17th June 2018 gallery images

Jane Anderson already developing a healthy lead, but would it be enough….?

Adam Hilton at the head of the chasing pack

Sally Wills skippering the club Bosun, on her way to her first victory as helm at Upper Tamar

Vicki with a big lead in her Topper near the start of the Pursuit

Nathan Pollard getting onto the plane across the ‘windy middle’ of the lake

Linda and Penny closing in for the kill on John and Sally in the Bosun

Roger Heasman making up time after capsizing in the Pursuit

An incredibly tight finish at the end of the Pursuit, with Peney Abbott just inches ahead of Linda Spiller

17th June 2018 race report

AM: Sailboat 4

Vicki Duncalf judged the start nicely as usual and sailed with her habitual efficiency with the result that, despite sailing the slowest class of boat in the fleet and finishing some nine minutes behind the leader, the handicap gave her second place. Sally Wills, helming the Clubâ€™s Bosun under the tutelage of her crew, Roger Heasman, did even better. She judged the start perfectly, kept ahead of the chasing Lasers, finished four minutes behind the leader and was awarded the victory. It was a grey, misty, drizzly day, and not all that warm. The winds were blowing fairly strongly from points between south and west with gusts strong enough to cause a couple of capsizes in the course of the daysâ€™ sailing. Jane Andersonâ€™s choice of a Radial sail for her Laser was probably correct for the conditions but in a three lap, forty six minute race she was unable to establish a big enough lead to overcome her handicap disadvantage. Penny Abbott and Linda Spiller, with 4.7 sails on their Lasers, spent the race in close competition, with Linda leading Penny at the finish, but got no help from the handicap in the results.

Results:

1. Sally Wills and Roger Heasman (Bosun)

2. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

3. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)

4. Adam Hilton (Solo)

5. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)

6. Penny Abbott (Laser 4.7)

7. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Retired: Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)

PM: Pursuit 4

With a pursuit race the handicaps are in effect applied before the start. The slowest competitors, based on past performance, start first, the fastest last. So Vicki Duncalf set off first but over more than an hourâ€™s racing several of those following overtook her. Penny Abbott emerged in the lead at the end with Linda Spiller next. Nathan Pollard, swept through the field to third place, passing his fatherâ€™s Bosun towards the end. The breeze had freshened and become a little more consistent but by the finish sailors at the far end of the Lake were disappearing in the mist.

1. Penny Abbott (Laser 4.7)

2. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)

3. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)

4. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

5. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)

6. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

7. Roger Heasman (Streaker),

Retired: Adam Hilton (Solo), John Buckett and Sally Wills (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to Annie Quartermain and Bob Bennett for running the races and to Mandy Pollard for her photographs.

4th October 2015 gallery images

Still rather misty as the fleet again grapple with complexities of where to position yourself when using Start Line 2

Nathan Pollard seems to be trying to ease the RS200 past the upwind side of Adam Hilton’s Bosun with crew of John Dabbs and Kian Downes on board

The fleet set off on a long downwind leg all the way to Far

Nathan Pollard and Jane Chadney clearly having a really enjoyable time whilst getting to grips with Roger’s RS200

James Pollard helming Bob’s RS200, whilst Bob gets more crewing experience at the sharp end

The RS200 spinnaker is a lot of canvas to control, but all seems to be going well here as James and Bob get onto the plane

Nathan and Jane having to work hard on the beat

Jane Anderson calmly in control on her way to complete a double of victories on the day

15th April 2018 gallery images

The fleet negotiates the gybe at the first mark, Dam Green, just after the start

The two Toppers of Jane and Vicki, sailing in tandem just after the start

A poignant picture: Nathan braving the elements during one of the day’s sharp squalls that ripped across the lake

The start of the afternoon Tamar Trophy race, with Nathan and Bob both needing lightning reactions to survive the sudden gusts that came scudding across the water, often leaving boats just a few feet away completely unaffected

