Powerful winds were forecast and several sailors stayed at home as a result. Others came to the Lake but stayed on the shore. The northwesterlies were indeed powerful, coming barrelling over the hills with the turbulence of water cascading over a weir. The waters of the Lake had long angry white streaks.

Nonetheless the Vicecommodore devised a course for a potential race and Dave Perret, his Solo flying a cut-down sail, was the first to take to the water to try it out. He made it to the top of the Lake but came to grief trying to round West White buoy. It was difficult to right a capsize when the gale wouldn’t allow the boat to stay head to wind and Perrett needed assistance from Tom Sparks in the safety boat.

Brian Pollard, sailing the Bosun with his usual crew, Natasha Routley, could have used a lot more weight than she provided to counter the wind pressure. As it was the boat was over-powered by the northwesterlies. He sailed across the Lake to Inlet where the winds were unwilling to let him turn the boat around. When that was finally achieved the Bosun scuttled across the Lake back to the pontoon.

Nathan Pollard lofted the smallest of the Aero’s four sails, the 5, but was still over-powered. After two capsizes he returned to the shore. Bob Sampson was similarly cautious. He put the little 4.7 sail on the mast of the Laser but it was no use. The man known for loving the sheer exhilaration of planing at speed across the centre of the Lake may have avoided a capsize but was very soon back on shore.

Both scheduled races were cancelled.

Thanks were extended to Jenny and Liam Routley who readied themselves to oversee the races and to Mandy Pollard who photographed the struggling sailors.

Midweek Mug 8

It had rained in the morning for the first time in weeks but was now sunny if not exactly warm. The brisk winds were coming from the North. Three Solo sailors showed up and agreed to fly small sails. Leila Farmer had a 4.7 on her Laser and Ian Chatterton left the jib off his Enterprise in an effort to tame it. John Dabbs would have raced with standard sails if the shackle holding up his jib hadn’t mal-functioned thus preventing him and his new crew from starting the race.

Leila Farmer crossed the line first followed closely by Geoff Floyd’s Solo. The fleet had started on starboard tack meaning at least one more tack to get to Inlet, the first buoy. Adam Hilton (Solo) was the exception, starting from the pontoon on port and managing to make Inlet in one tack thus gaining himself a useful lead which he promptly threw away by capsizing. The remaining single handers then spent the next phase of the race swapping places. Geoff Floyd led Leila Farmer at Inlet but didn’t at Pinkie. Dave Perrett (Solo) took some time to assert himself but first overtook Geoff Floyd after rounding Dam Green at the end of the lap. On lap 2 Leila Farmer lost her lead beating up to Pinkie; Geoff Floyd had regained his before Pinkie but lost it definitively to Dave Perrett before the end of that lap. The little fleet spread out somewhat on lap 3 but Dave Perrett’s forty second lead over Leila Farmer’s Laser 4.7 was nowhere near enough to overcome her handicap advantage.

1. Leila Farmer (Laser 4.7)
2. Dave Perrett (Solo)
3. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
4. Ian Chatterton (Enterprise)
   Retired: Adam Hilton (Solo) John Dabbs and Lou (Bosun)

Thank you, Linda Spiller, for running the race.

Midweek Mug 7

A lovely bright sunny day with a gentle breeze from a nominal SE direction.

The Activity Centre’s Barney kindly agreed to push the start sequence button to allow Leila (the designated OOD) to participate in the race. Barney generously delayed the start by 10 minutes to allow Roger to sort out a problem with hoisting his mainsail.

Apart from some interesting competition for places around the first buoy (Dam Green) and the subsequent chase during the first leg to the Inlet buoy, the remainder of the race proved to be a procession, with Linda leading the way through all three laps, sailing confidently despite a near capsize at one point. The other competitors dealt with the vagaries of the ever-changing wind direction and speed in their own ways.

Linda finished far enough in front of the other boats to be able to sound the finish horn as they each crossed the finish line after well over an hour’s pleasant but sometimes frustrating sailing.

Results:

1. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
2. Roger Heasman and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
3. Leila Farmer and John Dabbs (Bosun)
4. Bob Sampson (Topper)
5. Louise & Colin Witchell (Bosun)

Thanks go to Barney from SWLT Activity Centre for starting the race.

