Pursuit 1

The winds whilst getting the various boats rigged were light, but by the time we were ready to race they had increased to a fairly brisk breeze with gusty puffs in between, making conditions somewhat challenging.  6 boats set off on a preset timed course called the ‘Pursuit Series’; the slower boats going off first followed by gradually faster boats in their handicap order.  Vicky Duncalf and Jane Anderson in their Toppers were off at the start, followed a few minutes later by Linda Spiller in her Laser Radial, Robin Spiller and Dave Perrett in their Solo’s, and Nathan Pollard bringing up the rear in his much faster Laser Full Rig.  His time penalty was quite high when you think that Jane was leading the race and rounding the most distant of the marks as Nathan was starting his race! He then managed to overtake Linda at the end of the first lap.  As the race progressed, the wind backed round towards the north, causing Robin to put his boat aground on the way up to Far mark.  Jane was managing to fend Nathan off, but Vicki was eventually overtaken by him in the 52nd minute, giving him 2nd place. One or two more competitors managed to improve their positions, and with the course lasting for 68 minutes precisely, the results were:

1. Jane Anderson
2. Nathan Pollard
3. Linda Spiller
4. Dave Perrett
5. Vicki Duncalf
   Robin Spiller retired

Commodore’s Cup 1

Nathan was first to cross the start line on an altered course from the morning race.  The winds having increased further, and it was going to be a quite challenging race for some.  All competitors managed to finish the 3 laps of the course and were rather relieved to come ashore for tea after a rather difficult afternoon so early in the season.

1. Nathan Pollard
2. Jane Anderson
3. Dave Perrett
4. Vicki Duncalf
5. John Dabbs and his trusty crew of 2! (Bosun)
6. Louise Witchell with crew Bob Sampson (Bosun)

Thanks to Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert for OOD duties, Jane Anderson for writing the race report and Mandy Pollard for taking the photos.

Cup 1

Jane Anderson, sailing her Topper for the first race of the season, got off to a flier but on the long beat up to the top of the Lake Adam Hilton’s Solo overtook and by the time she reached the buoy Dave Perrett’s Solo was close to her stern and overtook on the leg back to West. The sun was always present and providing some warmth even if clouds often obscured it. The winds were north-westerly and reliable except at times at the Dam in the lee of the hill where they became distinctly flukey. Laps were taking fifteen minutes and so Paul Anderson, the Officer of the Day, shortened the course from four laps to three.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Adam Hilton (Solo)
3. Dave Perrett (Solo)

Sailboat 1

The little fleet was joined by Nathan Pollard’s Laser, by Linda Spiller’s Laser 4.7 and by new-comer Liam Routley helming a Club-owned Bosun with Bob Sampson as mentor and crew. Linda Spiller crossed the line a nose ahead of a close–packed fleet but the little sail on her Laser didn’t give her the speed to stay there. Nathan Pollard’s Laser, Adam Hilton’s and Dave Perrett’s Solos went by in that order and well before they reached the top of the Lake. The Bosun stayed ahead of Jane Anderson’s Topper until the end of lap 1 when she overtook only for the position to be reversed a time or two. The winds were stronger; there was time for four laps and the decision whether or not to gibe at West became distinctly tricky.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Jane Anderson (Topper)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
5. Dave Perrett (Solo)
6. Liam Routley and Bob Sampson (Bosun)

Many thanks were given to Paul Anderson who ran the race and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.

Tamar 2

Nathan Pollard, with the big sail on his Laser, led from the start line towards Inlet on a tight port tack. Adam Hilton (Solo) tried going over the line on starboard and when he tacked emerged in front of Jane Anderson (Topper). The generally brisk north-west wind was blanketed by the headland beyond Inlet, making the last few meters before the buoy slow and uncertain. Nathan Pollard maintained his lead across to Middle but lost some water on the next beat, to Pinkie. From there it was a run to West and across to Zebra with gibes at both buoys. Nathan Pollard’s lead was never threatened but Jane Anderson remained ahead of the Pollard/Routley Bosun only as far as Pinkie. She was behind it rounding Zebra only to re-pass and finish the race in third place. The handicap gave the little Topper the victory.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Brian Pollard and Liam Routley (Bosun)

Barnwell 3

Nathan Pollard was again first to start and led throughout the race. The Pollard/ Routley Bosun was second and Jane Anderson third. The winds had freshened and moved further west and laps were quicker at around 11 minutes. Linda Spiller, the Officer of the Day, had made slight changes to the course to cut out the gibe at Dam Green. Brian Pollard had not grasped all the changes, went the wrong side of Home1 and in retrieving his mistake lost his place to Jane Anderson and was unable to regain it.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Brian Pollard and Liam Routley (Bosun)

Many thanks were given to Linda and Robin Spiller who ran the race and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.

by Adam Hilton

by Mandy Pollard

Frostbite 4

John Dabbs and Linda Spiller in the Bosun set off first on the beat from the Home 2 start line towards the West White buoy and made the buoy without the need to tack. But by then the faster Lasers of Bob Sampson and, at the buoy, Nathan Pollard had got ahead and were running up the Lake to Pinkie in winds that were moderate in strength and, by Tamar Lake standards, stable in direction. That is not to say that helms could rely on being able to beat from Home 2 to West White in one tack; on some laps the wind permitted it; on others it had shifted a few points and two tacks were required.