Jane Anderson on her way to the second of her victories of the day

Brian Pollard and Geoff Floyd try out John White’s Bosun

Close racing between the two Laser 4.7’s of Bob and Nathan

15th April 2018 race report

AM: Commodore’s Cup1

Three Bosuns with small sails, two Laser 4.7s and two Toppers started the first race in the Commodore series on a day when there was enough wind forecast to make one want to shorten sail even on a Topper, wind which in the event blew very gustily from slightly west of the Dam. All the boats except Brian Pollard and Geoff Floydâ€™s Bosun were clustered at the end of the pontoon at the start, trying to reach Dam Green without tacking. Bob Sampson got round the buoy first with Nathan Pollard second and that was the way they stayed until the end. The Hilton/Buckett Bosun was the lead double-hander at Dam Green but the Roger Heasman/ Sally Wills Bosun passed it before Middle buoy and Brian Pollard also overtook before the end of the lap. Jane Andersonâ€™s Topper was well up in third and the question was whether Bob Sampson could get far enough ahead of her to overcome the Topperâ€™s handicap. The answer was no; six minutes lead at the finish was not enough to give Bob the victory and the Topper handicap brought Vicki Duncalfâ€™s Topper, which had kept well up with the Bosuns, up from last on the water to fourth.

Results:

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
3. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
5. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun)
6. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
7. Adam Hilton and John Buckett (Bosun)

PM: Tamar Memorial Trophy 2

The weather had looked to be calming down over lunch and the two remaining Bosuns (Heasman/Wills and Pollard/Floyd) opted for full size sails, mindful perhaps of the requirement of the Tamar series that the same boat/sail combination is used throughout. The sun came out for the start and Vicki Duncalf got away first. There was another bunched turn at Dam Green with Nathan Pollard emerging having to do a penalty turn and Jane Anderson going in perhaps fifth and coming out first. The Lasers soon asserted themselves, Bob Sampson leading, but Roger Heasman was keeping up well in third. Jane Andersonâ€™s Topper was mostly fourth, although she overtook Roger Heasman for a spell during lap 2, and finished five minutes behind Bob Sampson. The Pollard/Floyd Bosun lost time with a flyaway jib sheet but stayed ahead of Vicki Duncalf. The rain came back.

Results:

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
3. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7)
4. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun)
5. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
6. Brian Pollard and Sally Wills (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to Nicky Buckett and John Savage who officiated and to Mandy Pollard for photography.

8th April 2018 gallery images

The Kestrel gets away first on the beat to Dam Red

Boats apparently moving at reasonable speeds at this juncture as the Kestrel rounds Dam Red

But the fleet appears to have almost come to a standstill (judging by the lack of wakes) as the boats bunch up heading for the Inlet

Robin Spiller’s Streaker and Nathan’s Laser Radial close-hauled on the beat back down the lake

Back to a drift by the time of the afternoon Pursuit Race

New boat on the lake, a smart-looking Wayfarer (complete with McNamara sails) gets its spinnaker flying – in itself a relateively rare sight at the lake

Nathan Pollard on his way to victory in the afternoon Pursuit race

The safety boat heads out to help work out the positions just before the hooter sounds for the end of the Pursuit

8th April 2018 race report

AM: Sailboat 1

A glorious sunny day with light and highly variable winds coming from many points between north and east brought thirteen boats to the startline. A knot of Duncalf Toppers, the Jane Anderson Laser (Radial) and the club Kestrel (Adam Hilton and John Dabbs) managed to untie itself at the extreme windward end of the line with the Kestrel getting away first to the next buoy. It was not a good day for Toppers â€“ too little wind – and they were left behind by the inevitable Lasers (Anderson, Pollard, Murray) and the Heasman/Wills Bosun. The Kestrelâ€™s light weight and large expanse of canvas took it down the Lake but when the breeze collapsed the rest of the fleet caught up and three of the Lasers overtook, the double-handerâ€™s lead being clawed back later in the lap. This was a pattern to be repeated, with variations, on subsequent laps with the Kestrel only managing to steal first place by a foredeck at the finish, with Jane Anderson recorded by the eagle-eyed Officers of the Day (Axford and Joyce) as two seconds and Sue Murray thirteen seconds behind. And then the Kestrelâ€™s somewhat challenging handicap tossed it down the order!

