Cup 7

In contrast to last week, a force 4-5 wind whipped white horses down the length of the lake, causing each of the Bosun fleet to elect to sail with 3 on board.  Unfortunately Brian Pollard’s mainsheet became entangled around the pontoon mooring cleat, causing a catastrophic and complete capsize before he had even set off.  Fortunately the only damage was a triple unwanted swim.

Meanwhile, Steve Axford’s Laser Radial crossed the start line, followed by James Pollard’s speedy Blaze which soon overtook.  Vicki Duncalf was next, first of the Toppers until a gear failure caused her retirement in the second casualty of the race.

As the laps progressed the Buckett/ Spiller Bosun overtook Jane Anderson’s Topper while the second Dabbs/ Wills /Witchell Bosun lost a battle with Robin Spiller’s Streaker.  In the handicap shuffle a well sailed Topper was the winner.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
3. Nicky Buckett, John Buckett and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
4. James Pollard (Blaze)
5. Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave)
6. John Dabbs, Sally Wills and Louise Witchell (Bosun)

Retired: Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

 

Pursuit 7

As the gusts continued unabated, the slower boats started earlier and the faster set off at intervals to chase, over the race’s allocated 67 minutes.  Vicki Duncalf made up for earlier disappointment, staying ahead of Jane Anderson as the two Toppers led the field, until finally both were overtaken by the Pollard brothers, James having made his way determinedly through the fleet from the rear.

Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert had dried off and the three Bosuns had start times one after another, giving an interesting contest, especially as one crew was one person heavier.  Their order completely reversed, Brian emerged the victor.

The two Laser Radial helms worked hard, but made limited progress, while Robin Spiller was powerless to prevent faster boats overtaking him.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7)
2. James Pollard (Blaze)
3. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
4. Jane Anderson (Topper)
5. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
6. Nicky Buckett, John Buckett and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
7. Bob Sampson (Laser Radial)
8. Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
9. John Dabbs and Sally Wills (Bosun)
10. Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave)

Grateful thanks were given to John Duncalf and Paul Anderson who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.

Tamar 4

What winds there were came from the Northwest but they were very gentle and sometimes the Lake was reduced to glassy calm.  The start was from the Dam towards the top of the Lake.  Vicky Duncalf’s Topper led away but Nathan Pollard’s Laser Full had soon glided into the lead with Paul Whybrow (Solo) and Linda Spiller (Laser Full) following.  Adam Hilton’s Aero 7 had crossed the line well before the horn, so early he had time to return and  still make a half decent start.  The poor Bosuns (Cilla Gilbert with Brian Pollard and Sally Wills with Paul Petvin) got stuck windless and took an age to start.  A puff of wind lifted the leaders on the way from Home 2 to West and Nathan Pollard got himself a substantial lead on the way to Pinky.  Behind him Linda Spiller and Paul Whybrow diced and then came a scrap between Robin Spiller (Streaker) Graham Joyce (Laser Full) and the Aero.  On the way back Paul Whybrow was still close enough to pinch the following wind from Linda Spiller, the Bosuns and the Topper were still a tight group with Sally Wills generally the leading helm, but the lap had been so slow that several boats retired, only four completing the race with Paul Whybrow’s advantageous handicap cancelling out the four minute lead on the water that Linda Spiller had over him.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Paul Whybrow (Solo)
3. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
4. Graham Joyce (Laser Full)

Retired: Robin Spiller (Streaker), Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun), Adam Hilton (Aero 7), Vicki Duncalf (Topper), Sally Wills and Paul Petvin (Bosun)

 

Sailboat 7

The Aero 7 managed to start legally this time and was still leading at Home 2 before being overtaken by Nathan Pollard and then Linda Spiller who kept a little wind after West when the rest of the fleet had lost it.  The Wayfarer of Viki and Mike Herbert-Coulson had signed on for this race and after a hesitant start was gradually catching up.  By Middle on the way back towards the Dam it was third behind the leading Lasers, but a breath of wind from astern closed the fleet up, with Robin Spiller the major beneficiary.  The Aero paused for rig adjustments and Graham Joyce had the misfortune to miss a buoy.  The course was shortened to two laps – a lap was taking about half an hour to complete – and Linda Spiller came in well in the lead.

1. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
4. Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)
5. Viki and Mike Herbert-Coulson (Wayfarer)
6. Paul Petvin and Sally Wills (Bosun)
7. Adam Hilton (Aero 7)

Retired: Graham Joyce (Laser Full)

 

Grateful thanks were given to Jane and Paul Anderson who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.

