Cup 6

Powerful winds, even stronger gusts and driving rain had all become distant memories from the spring; they were forecast to return this day and come back they did. Half the sailors in the club stayed at home! However Brian and James Pollard put small sails on their Bosun and ventured out. Adam Hilton and his crew Alan Comber even risked full size sails on theirs. Nathan Pollard was reduced to a mere 4.7 square metres of sail on his Laser, while Jane Anderson down-sized to a Topper which is Vicki Duncalf’s regular mount.

They started towards the Dam with the Bosuns crossing the line first, but Nathan Pollard was the first to round Dam Green. Brian Pollard followed only to be rammed from behind by the other Bosun as he set his sails for the close reach up the Lake. The resultant penalty turns put the offending boat last, behind the Toppers of Jane Anderson and Vicki Duncalf.  Nathan Pollard continued to lead throughout the race but it was hardly plain sailing. At one point a gust took him so far off course he had to do what looked like penalty turns! It was a short course – including neither West nor Inlet to avoid the fishermen who packed the banks – and laps were taking a mere ten minutes. At the top of the Lake on lap 1 the Toppers were ahead of the Bosuns but Brian Pollard got past Vicki Duncalf on the way to Middle only to be repassed by her on lap 2. A capsize finally relegated Vicki to the back of the fleet. By the third lap the big-sailed Bosun had caught up with the small-sailed one and on the long port tack up to Pinkie took the lead. At that point Jane Anderson was returning down the lake on starboard, her path crossing the trajectory of the two Bosuns, neither of which was able to take avoiding action. This led to the retirement of the Bosuns under threat of disqualification. Nathan Pollard crossed the finish line as Jane Anderson rounded the buoy at the top of the course; nonetheless the handicap gave her the victory, but only by three seconds!

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7)
3. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Retired: Brian and James Pollard (Bosun), Adam Hilton and Alan Comber (Bosun)

 

Ladies/Gents/Junior/Gosling Cups 5.

The winds were even stronger for the afternoon race. The Hilton/Comber Bosun scratched, reducing the fleet to four. The Toppers were both reefed but were still hard to control. Shortly after the start Jane Anderson capsized hers but was on her way with admirable speed. Vicki Duncalf retired her Topper. Nathan Pollard, who had capsized twice before the race had even started, led throughout, despite yet another capsize. James Pollard was now helming the remaining Bosun in second place, each lap taking the gybe at Dam Green in fine style. At the end Nathan Pollard was three minutes ahead of the Bosun and five ahead of the Topper; the handicaps allowed him the victory.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7)
2. Jane Anderson (Topper)
3. James and Brian Pollard (Bosun)

Retired: Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

The races were run by Mike and Viki Herbert-Coulson. To them and to Mandy Pollard who took the photos, many thanks.

 

Teatime Tankard (Roger’s Bosuns)

Wednesday and the beginning of two new series; the ‘Teatime Tankard’ which is open to all and ‘Roger’s Bosuns’ which is open to novices at the helm. In the end Cilla Gilbert was the only novice on the water so perhaps her trouncing of the Commodore in his Bosun will not count for much.

The wind was infuriating. When it was present it was north westerly but often it wasn’t present at all. Paul Whybrow found himself in vacuums a couple of times. On the other hand it occasionally gusted powerfully, enough to knock over the Graduate of Adeney Pooler which he was continuing to reacquaint himself with. The sun shone.

On the first lap Nathan Pollard’s Full-sailed Laser and Paul Whybrow’s Solo kept close company as did Cilla Gilbert, under the watchful eye of Roger Heasman, and Adam Hilton, his Bosun crewed by John Dabbs. In the subsequent two laps Nathan remained ahead but never ran away from Paul, whereas Cilla’s lead increased by leaps and bounds. After the race it was discovered that one of the boats had caught a fisherman’s lines and pulled two rods into the water where they could not be found. A warning to us all: the Lake is smaller than usual and we need to stay well clear of fishermen!

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Paul Whybrow (Solo)
3. Cilla Gilbert and Roger Heasman (Bosun)
4. Adam Hilton and John Dabbs (Bosun)

Many thanks are due to Bob Sampson and Sue Murray who were coaching novices who may well race before the season is out, to Sue Murray who ran the race and to Roger Heasman and Adam Hilton who carried on the work of refendering the pontoon.

