by Adam Hilton
Penny Abbott
Teatime Plate 1
Several sailors had launched in the course of the morning and drifted about the Lake for a bit in the very lightest of airs. Racing was not an enticing prospect. But John Buckett, who was Officer of the Day, commanded that there be wind for the start of racing and there was; light, fairly unreliable northerlies, but quite enough to power a race, even to raise hopes of a little planing on the near reach from Home 2 to West White.
Leila Farmer, sailing her Hartley 12 on her own, fashioned an excellent start but on the beat to Home 2 Ethan Walker’s Laser Radial took over at the front. Meanwhile Geoff Floyd was bringing up his Solo to begin a race-long battle with Ethan’s Radial. Geoff led at the end of the first lap, Ethan at the end of the second; there was five seconds between them at the finish with Ethan ahead. The handicap took the victory from him. Dave Perrett’s pretty navy blue Solo (soon to be replaced by something newer) managed to finish the first lap ahead of the Hartley 12 but fell back on the second. Rick Thurlow was helming the Commodore’s Bosun under the tuition of its owner. They toured at the rear but were not far behind and the handicap took them from fifth to fourth.
- Geoff Floyd (Solo)
- Ethan Walker (Laser Radial)
- Leila Farmer (Hartley 12)
- Rick Thurlow and Roger Heasman (Bosun)
- Dave Perrett
DNS: Adam Hilton (Solo)
Roger’s Bosuns 5
It was a near-side start and the consensus was to cross the line on starboard as close to Home1 as possible and hope for a two tack run to Home 2. Ethan Walker was dangerously early approaching the line and had to turn to leeward and wait for the horn. Geoff Floyd and Ian Chatterton did better, setting off from close to Home 1, but Dave Perrett started well too, his Solo seeming to point higher than in the previous race.
The Chatterton Enterprise led going up to Pinkie and at the end of the lap and at the end of this short two lap race, and by a good three minutes! Ethan Walker got over his compromised start and was third at the end of lap 1 but Dave Perrett had overtaken him before the finish. Geoff Floyd held his second place throughout the race but didn’t have the handicap to keep it in the results, second going to the Thurlow/ Heasman Bosun. The winds had strengthened by the end to a good 2 to 3 Beaufort.
- Ian and Katy Chatterton (Enterprise)
- Rick Thurlow and Roger Heasman (Bosun)
- Geoff Floyd (Solo)
- Dave Perrett (Solo)
- Ethan Walker (Laser Radial)
John Buckett ran the races with the assistance of Penny Abbott. Many thanks to them.