Teatime Tankard 5

The Buckett’s Bosun and the Hilton/Jiggens sister ship went over the line at much the same time but it was Nathan Pollard’s big sailed Laser which soon took the lead and by the time the fleet had made it’s way up to Far the order behind him was Sue Murray’s Laser, Roger Heasman’s Wayfarer and the flying Buckett Bosun.  Linda Spiller had had West White go wrong on her but clawed back a couple of places from seventh.  Leila Farmer was intrepid, touring the course in a Pico; her first race.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
3. Nicky and John Buckett (Bosun)
4. Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)
5. Adam Hilton and Bob Jiggens(Bosun)
6. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Wayfarer)
7. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)
8. Geoff Floyd (Solo)

Many thanks to Rob Spiller who ran the race.

Ladies / Gents / Gosling 6

Seven boats took to the water on a breezy day, with white horses running across the lake from the west and frequent gusts rippling the slate grey surface.  However, only six competitors crossed the start line, Robin Spiller having decided his Streaker was behaving just a little too much like a bucking bronco for his liking.

Of the two Laser 4.7s Nathan Pollard was away first, easing ahead of Bob Sampson and establishing a lead which he went on to stretch lap by lap, keeping Bob in second place.

Behind them a race long battle developed between the Bosun of Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert and Jane Anderson in her Topper, Jane advancing close to the Bosun’s stern at times, only to fall behind again as gusts filled the larger boat’s sails.  Finally, on the last lap, the Bosun stalled while rounding Inlet buoy, allowing Jane past.  She took full advantage of the opportunity and stormed ahead to the finish.

Vicki Duncalf had cautiously reefed her Topper’s sail, but still managed to stay in front of John Dabbs and Sally Wills in the second Bosun, until the fast broad reach down the lake to Dam Green buoy.  She was later lapped by the Lasers but kept up a good enough pace for 5^th on handicap.  The first four final places were unusually unchanged from finish order.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7))
3. Jane Anderson (Topper)
4. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
5. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
6. John Dabbs and Sally Wills (Bosun)

Tamar 9

To do well in this series sailors with choice must always use the same boat and rig, so Nathan Pollard bravely decided to change to a much larger full size sail.  He was a little lucky in that the wind dropped slightly once a violent squall had passed over the lake, but he had to draw on all his skill to stay in control beating against the strongest area of wind and planing down the exciting broad reaches of the course.  He soon built up a strong lead over the rest of the fleet.

Bob Sampson followed, managing to pull well away from the Pollard/ Gilbert Bosun by the end of the second lap.

Jane Anderson again took on a Bosun challenge, this time with John Dabbs, Sally Wills and third crew member/bailer Robin Spiller.  Close behind for 2 laps, her Topper was propelled past during an impressive plane down the lake on lap 3.

The final lap brought the only capsizes of the day.  Firstly Bob, while emerging from problematic Inlet buoy, then sadly Nathan as he approached the finish line.  Although both were quickly up and sailing, six and ten minutes respectively ahead of the Topper, these upsets cost Bob the win and possibly Nathan a higher place, once handicaps corrected their times.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
3. 3.Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
4. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
5. John Dabbs, Sally Wills and Robin Spiller (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to Linda Spiller who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.

Commodore 6

Very little of Upper Tamar Lake was available to the sailing club – a fishing competition packed the Cornwall bank from the middle of the Lake to the top and, with water levels low, there was no possibility of boats keeping the required thirty yards from the bank.  So the Vice Commodore devised a short course that criss-crossed the eastern half of the centre of the Lake and the south, next to the dam.  To produce an hour’s racing the sailors ended up having to complete eight laps of this truncated course.  There was a useful amount of north westerly wind remaining from the previous week’s storms and the fleet went over the starting line at some speed, Bob Sampson’s Laser Radial leading, followed by the Pollard/Gilbert Bosun and the two Toppers.  The first buoy was Home 2, reachable in one tack by the more efficient boat/helm combinations, then came a fast reach to Inlet, a tight turn and two tacks to get to Middle, a more relaxing run back to the Dam and finally a dash back over the start line.  It took a breathless seven or eight minutes.  Bob Sampson continued to lead, the other Lasers soon formed up behind him, despite Steve Axford having to do penalty turns for impeding Nathan Pollard.  The Axford Radial finally passed its Pollard sister on lap 6.  Sue Murray’s Topper spent the race behind them until overtaken by Brian Pollard’s flying Bosun, which finished eight minutes behind the leader, little enough for his personal handicap to give him the victory.

1. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser Radial)
3. Sue Murray (Topper)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
5. Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
6. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)
7. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun)
8. Adam Hilton and Paul Petvin (Bosun)

Retired: Robin Spiller (Streaker)

 

Pursuit 6

Vicki Duncalf started first and stayed there until lap 7, despite touching a buoy and doing a penalty turn.  Sue Murray, now in her Laser 4.7, started third, overtook the Heasman/Wills Bosun and stayed at second for a handful of laps until overtaken by Bob Sampson and Steve Axford who had been swapping places for some time.  Bob retired leaving Steve the winner.  The Pollard and Gilbert crew easily won the Bosun race, the Heasman/Wills boat retiring after a contretemps involving Middle buoy and the Petvin/Hilton Bosun.

1. Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
2. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
3. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
4. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)
5. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
6. Paul Petvin and Adam Hilton (Bosun)

Retired: Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun), Bob Sampson (Laser Radial)

 

Grateful thanks were given to Linda Spiller and Bob Bennett who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.

Teatime Tankard 3

 Unusually, Steve Axford and Nathan Pollard who had larger-sized sails on their Lasers, came first and second on the water and on corrected time and Linda Spiller, who had the little sail on her Laser, came third on the water and corrected time! What do we make of that?

This was an improving afternoon with brisk west to northwest winds and big gusts. The Lake was littered with Picos, Toppers, paddle boards and canoes, which had some influence on the racing action. Steve Axford started first, the Bosuns second with John Dabbs and Cilla Gilbert briefly a nose ahead. Then came Nathan Pollard, Adam Hilton (Aero 5) and Linda Spiller. Nathan had passed the Bosuns by the second buoy (Inlet) and was close behind Steve at the top of the course (Pinky) and there was only 25 seconds between them at the end of that lap. The gap had grown to a minute and a half by the end. A long Linda/Adam battle resumed half way through the second lap when the Aero finally planed past Brian Pollard’s flying Bosun on the way back from Pinky. If Bosuns planed would anybody beat them? The Laser Radial and Aero 5 were very close at Dam Green at the end of lap 3 and continued to spar through lap 4. Linda benefitted from a swarm of paddle boards descending on Adam between Dam Green and the finish line!

 

1.       Steve Axford (Laser Radial)

2.       Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)

3.       Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)

4.       Brian Pollard and Bob Jiggens (Bosun)

5.       Adam Hilton (Aero 5)

6.       John Dabbs and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

 

Many thanks to Sally Wills who ran the race and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.

Commodore 3

The morning had been grey and virtually windless but at noon the sky was clearing and the wind had picked up; more perhaps than the fleet had realised because two dinghies were over the start line before the horn blew.  Not Jane Anderson however whose Laser Radial emerged from the pack in the lead, but was soon being harried by Bob Sampson (Laser Full) on the beat to West.  They turned at the top of the course, Pinky, in unison and by the end of the lap Bob Sampson was ahead.  Sue Murray’s Laser Radial was third at that stage and Adam Hilton’s Aero 7 fourth.  Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert led the Bosuns.  On the second lap the Sampson lead grew, Steve Axford (Laser Full) moved up to third but little else changed in the line of thirteen boats, reduced to twelve on the last lap when the Aero 7, having capsized, retired with a broken tiller.  The Commodore race series is run with personal, rather than boat-based handicaps, and this produces some unusual results.

1. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
3. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
4. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)
5. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
6. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)
7. Steve Axford (Laser Full)
8. Sally Wills and John Dabbs (Bosun)
9. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
10. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
11. Graham Joyce (Laser Full)
12. Paul Petvin (Gull)

Retired: Adam Hilton (Aero 5)

 

Tamar 6

There was a little more wind and the leaders were completing laps in around ten minutes, planing across the centre of the Lake in fine style.  Bob Sampson got away first followed by the Spillers, Robin (Streaker) initially leading but overtaken by Linda (Laser Radial) on the way to West.  Jane Anderson overtook both of them before the buoy and remained in second until overtaken by Steve Axford on lap 3.  Sue Murray (Laser Radial) toured the course in third until overtaken by Nathan Pollard (Laser Full) who was making an admirable recovery from a start that had left him third from last.  John Dabbs, in the Bosun with Sally Wills, sailed a race good enough to get him fourth on handicap.

1. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
2. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
3. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
4. John Dabbs and Sally Wills (Bosun)
5. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
6. Steve Axford (Laser Full)
7. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)
8. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
9. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
10. Robin Spiller (Streaker)

Thanks were given to Paul Whybrow, Officer of the Day, and to Mandy Pollard for photography

Teatime Tankard 2

We were reminded that not all races take place under sunny skies with blustery exhausting winds; today the sky was grey, it rained a little and the wind was gentle, fairly consistent and north-westerly. Robin Spiller had set a course that departed from the Home 1 line towards West White, a long beat. Cilla Gilbert (with Brian Pollard in a Bosun) crossed the line first; next was Adam Hilton’s Aero 7 and then Linda Spiller’s Laser Full. Nathan Pollard in another big-sailed Laser followed and began a race long Laser ding-dong. Linda was still in front at Inlet but the lead changed hands several times after that. Cilla got her Bosun to the end of lap 2, the finish, ahead of John’s.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
3. Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)
4. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
5. John Dabbs and Sally Wills (Bosun)
6. Adam Hilton (Aero 7)

Many thanks to Robin Spiller, Officer of the Day.

Teatime Tankard 1

An unfamiliar grey sky, a familiar brisk, gusty wind. Nathan Pollard’s Laser Radial got away first followed by Adam Hilton’s Aero 5, John Dabbs with Jane Chadney in the Bosun and Sue Murray’s Laser Radial. Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)  (having a bad day)  hit Dam Green and then capsized heading to Pinkie. Brian Pollard with Cilla Gilbert (having a bad Bosun equipment day) chased the Dabbs/Chadney Bosun and then retired. Linda Spiller capsized a second time. She retired. The Officer of the Day (Roger Heasman) shortened the course from four to three laps. Sue Murray got past Adam Hilton on the third of them.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)
2. Adam Hilton (Aero 5)
3. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
4. John Dabbs and Jane Chadney (Bosun)

Retired: Linda Spiller (Laser Radial), Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Cup 6

Bob Sampson and Sue Murray gave a rare outing to the RS 200 on another bright day, a little cooler, with gusty winds that varied a lot in direction. They started well back in a fleet of twelve that was led over the line by the Commodore’s Aero 5. Even at Pinkie, the most northerly point on a fine fisher-free course set by officers of the day Mike and Viki Herbert Coulson, Linda Spiller’s and Jane Anderson’s Laser Radials were ahead of the RS 200. But by the end of the lap Bob Sampson was benefiting from the dinghy’s 20 square meters of sail area and had taken the lead. Three Laser Radials followed, with Jane Anderson and eventually Nathan Pollard passing Linda Spiller. Then came the Aero, after that Rob Spiller’s Streaker and Paul Whybrow’s Solo a little ahead of John Savage’s sister boat. The leading Bosun was Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard’s, John Dabbs and Sally Wills having had mainsail problems at the start. Vicki Duncalf’s Topper  toured the course in eleventh; Paul Petvin brought up the rear. This was the pattern of the three lap race in which there were only a few changes of position. The handicaps put the Sampson/Murray RS200 and the Streaker down and the the Bosuns and above all the Topper, up.

 

1.       Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)

2.       Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)

3.       Bob Sampson and Sue Murray (RS200)

4.       Linda Spiller (Laser Radial

5.       Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

6.       Adam Hilton (Aero 5)

7.       Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)

8.       Robin Spiller (Streaker)

9.       John Dabbs and Sally Wills (Bosun)

10.   John Savage (Solo)

11.   Paul Petvin (Gull)

Retired: Paul Whybrow (Solo)

 

Sailboat 6

 

There was a little more wind, a little more consistent too. The Dabbs/Wills Bosun, now with added Commodore, was a nose ahead at the start except that it was pushed the wrong side of the buoy by Jane Anderson’s Laser and the fast starting Topper of Vicki Duncalf. It ended up setting off last. The RS200, fourth over the line, had got the lead by Middle on the way up the Lake and stayed there. The Laser Radials were next, in the order Anderson, Pollard, Spiller except when Nathan Pollard got ahead of Jane Anderson for a while. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert in the Club’s Bosun followed for a couple of laps before Rob Spiller got ahead of them. A fine sail from that Bosun’s skipper got him the victory on corrected time.

 

1.       Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

2.       Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

3.       Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)

4.       Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)

5.       Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)

6.       Sue Murray and Bob Sampson (RS 200)

7.       Robin Spiller (Streaker)

8.       John Dabbs, Sally Wills and Adam Hilton (Bosun)

9.       Paul Petvin (Gull)

 

Grateful thanks were given to Viki and Mike Herbert Coulson who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.