 

Barnwell 4

Jane Anderson dominated the day’s racing. Her Laser Radial was first in the noon race and first in the afternoon, first on the water and on handicap, first over the start lines (near as dammit in the second race) and first to finish each lap raced. Twelve boats took the start of Barnwell 4 on another baking day of clouds and sun with enough wind to get the boats on the plane from time to time. Sue Murray (Laser Radial) and John Dabbs (Gull) were second and third at the start but at the first mark it was Paul Whybrow and Adam Hilton’s Solos that were trying to chase the Anderson Laser with the other Lasers close behind. Further back Vicki Duncalf ‘s Topper headed Toby Tobias’ Bosun with Roger Heasman closing on them at the second buoy. Heading up to Far Jane Anderson stretched her lead over Paul Whybrow and the fleet was then clearly divided in two. This division disappeared on the way back to the Dam, the boats arriving at Dam Green evenly spaced with Jane Anderson still leading Paul Whybrow and Vicki Duncalf still looking very competitive further down the field. Passing the clubhouse many boats had a burst of planing and the full-sailed Lasers of Graham Joyce and Nathan Pollard passed Paul Whybrow with Adam Hilton close behind and Sue Murray in their lee. During lap 2 Nathan Pollard moved into second place, with the Hilton Solo splitting the two Lasers and these positions held at the start of the final lap. Further back the Comber/Weller Enterprise had jumped up two places leaving the Bosuns of Toby Tobias and Brian Pollard/Cilla Gilbert scrapping behind them. Vicki Duncalf and John Dabbs had their own battle in the rear. Sue Murray overtook Adam Hilton on the last lap and just before the finish got past Graham Joyce. It wasn’t a day for the Full-sailed Lasers; the handicap took one down six places and the other seven!

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
2. Adam Hilton (Solo)
3. John Dabbs (Gull)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
5. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
6. Paul Whybrow (Solo)
7. Roger Heasman (Streaker)
8. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
9. Toby Tobias (Bosun)
10. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
11. Graham Joyce (Laser Full)
12. Alan Comber and John Weller (Enterprise)

Tamar 7

The wind had picked up a little and lap times were down three minutes or so. The race officials changed the course so that the zig-zags in the middle of the Lake took place on the way back from Far rather than on the way to it. At the start Vicki Duncalf, Toby Tobias, Nathan Pollard and Jane Anderson were overlapping at the pontoon end of the line. Sue Murray, Paul Whybrow and Adam Hilton were scrambling to get the right side of the buoy at the other, having failed to realise the start had been switched to ‘this side’. In the light of this, Sue Murray’s second place at the first mark, West White, represented a remarkable recovery from a position well to leeward of the other leading boats. As the fleet came back from Far the order was Jane Anderson, Sue Murray, Nathan Pollard, Roger Heasman and Toby Tobias. The Solos were still trying to make up ground after their slow start with Paul Whybrow not clearing the Bosuns and the Enterprise until lap 2.  Sue Murray kept closing on Jane Anderson, without quite being able to pass, and then dropping back, as much as a minute and a half at the finish. Roger Heasman started behind Vicki Duncalf and the Tobias Bosun (which now had John Dabbs as crew) but he was soon in fourth place, clear of all but the Lasers and determined to keep in front of the Solos. He did. The handicaps left the first five boats in the positions they finished on the water but brought both Toby Tobias and Vicki Duncalf up a place.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
2. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
3. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)
4. Roger Heasman (Streaker)
5. Adam Hilton (Solo)
6. Toby Tobias and John Dabbs (Bosun)
7. Paul Whybrow (Solo)
8. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
9. Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)
10. John Weller and Alan Comber (Enterprise)

The Club offered particularly grateful thanks to the race officer, Jane Chadney, a member for many years who sadly has now sold her boat! She was ably assisted by Stuart Mealing and by Mandy Pollard who also took the photographs.

 

Midweek Mug 6

It was a UTLSC Wednesday and so Roger Heasman, with Robin Spiller, was replacing the fendering on the pontoon and both Sue Murray  and Bob Sampson were teaching novices and Adeney Pooler was sailing his Graduate for the first time since his major disaster and John Savage was sailing his Otter to make sure that it was perfectly saleable , with the result that it felt positively selfish to be entering the midweek race merely for the pleasure (and pain) of competing with one’s peers. In the event Linda Spiller (Laser Full) was the first of the egotists to cross the start line, unfortunately a moment before the horn. Adam Hilton and Paul Whybrow (both Solos) followed and Adam led the beat up to Pinky and the runs and reaches back via West, Zebra and the two Dam buoys. The wind had been very light but fairly consistent, but on the second lap Adam was becalmed in the middle of the Lake while Paul and Linda got a handy little blast and reached Pinky before him. The vagaries of the subsequent puffs dumped Linda but brought Adam up to Paul but not past him. The OOD (Penny Abbott) mercifully shortened the race to two laps which nonetheless took the leader 53 minutes to complete.