OOD: Leila Farmer

Midweek Mug 6

Results:

1. Bob Sampson and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
2. Ian Chatterley (Enterprise)
3. Roger Heasman and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
   Retired: Louise and Colin Witchell (Bosun)

Thanks go to Barney from SWLT Activity Centre for starting the race.

OOD: Roger Heasman

Midweek Mug 5

Half of the starting six boats were Bosuns. The others comprised a Laser 4.7, an Enterprise and a Solo. The helms and crews had to cope with a beautifully sunny but hot day (25degC) combined with a skittish SE wind to add a bit of interest.

Dave was first across the start line, followed closely by Roger with new crew Lou. An unlucky hole in the wind saw John with Leila as crew to be the last boat to round Dam Green on the first lap. However, John managed to recover most of the lost ground against the other Bosuns before Pinky was reached via Zebra and West.

Ian was sailing his Enterprise single-handed and with a cut-down mainsail which seemed a good match for the prevailing conditions. Linda in her Laser with a borrowed 4.7 rig was having trouble shaking off John’s Bosun during most of the 2nd and 3rd laps but pulled well clear during the 4th (and final) lap. She was later to discover that her sail was batten-less and this could possibly have cost her first place.

The four laps were completed in just over an hour with only seven minutes covering the fleet when handicaps had been applied.

Results:

1. Dave Perrett (Solo)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
3. John Dabbs & Leila Farmer (Bosun)
4. Roger Heasman & Lou (Bosun)
5. Ian Chatterton (Enterprise)
6. Louise & Colin Witchell (Bosun)

Many thanks to Sue Murray who stepped into assist the OOD role whilst waiting for repairs to be undertaken to her car.

OOD: Leila Farmer and Sue Murray

Midweek Mug 3

Results:

1. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
2. John Dabbs, Leila Farmer and Adam Hilton (Bosun)

Thanks go to Barney from SWLT Activity Centre for starting the race.

OOD: Sue Murray

Cup 3

When Bob Sampson set the course the ultra light breeze had been coming over the Dam but now, at the start, it blew from the north and so the fleet, Dave Perrett (Solo) and Nathan Pollard (Aero7) leading, drifted towards Dam Green with what wind there was behind them. These zephyrs took up or abandoned competitors at random and progress was very slow; the race being shortened to one lap. Getting around Inlet, always a sheltered buoy, took an age but completely unpredictable was the wind which blew Nathan Pollard, Adam Hilton and Sue Murray past the rest of the fleet to finish within five seconds of each other!

1. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
2. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Robin Spiller (Solo)
5. Dave Perrett (Solo)
6. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)
7. Nathan Pollard (Aero7)

Tamar 3

John Dabbs, with Adam Hilton as crew of his Bosun, crossed the line first in completely changed and tolerable reliable winds coming from the top of the Lake. By the first buoy, Home 2, the single-handed boats had taken over, Linda Spiller’s Radial leading the Aero of Nathan Pollard and Jane Anderson’s Laser Radial. At the top of the Lake Jane Anderson led, Nathan Pollard having been surprised by a gust and overturned. He did not lead again until well into the second lap and his near minute lead at the finish was not enough to overcome the Aero’s disadvantageous handicap.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)
3. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
4. Nathan Pollard (Aero 7)
5. Dave Perrett (Solo)
6. John Dabbs and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
   Retired; Robin Spiller (Solo)

Thanks were given to Bob Sampson, race officer, and to Brian Pollard in the safety boat with Natasha Routley who also took the photographs.

Spare 1

Jane Anderson (Laser Radial), Adam Hilton (Solo) and Nathan Pollard (Aero7) all started well in gentle easterly winds and cold vertical rain. At the first buoy, Dam Green, Jane Anderson, Nathan Pollard and then Liam Routley (Laser Radial) got away, but the rest of the fleet bunched up, impeding each other. It was not until lap 2 that the Pollard Aero overtook Jane Anderson but the handicap gave her back the victory. Dave Perrett’s Solo led the rest.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser)
2. Nathan Pollard (Aero 7)
3. Dave Perrett (Solo)
4. Adam Hilton (Solo)
5. Brian Pollard and Natasha Routley (Graduate)
6. Liam Routley (Laser Radial)