The front two Lasers lapped with a very stable distance between them until the last lap when, on the run from Dam Green to the finish line, someone put a rocket behind Nathan Pollard’s boat and he sailed smoothly past Bob Sampson’s to take the victory on the water.

Boats continued to pass the Dabbs/Spiller Bosun. Sue Murray’s Laser 4.7 was up to third by the end of the first lap and would have stayed there had not a jammed sheet permitted Dave Perrett’s slow-starting  but recovering Solo to overtake her. The handicaps didn’t take any notice; they gave Sue Murray first place.

1. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
2. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
3. Dave Perrett (Solo)
4. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
5. Brian Pollard and Alara Wedgwood (Bosun)
6. Bob Sampson (Laser)
7. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Icicle 4

There were now two Solo dinghies in the fleet which seemed to galvanise Dave Perrett into action because he crossed the line first, kept the lead across to West White and remained ahead of the second Laser, the slow-starting Bob Sampson, until well into the race. Nathan Pollard led and, this time crossing the finish line five minutes before the first boat with a better handicap (Adam Hilton’s Solo), was allowed by statistics to keep his victory. Dave Perrett had been the lead Solo throughout the race until a little confusion about which buoy to round and an unhelpful puff of wind lost him the place. Vicki Duncalf, finishing as in the first race about ten minutes after the Lasers but just in front of the Pollard/Wedgwood Bosun, was this time promoted to second place.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
3. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
4. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
5. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
6. Adam Hilton (Solo)
7. Dave Perrett (Solo)
8. Brian Pollard and Alara Wedgwood (Bosun)

Many thanks to Geoff Floyd who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.

by Adam Hilton

Frostbite 3

Nathan Pollard’s full-sailed Laser had no rival for speed in this Sunday morning’s fleet but he cemented his advantage by crossing the (Home 2) startline first and reaching the southernmost buoy, Dam Green, before anyone else. He ended the race some three and a half minutes ahead of second placed Linda Spiller who was trying to compete with a Laser Radial sail was somewhat more than a square metre smaller. The sun was hazy, the winds were light and coming over the Dam from the southeast and it was cold for the first time this autumn. There were three Solo dinghies in the race and competing with them was the similar-sized but lighter Streaker of Robin Spiller. The beginning of his race was spoilt by having to tack to get the right side of Home 1. Geoff Floyd got his Solo into third place by overtaking the fast starting Bosun of Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert on his way to the Dam. The second Solo, Dave Perrett’s, needed to get clear of the Streaker before starting a battle for third place which carried on for a lap and a half. The third Solo, Adam Hilton’s, suffered a comedy of errors before the race started, its skipper being unable to stop himself being blown onto the lee shore, and shortly after it started, when the main sheet jammed. The boat began last and only began picking up places on the second lap. The Solos didn’t get enough lead over Brian Pollard’s Bosun and the handicap gave him third place behind the flying Lasers.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser)
3. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
4. Dave Perrett (Solo)
5. Adam Hilton (Solo)
6. Geoff Floyd (Solo))
7. Robin Spiller (Streaker)

Icicle 3

Nathan Pollard again started first but Linda Spiller tried port tack and didn’t benefit from it, having to work her way past the Pollard Bosun and Perrett Solo before holding second position at the beginning of lap 2. The place wasn’t immune to Solo attack however. Dave Perrett had a spell ahead and Adam Hilton got past until, tacking along the finish line instead of crossing it, he allowed the Spiller Laser second place on the water. The situation was reversed by the handicaps.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Adam Hilton (Solo)
3. Dave Perrett (Solo)
4. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
5. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)
6. Geoff Floyd (Solo)

Many thanks to John Dabbs who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.

by Adam Hilton

by Mandy Pollard

Frostbite 2

Nathan Pollard led off a bunch of four full-sailed Lasers on a glorious pretending-to-be-summer Sunday with very light southerly winds. Jane Anderson was second until, on the second lap, the Pollard Laser needed an extra tack to reach the Dam and she took over the lead, a minute ahead at the finish. Linda Spiller was third until Bob Sampson took over her place on lap 2. Chasing the Lasers and briefly getting in amongst them was Adam Hilton’s Solo, an effort rewarded when the handicaps were applied. The two Bosuns in the race were led by Brian Pollard’s with Cilla Gilbert as crew. They were aiming for sixth and seventh until Dave Perrett’s slow-starting Solo overtook the Bosun pair on the way up the Lake on lap 1.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Full)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
5. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
6. Dave Perrett (Solo)
7. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
8. John Dabbs and Paul Anderson (Bosun)

Icicle 2

The winds had dropped and progress around the Lake was considerably more reliable on a paddle board than a sailing boat. Not everyone had an appetite for drifting and the fleet was reduced to six boats. Dave Perrett reversed his performance in the earlier race and got his Solo away first, followed by Nathan Pollard’s Laser. The Lasers soon took over; Jane Anderson taking the lead on the second slow and final lap – the race finished after fifty minutes; the morning’s race had managed three laps in little more time. Bob Sampson’s Laser was third throughout but Adam Hilton’s Solo, last over the start line, managed to get up to fourth on the first lap and to stay there. Brian Pollard found progress in the heavier Bosun too slow and retired.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Full)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
4. Adam Hilton (Solo)
5. Dave Perrett (Solo)

Retired Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Many thanks to Robin Spiller who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.