Rank	Class	HelmName	CrewName	PY	Corrected times
1st	SOLO	Paul Whybrow		1148	0:46:26
2nd	SOLO	Adam Hilton		1148	0:46:55
3rd	LASER RADIAL	Linda Spiller		1109	0:49:37
4th	GULL	John Dabbs		1363	0:50:54
5th	BOSUN	Sally Wills	Cilla Gilbert	1219	0:54:14
6th	LASER RADIAL	Penny Abbott		1109	OOD

Many thanks to Penny Abbott who ran the race.

 

Cup 5

It was that rare thing, a glorious sunny day with a gloriously sailable northerly breeze. The course could therefore feature a glorious, long, sort-the-men-from-the-boys, beat up to Far. The Lasers were out in force; Bob Sampson, Nathan Pollard and Linda Spiller had Full sails; Jane Chadney, Sue Murray and Jane Anderson had Radials. But there were a pair of Bosuns, a pair of Otters, a pair of Solos and a trio of one-offs, fifteen boats in all. First over the start line were Vicci Duncalf’s Topper and a selection of the Lasers after which the fleet spread out with the big-sailed Lasers rapidly taking on the lead. After a twenty minute lap Bob Sampson was in front and he continued to head the fleet at each lap’s end. Nathan Pollard held second place throughout and Linda Spiller was third until Jane Anderson overtook her. Robin Spiller (Streaker) won his battle with Adam Hilton (Solo) but Geoff Floyd (Solo) lost his with Nicky Buckett (Bosun, with Sally Wills as crew). At the end of lap 1 the officials couldn’t separate them but Nicky pulled away a bit later and anyway Geoff went the wrong side of Home 1 (as did Brian Pollard in the Bosun, with Cilla Gilbert).

1. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
2. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
3. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
4. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
5. Nicky Buckett and Sally Wills (Bosun)
6. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
7. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
8. Jane Chadney (Laser Radial)
9. John Buckett (Otter)
10. John Dabbs (Gull)
11. Adam Hilton (Solo)
12. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
13. John Savage (Otter)

Disqualified: Geoff Floyd (Solo), Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

 

Sailboat 5

Robin Spiller was first over the start line but was well to leeward of the rest; he was going to find it hard making a port tack across the fleet. Nathan Pollard came next with Sue Murray close to him. Bob Sampson had a less than impressive start but that didn’t stop him getting (just) ahead of Nathan before the end of the lap. They remained neck and neck throughout the race, Nathan crossing the finish line all of eight seconds in front. Next came a pair of Radials, with Jane Anderson leading Sue Murray throughout. Linda Spiller followed them after spectacularly capsizing (a wayward gust?) on the way to Dam Green on lap 1. When the handicaps were applied the leading pair kept their places but Jane Anderson was bumped down to fifth by Nicky Buckett and Sally Wills in the Bosun and by Vicky Duncalf in the Topper. It was a glorious day’s sailing.

 

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
3. Nicky Buckett and Sally Wills (Bosun)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
5. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
6. Adam Hilton (Solo)
7. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
8. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
9. Jane Chadney (Laser Radial)
10. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
11. John Buckett (Otter)
12. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
13. Geoff Floyd (Solo)

Many thanks to Paul Whybrow and Annie Quartermain who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard who took the photos.

 

Midweek Mug 5

A grey day. The winds, gentle and (as ever) variable, came from over the dam or from the hill to the east of it. So the start was from this side of Line 1 towards Dam Red. Linda Spiller’s Laser Full set out from close to Home 1, the shortest route, and rounded Dame Red first without tacking. Robin followed her on his regular mount, then Sue Murray cursing her choice of a Radial sail (she should have remembered what the handicap would do for her.) Nathan Pollard came next with a Full sail, Sally Wills followed with Bob Sampson crewing the Bosun, then Adam Hilton with the yellow-hulled Solo and finally Cilla Gilbert with John Dabbs in charge of the Bosun’s jib.

