by Penny Abbott

Teatime Tankard 6

Perfect sailing weather. 11 boats took to the water, which is more than Sundays in 2023!. This included 3 juniors racing in club toppers (and the SWLT Pico?).  Ethan in his Topper sailed really well to come 2^nd. Out for the first time Milo (Topper) and Joseph (Pico?) didn’t finish. But I had better look up the PN for the Pico for next time! New members Rick & Wendy were out on the water again. Rick crewing for Roger (Bosun) and Wendy out in her Laser 4.7. Colin & Louise took out their Bosun. Geoff, whilst OODing, managed to get out in his Solo. Ian, with his sister Kate crewing, in his Enterprise were ahead at one point but had forgotten to take note of the course! Linda and Robin were both disqualified – maybe they hadn’t taken note of the course either!

Roger’s Bosuns 1

6 boats out for the 2^nd race – 2 Bosuns, 2 Laser 4.7s, 1 Enterprise & 1 Solo. Robin took over as OOD.

It was a great day. Nice to see so many out on the water

by Adam Hilton

Mandy Pollard

Bosun Plus 5

The John Dabbs and Linda Spiller Bosun crossed the start line first but well to leeward of the rest of the fleet.  Adam Hilton and Jane Anderson, who was crewing to practice for the Enterprise Nationals at Salcombe, crossed close to the windward buoy, pointed higher and took the lead. Brian Pollard with his son Nathan was also able to pass to windward of the Dabbs boat.

The forecast was for winds of force four gusting to force 6 but on the day the wind was much more variable; capable of gusts vicious enough to knock over Robin Spiller’s Streaker, despite its small sail, before the race had even started. Yet at times the breeze dropped almost to nothing. Mostly the winds came from the northwest. From time to time it rained.

For two laps the Bosun order remained the same, the Pollard and Dabbs boats close together, the Hilton/Anderson Bosun comfortably ahead. The main action came from Sue Murray, making up the ‘Plus’ element of the race in her Laser 4.7. She had started last but now made her way through the field to take the lead on lap 3. This lap saw changes in the Bosun order too. After rounding Dam Green the lead Bosun was semi-becalmed and the other two took off on an eddy of wind which took the Dabbs/Spiller boat past the Pollards and the leader. Later in the lap the Pollards got past Adam Hilton’s Bosun as well. This was the order that the Bosuns finished the race in, with Sue Murray’s little 4.7 a couple of minutes ahead of all of them.

Bosuns

1. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
2. Brian and Nathan Pollard (Bosun)
3. Adam Hilton and Jane Anderson(Bosun)

Plus

Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)

DNS : Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave)

Pursuit 4

Vicki Duncalf started first in her Topper. Nathan Pollard in his full-sailed Laser started last, fourteen minutes later – almost a full Topper lap later. In between, at three minutes after the Topper, came two Bosuns – Brian Pollard’s with Adam Hilton now crewing and John Dabb’s still with Linda Spiller assisting. The Pollard boat took the lead over the other Bosun and was never headed although on each lap the gap between the two radically diminished as they rode the fluky winds coming towards the Dam. Nathan Pollard had a lot of catching up to do but managed to pass Vicki Duncalf two minutes before the end and take third place.

1. Brian Pollard and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
2. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
3. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Grateful thanks were given to Jane Anderson, Officer of the Day and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.

by Adam Hilton

Teatime Tankard 5

The wind was up to its usual tricks, shooting off gusts powerful enough to capsize four out of the five boats that took to the water, some of them more than once. Ian Chatterton and Graham Joyce in the Enterprise had a spectacular capsize immediately on casting off and had to go ashore to empty a lot of water out of the boat.  They decided not to race but still sailed sections of the course and impressively kept upright for the rest of the afternoon, despite the full size sails.

This left two Bosuns and two 4.7 Lasers racing. John Dabbs, with reefed mainsail, had Rick Thurlow as crew; Roger Heasman sailed the dark blue, centre-sheeted club boat with a small mainsail and Adam Hilton as crew.

Linda Spiller’s 4.7 capsized three minutes before the start but she recovered perfectly and crossed the line closely behind Roger Heasman and in front of the others. The order around the first mark, West White, was Linda Spiller, Roger Heasman, John Dabbs, and Wendy Thurlow, Linda taking it wide and only just keeping the Laser under control. However she then pulled an increasing lead and risked sailing shallower into Inlet than the others. John Dabbs was gradually gaining on the other Bosun.

