by Adam Hilton
Teacake 2
There were four Solos in this race; perhaps a Club record. Dave Perrett was giving a second outing to his new one (built 2002), Graham Joyce was in Dave’s old one (1972), Geoff Floyd was in his 1995 Boon Solo and Adam Hilton in his 2016 Winder 2. And then there was Rick Thurlow at the helm of Roger Heasman’s Bosun, Leila Farmer in a Club Topper and Ethan Walker in the multi-coloured family Laser Radial.
There was barely any wind. The race’s one lap, of a course going out to West White, up to Pinkie, in to Inlet and back to the Dam, took the leader three-quarters of an hour, the back of the fleet very nearly an hour. What wind there was usually came from the south west.
The order crossing the start line was Adam, Ethan, Dave, Geoff, Graham, Leila and Rick. But it was Dave Perret, well-placed to windward, who found a tiny breeze and reached Dam Green first followed by the Solos of Adam Hilton and Geoff Floyd. On the long and tricky beat to West White the wind became much more westerly when the boats reached the middle of the Lake. Maximising this benefit was important to reaching West early and the Hilton Solo, notoriously high-pointing, rounded the buoy first and set off on a crawl to Pinkie while the rest of the fleet was becalmed at West. It was just as bad at Pinkie. Geoff Floyd and Ethan Walker tussled in slow motion for second place and Ethan won. Leila Farmer, last on the water, the Topper ill-suited to light winds, had sailed well enough for the handicap to promote her to second place.
- Adam Hilton (Solo)
- Leila Farmer (Topper)
- Geoff Floyd (Solo)
- Rick Thurlow and Roger Heasman (Bosun)
- Dave Perrett (Solo)
- Ethan Walker (Laser Radial)
- Graham Joyce (Solo)
Roger’s Bosuns 6
The fleet was reduced to the four Solos and Roger Heasman at the helm of his Bosun. Bob Sampson, OOD, cut out Pinkie and Inlet from the course and a continually present little breeze made a three lap race of this shortened course take around half an hour. Roger was first over the line followed by Geoff, Dave, Graham and Adam. Roger was still ahead round Dam but Geoff took the lead on the way to West. Adam, who had impeded the Bosun at the start and subsequently retired as a result, now benefitted from his Solo’s ability to point high enabling him to make up places and go round West in second place. He was followed by Dave, then Roger. The three front Solos finished the first lap close together in the order Adam, Dave, Geoff. But the order continued to change, with Dave having the lead at Dam. Adam got it back on the way to West and at the end of the race Geoff was just a fraction ahead of Dave. But the Solos weren’t nearly far enough ahead of Roger Heasman to overcome his Bosun’s handicap advantage.
- Roger Heasman and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
- Geoff Floyd (Solo)
- Dave Perrett (Solo)
Retired: Graham Joyce (Solo) Adam Hilton (Solo)
Many thanks to Bob Sampson who kindly ran the races.