Linda kept her lead via Zebra, Inlet and Middle as far as Far, after which Nathan made a neat turn, took over the lead and never looked back. But after two laps and nearly an hour’s racing he was not quite a minute ahead of Linda’s Laser, the Streaker and the Solo; not enough to give him victory. Behind him Robin, Adam and Linda took turns to hold second place as the vagaries of the wind and the quality of their tacking favoured or disfavoured them. Sue Murray lost a place or two getting out of people’s way at Far on lap 1. She was headed by Sally’s Bosun for a stretch but was away and rapidly reducing the gap to the dicing trio as the race ended. Sally and Bob were never far behind on lap 1 but dropped back too far on lap 2 for the handicap to help them much.

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
3. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
4. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
5. Sally Wills and Bob Sampson (Bosun)
6. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
7. Cilla Gilbert and John Dabbs (Bosun)

 

Many thanks to Brian Pollard who ran the race and took the photos.

Midweek Mug 4

 

In the morning the sun shone, the wind blew, boats were returned to the smart new boat park and work progressed on the pontoon. At lunch time the sun shone and the wind blew but by race time, although the sun remained steadfast, the wind became fickle, coming and going from various points east. Three familiar Bosuns took to the water but their crew combinations were new. The club’s Rob Eason was helmed by Cilla Gilbert and crewed by Sally Wills. Brian Pollard steered his own with Roger Heasman as crew and the Commodore’s boat had Paul Whybrow at the helm with John Dabbs as crew. Linda Spiller’s Radial and Adam Hilton’s Solo completed the fleet.

Linda crossed the line first, with Adam following, Paul next and Brian after him. The single- handers went ahead on the way to Inlet and across to west, but before they got to Pinkie the wind dropped and the extra three square metres of sail on the Solo became more important than its ten kilogram weight penalty and it squeezed ahead before the buoy. The following Bosuns came up fast. On the long beat back up the Lake Linda judged her tacks better and was ahead again at Dam Green, which she touched. The resultant penalty turn let the Solo ahead again. Linda got the lead back by the end of the lap. Much the same pattern repeated on laps three and four and Linda crossed the finish line thirteen seconds ahead. The Whybrow/Dabbs Bosun played similar games with the Pollard/Heasman boat. Brian got ahead for a bit on both laps one and two but Paul was always ahead at the lap ends. He finished half a minute up with water swishing round his ankles in a leaky Commodore Bosun.

 

 

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)
3. Paul Whybrow and John Dabbs (Bosun)
4. Brian Pollard and Roger Heasman (Bosun)

Retired: Cilla Gilbert and Sally Wills (Bosun)

 

Many thanks to Nicky Buckett who ran the race and to Robin Spiller  who took the photos.

Midweek Mug 4

In the morning the sun shone, the wind blew, boats were returned to the smart new boat park and work progressed on the pontoon. At lunch time the sun shone and the wind blew but by race time, although the sun remained steadfast, the wind became fickle, coming and going from various points east. Three familiar Bosuns took to the water but their crew combinations were new. The club’s Rob Eason was helmed by Cilla Gilbert and crewed by Sally Wills. Brian Pollard steered his own with Roger Heasman as crew and the Commodore’s boat had Paul Whybrow at the helm with John Dabbs as crew. Linda Spiller’s Radial and Adam Hilton’s Solo completed the fleet.

Linda crossed the line first, with Adam following, Paul next and Brian after him. The single-handers went ahead on the way to Inlet and across to west, but before they got to Pinkie the wind dropped and the extra three square metres of sail on the Solo became more important than its ten kilogram weight penalty and it squeezed ahead before the buoy. The following Bosuns came up fast. On the long beat back up the Lake Linda judged her tacks better and was ahead again at Dam Green, which she touched. The resultant penalty turn let the Solo ahead again. Linda got the lead back by the end of the lap. Much the same pattern repeated on laps three and four and Linda crossed the finish line thirteen seconds ahead. The Whybrow/Dabbs Bosun played similar games with the Pollard/Heasman boat. Brian got ahead for a bit on both laps one and two but Paul was always ahead at the lap ends. He finished half a minute up with water swishing round his ankles in a leaky Commodore Bosun.

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)
3. Paul Whybrow and John Dabbs (Bosun)
4. Brian Pollard and Roger Heasman (Bosun)

Retired: Cilla Gilbert and Sally Wills (Bosun)

Many thanks to Nicky Buckett who ran the race and to Robin Spiller  who took the photos.