Wendy Thurlow  was very wide at West but kept it together and made it safely to Pinkie.  Ian Chatterton took a creative approach to the sailing line and got there eventually while remaining upright.

John Dabbs had come up almost level to Roger Heasman after Inlet but then Roger came in to the pontoon , the knot Adam had tied the jib on with having given way, allowing the others to get past.  Shortly after returning to the race a particularly vicious gust capsized the Bosun which finished the race for them.

Wendy Thurlow’s first lap was impressive seeing that it was first time in a new boat, stalling at Dam Green but holding it together well. A capsize on the second lap, with two attempts to recover, brought Linda off her course to check Wendy was OK, adding significantly to her race time.

John Dabbs played the tortoise rather than hare and it paid off, crossing the finish line first, with Linda in second and Wendy third. Bravery awards for everyone on the water – the OOD considered it a good day to be in charge of the hooter.

1. John Dabbs and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
3. Wendy Thurlow (Laser 4.7)

DNS: Ian Chatterton and Graham Joyce (Enterprise)

Retired: Roger Heasman and Adam Hilton (Bosun)

There weren’t enough willing sailors to make running a second race possible.

Grateful thanks were given to Dave Perrett, Officer of the Day.

by Adam Hilton

Bosuns PLUS 4

Four Bosun skippers and five from the mixed fleet signed on for the noon race but the weather gods turned evil, releasing heavy clouds, thunder and down pouring rain. The Tamar Lake safety team lofted the red flag and the race was postponed for an hour by which time one Bosun had lost its visiting crew and did not start. John Dabbs, sailing his Bosun with Linda Spiller as crew, crossed the start line prematurely and had to go back and begin again. However this time the weather gods, capricious as ever, loved him, sending a sustained gust which wafted the Bosun to the back of the fleet before they had rounded the first buoy. These winds were not easy to cope with; Robin Spiller retired his Streaker as a result.

Nathan Pollard’s full-sailed Laser established a lead but Roger Heasman, in his Bosun with Dave Longfellow, held an admirable second place, eventually to be displaced by the Laser 4.7s of Bob Sampson and Sue Murray. These two changed places on lap 2 and Sue Murray, finishing the race three minutes after Nathan Pollard’s faster boat, was given the handicap race victory.

In the Bosun race everything was gradually reversed. On lap 2 John Dabbs overtook Roger Heasman and on the following lap so did Brian Pollard (Rick Thurlow was his crew).

Bosuns

1. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
2. Brian Pollard and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
3. Roger Heasman and Linda Spiller (Bosun)

PLUS

1. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
3. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Retired; Robin Spiller (Streaker)

Pursuit 4

Sadly the correct personal handicaps were not picked up automatically so the start times were incorrect. So the decision has been to void the race. Pursuit 4 will be held on 16th July and is the last in the series.

Grateful thanks were given to Jane Anderson who, as Officer of the Day, ran the races.

by John Dabbs

Teatime Tankard 4

Leila and Rick arrived with a new potential member, Simon. With only 5 sailors
on parade on a dry but windy day, it was agreed that Leila would take Simon
on her Hartley 12, Dave would launch his Solo with a reduced sail, and John
would be supported by Rick as crew on his Bosun sporting a reefed mainsail.
With the wind arriving from the NW in gusts reaching force 4/5 our OOD
(Linda) set a generally clockwise course with a kink in it via Zebra, Home 2,
Middle, West, Pinky and Dam Green.

Leila was first across the line, followed by Dave, then John. All three boats
remained in close company until Dave had the misfortune to touch Dam Green
at the end of Lap 1, so his resultant penalty turn put John in the lead.
Dave managed a capsize on Lap 2 en route to Zebra. Although he remain out
of the water, his Solo was swamped which took some effort and time to
rectify.

Lap 3 put the Bosun well ahead of the other two boats, making good use of the
strengthening wind. The gusts resulted in a couple of hairy gybes for Leila.
Linda took pity on the helms and reduced the race to 3 laps. Leila followed
John to the finish, with Dave soldiering on bring up the rear.

