AM: Frostbite Series 7 The fleet of fourteen boats was so keen to race that a whole bunch were over the line before the start was signalled. A general recall pulled them back and at the restart Jane Anderson was first away, was first at the end of the first lap and first at the finish. She won. The wind, much gentler than the week before, but coming from exactly the same northerly point of the compass, was again blanketed by the hills as the fleet, bunched up, rounded Inlet, with predictable touchings, shoutings and penalties the result. A now dropping wind spread out the competitors but Graham Joyce, with a full-sailed Laser and one of the beneficiaries of the push-and-shove at Inlet, freed himself from the pack and spent the rest of the race harrying second-placed Sue Murray in her Radial. Further back the Streakers bickered; Roger Heasman’s triumphing, finishing seventh on the water, but Robin Spiller had been ahead of him more than once. The Pollard/Pomeroy Bosun led its Tobias/Dabbs sister and Nathan Pollard’s Topper kept in front, only just in front at times, of Elliot Pomeroy’s. Jane Chadney (Radial) followed Adam Hilton’s Solo before winning the beat to Inlet on the last lap and overtaking.
Results: 1. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) 2. Nathan Pollard (Topper) 3. Sue Murray (Laser Radial) 4. Elliot Pomeroy (Topper) 5. Graham Joyce (Laser) 6. Adam Hilton (Solo) 7. Brian Pollard and Rachael Pomeroy (Bosun) 8. Jane Chadney (Laser Radial) 9. Roger Heasman (Streaker) 10. Robin Spiller (Streaker) 11= . Toby Tobias and John Dabbs (Bosun) 11=. Stuart Mealing (Laser Radial) 13. Penny Abbott (Laser Radial) 14. John Savage (Solo)
PM: Icicle Series 7 Eleven boats entered the afternoon race and Roger Heasman (subsequently recalled), Nathan Pollard and Sue Murray were all in front of Jane Anderson at the start. That did not prevent Jane reaching the first buoy (the tricky Inlet White again) first. She led from then on, followed by the yellow-hulled Solo of Adam Hilton which benefitted in the now very gentle winds from its 8.36sqm of sail as against Jane’s Radial’s 5.9sqm. Behind them the Radials of Sue Murray and Jane Chadney were consistently third and fourth, followed by the Streakers; Roger Heasman a mere twenty-one seconds ahead of Robin Spiller at the finish! Brian Pollard, sailing the Club Bosun crewless, again led the Tobias/Dabbs Bosun until Toby and John got fed up with super-light wind sailing and retired. Indeed the wind was so slight that the race was shortened to two laps which nonetheless took much of the fleet an hour to complete.
Results: 1. Adam Hilton (Solo) 2. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) 3. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7) 4. Jane Chadney (Laser Radial) 5. Roger Heasman (Streaker) 6. Robin Spiller (Streaker) 7. Nathan Pollard (Topper) 8. Brian Pollard, (Bosun) 9. Penny Abbott (Laser Radial) 10. John Savage (Solo) Toby Tobias and John Dabbs (Bosun) rtd
Thanks were given to Linda Spiller who expertly marshalled an unruly fleet (and cleared up spilt tea) and to Paul Anderson and Adeney Pooler in a chilly safety boat.