Jane Anderson, sailing her Topper, was first across the start line and led every tack, reach and run of this four lap race, this despite her craft being, according to the handicaps, the slowest boat on the water. The wind was blowing at highly variable strengths and from highly variable points around East North East. It made a grey Tamar Lake feel distinctly cold.

The course took the fleet around Zebra and to Inlet, a couple of tacks. Then it was a run to West before more tacks to Pinky and a run back to Dam Green. Roger Heasman and Dave Perrett in the Bosun were second around Inlet. Adam Hilton and Leila Farmer in another Bosun were next, although soon to be overtaken by John Dabbs and Linda Spiller in the third of the Bosun fleet. Geoff Floyd followed, the Solo hard to handle in the gusts even with a small sail.

The order remained the same at the end of lap 1 but at the end of lap 2 the Dabbs/Spiller Bosun had overtaken its Heasman/Spiller sister.  The third Bosun was losing a lot of ground with the Solo still further back. The Solo retired after a capsize on lap 2 and the lagging Bosun lost broke its tiller and was obliged to beach on lap 3. The leading trio remained close; Heasman and Dabbs swapping places from time to time. All three crossed the finish line within twenty seconds of each other.

Many thanks were given to Paul Anderson who ran the race.

Sailwave Scoring Software 2.28.2
www.sailwave.com

by Adam Hilton

For the first race of the season, the first for the Barnwell Cup, a hazy sun was out, the winds were from West North West and blowing a little more strongly than the 7mph forecast. A very full Tamar Lake had blessedly few other users.

John Dabbs took out his Bosun with Karl Moss, a welcome newcomer from Bradworthy as crew. Jane and Paul Anderson, after a 2022 of barely setting foot in a boat, took out their Lasers, hers with a Radial sail, his with a full size. Finally, Dave Perrett and Adam Hilton had their Solos on the water. There would have been more if half the Club had not been suffering from one bug or another.

Bob Sampson set a course that entailed a beat up to West, a gybe and a short run across to Middle, then more beating up to Pinky. Coming back south meant reaching to the point before the Inlet, then a tricky little passage of sailing by the lee or coping with an unpredictable gybe before rounding Inlet buoy. Crossing to Zebra was an invigorating passage, the lighter boats on the edge of planning, after which the run to Dam Green was relaxing until another gybe around that buoy before competitors re-crossed the start line.

Jane Anderson was the first to cross the start line, on starboard tack. Most of the rest of the field chose to start on port tack, with John Dabbs second over the line and Adam Hilton third. Dave Perrett started on the near side of the startline when the course stated that he should have crossed on the far side. He lost time going back. Paul Anderson’s rudder was unwilling to remain properly attached to his boat. He lost time too. Jane Anderson was the first to round the first buoy with Adam Hilton second and John Dabbs third. Paul Anderson was catching up the Perrett Solo but didn’t get past until after Inlet. Thereafter the order remained the same but there was still plenty of racing going on. The Dabbs Bosun was close enough to the leaders at the end of the first lap for the handicap to have given him victory if the race had ended then. Equally Adam Hilton would have won on handicap if the race had ended after two laps. But it didn’t and after three laps Jane Anderson’s lead was a secure one minute and seventeen seconds

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
2. Adam Hilton (Solo)
3. John Dabbs and Karl Moss (Bosun)
4. Paul Anderson (Laser Full)
5. Dave Perrett (Solo)

Bob Sampson kindly ran the race.

by Adam Hilton

Bob Sampson

Sailing on Boxing Day has long been a tradition of the Tamar Lake club and this Boxing Day was no exception. However the still present virus, family commitments and like impediments reduced the numbers of members attending to about a dozen. These few however were rewarded by a sparkling Lake, full of water with the excess cascading over the dam; such a pleasure to see after the miserable puddle of the drought-ridden summer which had meant that the racing season had to be cut short. Moreover the weather turned out sunny, not too cold and with sharp little north-westerly winds, perfect for propelling sailing dinghies up and down.

Two Bosun dinghies went out. John Dabbs took one of the Club’s Bosuns with Ethan Walker as crew. Adam Hilton’s Bosun had Anna Walker at the helm with her mother and the owner as crew. The little fleet took two tacks to get up to Far buoy, then reached back towards the Dam, turned and repeated the exercise. The Club’s always fast, pale blue Rob Eason Bosun easily out-paced the Hilton boat. The crews came off the water beaming; so grateful to have been back on the water  at Tamar Lake. Roll on the spring and the new racing season!

Still No Water!

SWLT suspended all on-water activities on Tamar Lake on 8th August – see SWLT website for more information