1. John Dabbs & Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
2. Leila Farmer & Simon Garnham (Hartley 12.2)
3. Dave Longfellow (Solo)

Teatime Plate 7

The wind had strengthened somewhat, so Linda simplified the course so it now
went direct from West to Pinky. This removed the direct downwind section
from West to Middle and the gybe at Pinky hadn’t proved much of a challenge
on the previous race.

Dave was away first but, unfortunately he jumped the gun and failed to return
to restart. All three boats arrived together in the vicinity of West, with John
emerging first, followed by Leila.

Dave effectively started the race legally at the end of his first lap, but
unfortunately remained unaware of this in his close competition with Leila on
the water, with his Solo slowly pulling ahead of the Hartley. John continued to
pull ahead of Leila to the end of the race. At the end of his second lap, Dave
retired.

Challenging conditions today, which everyone enjoyed.  Well sailed to all.

1. John Dabbs & Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
2. Leila Farmer & Simon Garnham (Hartley 12.2)

DNF Dave Longfellow (Solo)

Thanks go to Linda for OOD-ing these two races.

by Paul Anderson

Mandy Pollard

Bosuns PLUS 3

Paul Anderson set a difficult course at the 1 o’clock race in blustery conditions. Preparing for the race were 4 Bosun’s 3 Laser 4.7’s and 2 Toppers and during the warm up 2 of the Bosun’s had alrerady decided that it would be too much for them and did not start. At the gun, it was Nathan Pollard away first in his Laser 4.7 closely followed by Roger Heasman’s Bosun and the rest of the fleet. In a gruelling first lap that included 3 jibes, Jane Anderson (Topper), Sue Murray & Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7’s) also decided that caution was the best option and retired. Meanwhile Vicki Duncalf came to grief and capsized at Inlet but after a struggle managed to get back up and continued to race. By this time there were only 4 of the original 9 boats left and Nathan had built a handy lead over the two Bosuns of Roger & David in 2nd and Brian and Cilla in 3rd. Cautiously continuing, the order did not change.  Well done to those who finished and apologies to those who found it too ‘iffy’ to continue.

Bosuns

PLUS

Pursuit 3

Having realised his mistake, a kinder course was set in the afternoon by Paul but only 3 boats decided to accept the offer. In a still feisty wind Roger & David started 2 minutes ahead of Brian and (New crew) Linda Spiller who were away 7 more minutes before Nathan. During the race the wind did die away somewhat and although the positions did not change the battle for first place between the 2 Bosuns was exciting to watch with Brian & Linda make substantial inroads into Roger’s lead. In the end though, after an hour long race it was Roger and David who (just about) held on to win by a metre or so. Nathan’s handicap at the start was too difficult for him to overcome and he was about 4 minutes behind at the gun.

1. Roger Heasman & Dave Longfellow (Bosun)
2. Brian Pollard & Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
3. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7)

Many thanks to Paul Anderson for running the races and writing the race reports and to Mandy Pollard for taking the photos.

by Roger Heasman

Teatime Tankard 3

With a grey afternoon where we had been promised rain strong wind and gusts, seven intrepid racers took to the water all sporting a variety of sail sizes to address the wind.

As it happened the wind never did gather the ferocity expected, however there were some nasty backing gusts which kept the sailors on their toes interspaced with moments of almost becalming!

The race started with Sue Murray in her Laser, sporting the smallest 4.7 sail rig getting away well and never being headed and gradually pulling away from the rest of the fleet. Dave Longfellow also got off to a good start also using the smaller cut of sail on his Solo.

This left four Bosuns with Colin and Louise Witchell in their Bosun opting for the smaller sail rig and newcomer Wendy Thurlow racing one of the clubs toppers with a reefed sail.

Roger Heasman with Wendy’s husband Rick as crew started closer to the shore than the other two fully rigged Bosuns and it looked a good move as all the boats headed for the White West buoy. However Adam Hilton in his Bosun with crew Penny Abbott made an earlier tack for the buoy and managed to steam past Roger to become lead Bosun, with John Dabbs and guest crew Nigel’s Bosun not far behind. Unfortunately for Colin and Louise the smaller sails on their Bosun didn’t do justice to their sailing skill and gradually they fell back in the fleet.

Wendy in the meantime was getting used to a dinghy that she had not sailed before and a couple of times got marooned when the wind backed and left her without any water speed!

The tussle between the three fully rigged Bosuns continued throughout the race, but Roger blotted his copybook by twice hitting Dam Green Buoy and having to do 360 degree penalty turns.