Results:

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)

2. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)

3. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun)

4. Robin Spiller (Streaker)

5. Adam Hilton and John Dabbs (Kestrel)

6. Jane Chadney (Laser Radial)

7. Toby Tobias (Bosun)

8. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

9. Penny Abbott (Laser Full)

10. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)

11. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

12. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)

John Duncalf (Topper) rtd;Â Mike and Viki Herbert-Coulson (Wayfarer) DNS

PM: Pursuit 1

Vicki Duncalf started first and the last boats (Mike and Viki Herbert-Coulson in their pretty new Wayfarer and the Laser of Jane Anderson) started seventeen minutes later. The Wayfarer cut through the field ending up fourth, with the Kestrel, which had started two minutes earlier, staying ahead and finishing third. Nathan Pollard got his Laser past five boats and had a commanding lead at the end. Robin Spiller (Streaker) managed four and finished second a little ahead of the Kestrel.

Results:

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)

2. Robin Spiller (Streaker)

3. Adam Hilton and John Dabbs (Kestrel)

4. Mike and Viki Herbert-Coulson (Wayfarer)

5. Jane Chadney (Laser Radial)

6. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)

7. Roger Heasman (Streaker)

8. Penny Abbott (Laser Full)

9. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)

10. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

11. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Tasar)

12. Toby Tobias and Sally Wills (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to Steve Axford and Graham Joyce who controlled an unruly fleet and to Mandy Pollard for photography.

11th March 2018 gallery images

Steve Axford gets away clear on the first beat, with Roger and Sally Wills in the ‘Mona and Mike Ford’ following behind

On the beat back towards the Dam, Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert are now leading the trio of Bosuns

Roger cuts close across the transom of th Commodore’s Bosun, whilst Adam and John look warily on

And somewhere Adam has managed to overtake Brian, but the latter is still handily placed to windward

Still nip-and-tuck at the bottom end of the lake but Roger and Sally are apparently now leading the Bosuns

Whilst the longshot photo shows just how grey and un-Spring-like the lake is looking

Nice close-up of Steve on his way to victory, though the facial expression here still suggests that it’s fairly chilly out on the water

When her spell of ‘consiste’ fails, Cilla abandons wand work and resorts to a more hands-on (in this case, both hands on) approach

11th March 2018 race report

AM: Barnwell 2

Steve Axford, in the only single-handed dinghy in the race â€“ a Laser Radial â€“ crossed the line first, kept the lead throughout and finished nine minutes ahead of the next boat, a lead only reduced by four minutes when the handicaps were applied. Behind him a more complicated and less courageous story unfolded. It had been very windy and gusty all morning; there were white horses up and down the Lake. Those sailors prepared to get into a boat -there were several who were not â€“ opted for the relative safety of Bosuns with small sails. So the two Club-owned Bosuns ventured out with Roger Heasman at the helm and Sally Wills as crew (they were second over the start line) and the other had Brian Pollard helming with Cilla Gilbert. The privateer Bosun was skippered by Adam Hilton and had John Dabbs as crew. By the time these three had tacked to Dam Red and then run down the south easterly to Pinkie, Brian Pollard had got himself past the other two. But that was not the end of the tussle by any means; the three boats were never more than a length or two apart and couldnâ€™t stop changing places. Starboard was called on port tackers and windward boats were pushed further upwind. The Hilton/Dabbs dinghy lost ground when it touched the buoy at Dam Red and it remained at the back of the train until stealing the wind from the others and edging past shortly before Pinkie on lap 3. It managed to keep the place until the horn blew for the finish.

Results:

1. Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
2. Adam Hilton and John Dabbs (Bosun)
3. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun)
4. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to the Spillers who ran the race and especially to Toby Tobias and Nathan Pollard for braving the cold in the safety boat.

There were no takers for the scheduled Barnwell 3 which was therefore not run.

4th March 2018 gallery images