Using Start Line 2 called for difficult judgements from helms on whereabouts on the start line to be: here James Pollard’s Laser Radial is ahead (but to leeward) of Steve Axford’s Laser and Bob Sampson’s RS200
Just occasionally the breeze filled in for a few lucky boats – here Bob Sampson and Jane Anderson in the RS200 are going really rather nicely
But much of the time it was just a question of sitting and waiting: here Adam Hilton and James Pollard chat as they drift along
Start of the afternoon race, still on Start Line 2, with the breeze now little more than a whisper
Coming and going to West White: here it looks as if Adam Hilton’s Solo has crept into the lead
Looking for the wind? Bob Sampson and John Duncalf peering both sides of the mainsail, whilst in the background the same fisherman as in a previous picture stares impassively on
Paul Whybrow en-route to a win on handicap
The story of the afternoon…. As they head towards Middle, the two leading boats look to have found a nice patch of breeze and have little bow waves, whilst not far away, the other three dinghies look to be moving much more slowly
Start of the midday race, with a short beat towards Dam Green again: husband-and-wife duo of Jane and Paul Anderson showing ahead in their respective Lasers
Good close up of James Pollard approaching Dam Green, just in front of Linda Spiller in her Comet
The fleet on a broad reach from Dam Green to the next mark at Home 2
All smiles on the Quebec: Toby helming, with Hamish and new club member Jamie Godwin crewing
Good action shot of Rachel Pomeroy initiating a tack in the ‘Mike Ford’
Mixture of port and starboard approaches to the line at the start of the afternoon race
It gets very busy round Dam Green at the start of a race when there’s a sizeable fleet out – but Paul Anderson has got clear away
Paul Anderson’s Laser alongside Nathan Pollard’s Topper
Bob Sampson, just back from a week in the Med honing his high-wind sailing skills, looks very comfortable in the Laser 4.7 as he passes Middle on a broad reach. The rest of the fleet are in a close quartet behind.
Good close-up of Simon Veal and Nicola Clay, working hard in the Bosun; the small breadth of foreshore in the background shows how much the lake level has already risen in the last week or two
Simon getting back to his roots as the Bosun submarines in a gust across the windiest part of the lake; behind, the odd angle of the boom on the ‘Mike Ford’ is due to the kicker coming unjammed in a gust, which couldn’t be re-tightened until the boat reached the relative quiet of the more sheltered water down towards the Dam. Adam Hilton’s Solo is also well up on the plane. Windspeeds of 25mph with gusts of 34mph were recorded at Chivenor Met Station at midday, with higher speeds later!
Nicola Clay finds a moment to relax as the Bosun heads into calmer waters
Adam Hilton, going very well in his Solo with a smaller sail to still be tucked in just behind the Bosun at this point
Nathan Pollard’s Topper hull almost disappearing beneath the spray as he planes back across the middle of the lake
Bob Sampson’s Laser 4.7 and Nathan’s Topper almost side-by-side in the afternoon race
Nathan ‘s Topper meets the wake of a high-speed Bosun going the other way….
Robin Spiller showing ahead in his Streaker to leeward, with James Pollard nicely placed to windward as boats approach the line at the start of the midday race
The whole fleet in view at the top end of the lake (14 boats – a good number for a blustery November): Bob Sampson and Brian Pollard keep a watchful eye in the foreground
Close competition amongst the Topper sailors: Alex Clifton, Nathan Pollard, Elliot Pomeroy and Jane Chadney almost in line abreast, with Rachael Pomeroy not far behind
And equally close quarters in the middle of the fleet, with Adam Hilton’s Solo and the Bosuns of Toby Tobias and Nicky Buckett more-or-less level pegging
Steve Axford’s Laser, having to spill wind in many of the gusts, is only just ahead of James Pollard’s Laser Radial in this shot
John Savage in the Solo getting onto the plane just behind Nathan Pollard’s Topper
Tony Tobias and John Dabbs make a brilliant start in the afternoon race
Lasers and Bosuns still tight together on the first lap, heading at speed up towards Far; in the background, the lack of foreshore shows the lake has now completely refilled, with water going over the spillway
The start of the midday race, with five boats and crews heading up the lake into a heavy driving drizzle
Elliot Pomeroy to windward of Vicki Duncalf on what looks to have turned into a beat – the wind, which initially looked to be mainly westerly, turned progressively more northerly during the course of the day
Steve Axford and Bob Sampson on the plane. The duo were never far apart for the whole race, but Steve, who was just behind as they rounded Dam Green on the final lap, managed to snatch victory by a tactical tack in the last few yards
Vicki Duncalf keeping ahead of the Bosun of Adam Hilton and John Dabbs. Note the fisherman in the background, who is so unworried by the chill of a bitter early Spring day, that he’s prepared to stand in the water
Start of the afternoon race: the Bosun has stolen a march on the remainder of the fleet by getting away quickly and well to windward. The streaks of foam on the water show that the wind remained pretty strong
Good telephoto close-up of Elliot Pomeroy, wrapped up against the cold
The Bosun’s excellent start means that it’s still in the lead as it beats up to the first mark at Middle
No early-season rustiness for Sue Murray, who looked very comfortable in her Laser 4.7 – and ended up in the 2nd place