After completing four laps the on the water (as a Novice helm Wendy completed 3) the corrected result, was

1. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
2. Adam Hilton & Penny Abbott (Bosun)
3. Roger Heaseman & Rick Thurlow
4. John Dabbs and Nigel Springett
5. Dave Longfellow (Solo reefed)
6. Colin and Louise Witchell (Bosun reefed)
7. Wendy Thurlow (Topper reefed)

Teatime Plate 6

Unfortunately the second race of the afternoon reduced down to 4 boats, as the rest of the fleet had become too fatigued by battling to really inconsistent wind gusts and Sue Murray’s lack of race fitness!

The intrepid four remaining boats of John Dabbs and crew Nigel Springett, Dave Longfellow, Wendy Thurlow and Roger Heasman with crew Rick took to the start line with reduced  wind strength. Wendy, having been frustrated by the Toppers lack of handling with the reefed rig chose to go for the full rig whilst Dave stayed with the lesser rig on the Solo. The race started with the Dabbs Bosun getting away 1^st followed by the Heasman Bosun with Dave in close contention and Wendy following in Dave’s wake.

As the race progressed both Dave and Wendy fell back from the two Bosuns with the Dabbs Bosun maintaining its lead and the Heasman Bosun trying desperately   to catch up with it.

The race was shortened to three laps due to the loss of wind and incoming light rain with a minor disagreement between the two lead Bosuns skippers, as to what the final result would have been, had a 4^th lap taken place!

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoons racing for the participants.

1. John Dabbs & Nigel Springett (Bosun)
2. Roger Heasman & Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
3. Dave Longfellow (Solo reefed)
4. Wendy Thurlow (Topper)

Many thanks to Penny as Officer of the Day and for doing a Le Mans type racing  sprint start to Bosun, after pressing the 5 minute horn for the start of the first race!

by Adam Hilton

Teatime Tankard 2

Fourteen sailors in nine boats started the race on the far side of the start line with the aim of getting to Pinkie in as few tacks as possible. The single-handers got away first; Sue Murray (Laser Radial) leading Adam Hilton (Solo), Linda Spiller (Laser Full) and Robin Spiller (Streaker). Then came the bigger boats. Bob Sampson and Rick Thurlow in the Club’s dark blue Bosun crossed the line the first of these. They were followed by Leila Farmer with Wendy in the Hartley 12, Ian Chatterton and Katie in the Enterprise, John Dabbs with Nigel crewing his Bosun and Louise helming the Witchell Bosun.  At Pinkie the first three were still close and on the way to West John Dabbs and Leila Farmer swapped places more than once.

The winds were if anything even more fickle than of late, quite capable of swinging from north-westerly to south-easterly for a few moments, causing all sorts of involuntary gibes, switches from running to beating and the reverse.

Heading from West to Zebra Linda Spiller had managed to take over the lead, with Adam Hilton getting past Sue Murray and Robin Spiller in touch at the rear of this group. Bob Sampson still led the double-handers but at this stage he had Ian Chatterton on his heels.

Linda Spiller retained her lead but on lap 3 Sue Murray slipped past Adam Hilton and kept the place. Robin Spiller continued to lap in fourth but John Dabbs managed to get past Bob Sampson to finish fifth on the water and with a finishing time around five minutes after the leader, the handicaps gave him the victory.

1. John Dabbs and Nigel (Bosun)
2. Adam Hilton (Solo)
3. Bob Sampson and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
4. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
5. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
6. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
7. Colin and Louise Witchell (Bosun)
8. Ian Chatterton and Katie (Enterprise)
9. Leila Farmer and Wendy (Hartley 12)

Teatime Plate 5

The fleet was reduced to four boats. Sue Murray again got away first with the Dabbs Bosun, now crewed by Leila Farmer, second, and Linda Spiller third. Bob Sampson’s Bosun was delayed getting off the pontoon and sailed straight to the start line. Coming back from Pinkie to West, Sue Murray was managing to keep her lead over Linda Spiller and that situation remained for the four laps of the race with the two boats finishing four seconds apart. On the other hand the Dabbs Bosun’s lead over the Sampson boat tended to lengthen and was more than three minutes at the end.

1. John Dabbs and Leila Farmer (Bosun)
2. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
3. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
4. Bob Sampson and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)

Many thanks were given to Roger Heasman, who generously took over as Officer of the Day.