Commodore 2

The rain had stopped but the winds remained light and highly variable in direction. Jane Anderson, Dave Perrett and Nathan Pollard were the fast starters but it was the Aero which took the lead followed by Jane Anderson and, closely (by only 23 seconds at the finish) by Dave Perrett’s Solo. A second double-handed boat had joined the fleet – the Bosun of John Dabbs and Adam Hilton. It followed Brian Pollard and Natasha Routley’s Graduate, with Liam Routley’s Laser Radial ending up at the rear. The handicaps radically changed the results on the water.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser)
2. John Dabbs and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
3. Dave Perrett (Solo)
4. Nathan Pollard (Aero 7)
5. Brian Pollard and Natasha Routley (Graduate)
6. Liam Routley (Laser Radial)

Thanks were given to Vicki Duncalf, race officer, and Mandy Pollard, photographer.

Sailboat 2 

Bob Sampson’s Laser with his full-sized sail was the first boat to cross the start line at 12:00 heading down towards the dam on the sunny but deceivingly cold morning. The north-easterly wind averaging at 5 MPH but gusting up to 13 MPH.  After rounding Dam Green, Dave Perret’s solo passed Jane Anderson’s tiny Topper allowing him to gain second place in the race order. The weather conditions made getting to inlet a little tricky; each sailor taking a different approach, hoping to overtake, but all having no luck. No further changes in positions meant the race continued in suit.  

1. Bob Sampson (Laser Full) 
2. Dave Perrett (Solo) 
3. Jane Anderson (Topper) 
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)   

Barnwell 3 

The 14:00 afternoon start and improving weather conditions alongside two new additions to the fleet meant the race was looking more promising. Nathan Pollard’s Aero 7 was hard to beat after crossing the busy start line first. Both Linda Spiller’s and Bob Sampson’s Lasers didn’t have room to pass the start buoy so had to turn back and start again, delaying them slightly at the start line.  The fleet progressed on, not long after Bob Sampson’s Laser Full managed to pass Linda’s Laser with the smaller Radial sail.  With the consistent increased winds, the positions were held for the entirety of the race. 

1. Jane Anderson (Topper) 
2. Nathan Pollard (Aero 7) 
3. Bob Sampson (Laser Full) 
4. Dave Perrett (Solo) 
5. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial) 
6. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)  

Thanks were given to the race officers Brian Pollard and Tash Routley for running the races and to Mandy Pollard for taking the photos.  

Tamar 2

On shore it was a gloriously sunny day. For the eight boats on the water the westerlies were very light and fickle.

The start line was busy, with some jostling which left Vicki Duncalf (Topper) having to go back. Nathan Pollard (Aero 7) crossed first closely followed by John Dabbs (with Linda Spiller, Bosun) and then Adam Hilton (Solo)

Tacking to West was a challenge as boats criss-crossed, but the running order was established by the second mark as the faster boats moved up to the front, with Nathan Pollard leading, followed by Bob Sampson (Laser Full) and Jane Anderson (Laser Radial). John Dabbs had a couple of mishaps, hitting a buoy and another boat. Nathan Pollard missed a mark but fortunately realised his mistake so didn’t lose too much ground. Applying the handicaps promoted Jane Anderson and Vicki Duncalf by a place each.

1. Nathan Pollard (Aero 7)
2. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
3. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
4. Adam Hilton (Solo)
5. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
6. Brian Pollard and Natasha Routley (Graduate)
7. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
8. Liam Routley (Laser Radial)

Cup 2

Nathan Pollard crossed the line early and amongst the tightly packed boats nearby some contact was made and penalties earned. Adam Hilton emerged well ahead, followed by Jane Anderson. Bob tacked earlier than the rest, which paid off as he rounded the first mark in second place.

Nathan Pollard had clawed back his lead by the end of the first lap which was quicker than the morning but the wind dropped off and boats were becalmed on their way to Dam Green. John Dabbs managed to pass Brian Pollard to arrive fifth at the finish line.

1. Nathan Pollard (Aero 7)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
3. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
5. Adam Hilton (Solo)
6. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
7. Liam Routley (Laser Radial)
8. Brian Pollard and Natasha Routley (Graduate)

Thanks were given to Dave Perrett, race officer, and Mandy Pollard, photographer.