third Jane Anderson. At the Dam, Brian Pollard managed to slip his Bosun inside John Dabbs’ and overtake.
On the third and last lap Geoff Floyd retired from the battle he had been having with Vicki Duncalf’s Topper and Roger Heasman got his Bosun past John Dabbs’ on the run to the Dam. The handicap promoted Jane Anderson’s fine third to first.
- Jane Anderson (Topper)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
- Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
- Brian Pollard and Graham Joyce (Bosun)
- Roger Heasman and Dave Perrett (Bosun)
- John Dabbs and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
Retired: Geoff Floyd (Solo)
Tamar 4
The course was shortened, only reaching as far north as Pinkie, to reduce the clashes with fishermen, but the number of laps was increased to four. Bob Sampson, who’d got wet in the first race, put a little 4.7 sail on his Laser to make it easier to handle. John Dabbs took his boat off the water and went to crew for Brian Pollard.
Roger Heasman made another fine start but again couldn’t keep as far to windward as the other Bosun and so Brian Pollard went round Home 2 in front of him and stayed there throughout. Nathan Pollard, third over the start line, soon took the lead and kept it to the end when he was some three minutes ahead of Bob Sampson in second, and six in front of Brian Pollard in third. However these margins were not enough to give him the victory. Jane Anderson started fourth, was overtaken by Bob Sampson’s Laser 4.7, putting her in fifth, but got between the two Bosuns on lap 4 and finished in fourth, eight minutes behind Nathan Pollard; the Topper’s handicap gave her the victory.
- Jane Anderson (Topper)
- Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
- Brian Pollard and John Dabbs (Bosun)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Roger Heasman and Dave Perrett (Bosun)
Retired: Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
Many thanks were given to John Buckett, Officer of the Day, and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.