Barnwell 5

Brian Pollard and Sally Wills in the Bosun were first over the starting line on a day of light westerly winds and grey skies, but Nathan Pollard (Laser Full) and Adam Hilton (Solo) had overtaken by the time they got to Zebra and then James Pollard (Blaze) got past before Inlet.  James had to dispose of two Solos before he could get down to the serious business of chasing his brother. He never succeeded in overtaking the Laser and on lap 2 Nathan Pollard extended his lead. But it was back down to less than a boat length at points on the last lap. The Blaze’s  impossible handicap gave James little credit for his efforts.  Paul Whybrow in the second Solo chased Adam Hilton’s sister boat for a lap and a half before a mishap at Middle put him too far behind to catch up. Behind them Jane Anderson’s Topper led John Dabbs in the Gull, Vicki Duncalf’s Topper and Geoff Floyd’s Solo. These four boats remained very close together – too close; Geoff Floyd had to do a penalty and then retired.

1.      Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)

2.      Adam Hilton (Solo)

3.      John Dabbs (Gull)

4.      Brian Pollard and Sally Wills (Bosun)

5.      Paul Whybrow (Solo)

6.      Jane Anderson (Topper)

7.      James Pollard (Blaze)

8.      Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Retired: Geoff Floyd (Solo)

 

Tamar 8

The wind had dropped and rain was falling as the afternoon race started. James Pollard and the Blaze were first away followed by Sue Murray (Laser Radial) and Adam Hilton, now in his Bosun with visitor Tim Mansfield. A large section of the fleet had to come back over the line having been pushed beyond the limits of the startline. At the top of the course on lap 1 The Blaze was still maintaining its lead as it did for the rest of the race, finishing a minute ahead of the rest, but Nathan Pollard’s Laser Radial had temporarily overtaken Sue Murray, a lead he lost again on the way to West. Some way behind Robin Spiller was finding it hard to get clear of Brian Pollard and Sally Wills’ Bosun, something he achieved in the course of lap 2. The wind, such as it was, was moving ever further westward changing the long close-hauled leg from Pinkie to West into a beat. Geoff Floyd’s Solo had a continuous dice with Jane Anderson’s Topper and both were catching up with the Hilton Bosun, as was the other, Pollard/Wills, Bosun, making up for ground lost at West on lap 2. Both this Bosun and the Topper got past before the end. Geoff Floyd also got past the Hilton Bosun, stayed ahead of Jane Anderson, but ruined it all by a momentary lapse of concentration which took him the wrong side of the buoy at the finish line. Having to come back over start and finish lines seemed to be a special feature of the race!

1.      Jane Anderson (Topper)

2.      John Dabbs (Gull)

3.      Sue Murray (Laser Radial)

4.      Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

5.      Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)

6.      Robin Spiller (Streaker)

7.      Brian Pollard and Sally Wills (Bosun)

8.      James Pollard (Blase)

9.      Adam Hilton and Tim Mansfield (Bosun)

10.    Geoff Floyd (Solo)

Grateful thanks were extended to Roger Heasman the Officer of the Day and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.

Teatime Tankard/Roger’s Bosuns 3

Sadly, although sailing conditions were good with a strong breeze down the lake towards the dam and “fluffy white clouds” in a sunny sky, only 3 crews took to the water.  From the start the race developed into a procession led by Nathan Pollard in a Laser full rig, followed by the two Bosuns of Sally Wills and Roger Heasman, followed by Brian Pollard and Robin Spiller.  Trying to round dam green on lap 2 Sally was caught out by a gust, causing her to make an extra tack, but she managed to maintain her lead over Brian.  Nathan finished nearly 5 minutes in front of the Bosuns, but his PY unkindly took a toll.

Teatime Tankard 3

1.      Sally Wills & Roger Heasman (Bosun)

2.      Nathan Pollard  (Laser full)

3.      Brian Pollard & Robin Spiller  (Bosun)

Roger’s Bosuns 3

1.      Sally Wills & Roger Heasman (Bosun)

 

Many thanks to Cilla Gilbert for acting as Officer of the Day.

Sailboat 6

The weather forecast was again for clear skies and hot sun, with just a challenging light wind due to veer from south to west to a northerly direction.  So for the first race of the day 12 dinghies set off on a course upwind to the dam, the breeze initially behaving as expected.  The four Laser sailors, Sue Murray, Nathan Pollard, Bob Sampson and Linda Spiller had all chosen full sails and they soon took a strong lead, along with James Pollard in his new Blaze.  This group were in tight contention throughout the race, jostling for position.  Bob maintained his place in front for laps 2 and 3 and just managed to hold off Sue at the finish as she gained extra momentum from a rogue gust.  Linda Spiller sadly didn’t stay with them, not coping well with these odd gusts and sometimes violent swirls of wind.  She retired after just half a lap and a messy capsize.  The rest of the very mixed fleet sailed without mishap, Rob Spiller’s Streaker and Paul Whybrow’s Solo battling for 5th place until Paul crossed the line just one second in front.  Then came Geoff Floyd in his Solo, 2 seconds ahead of John Dabbs’ Gull, whose PY elevated him from 8th on the water to 4th.  The later Topper of Vicky Duncalf benefitted similarly.

Sailboat 6

1.      Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
2.      Sue Murray (Laser Full)
3.      Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
4.      John Dabbs (Gull)
5.      James Pollard (Blaze)
6.       Paul Whybrow (Solo)
7.       Robin Spiller (Streaker)
8.       Vicky Duncalf (Topper)
9.       Geoff Floyd (Solo)
10.       Cilla Gilbert & Brian Pollard (Bosun)
11.       Alan Comber & John Weller (Enterprise)

Retired: Linda Spiller (Laser Full)

Pursuit 6

By the second race, the wind had become a more decisive north westerly, giving none of the boats too much difficulty.  With start times adjusted according to dinghy PY and the helm’s previous placings in the series, slower members of the fleet started before the more speedy, who were challenged with overtaking within a set time.  John Dabbs’ Gull had almost completed a lap before James Pollard started in his Blaze, but gradually the fleet pulled closer together.  Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert’s Bosun passed Vicky Duncalf’s Topper and then managed to keep second place.  Meanwhile Bob Sampson worked his way through the fleet to the front, where he stayed to win his second victory of the day.  Paul Whybrow gained a couple of places to finish third and Nathan Pollard moved from starting ninth to fourth place.

1.      Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
2.      Brian Pollard & Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
3.      Paul Whybrow (Solo)
4.      Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
5.      John Dabbs (Gull)
6.       John Weller & Alan Comber (Enterprise)
7.       Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
8.       Vicky Duncalf (Topper)
9.       James Pollard (Blaze)
10.       Geoff Floyd (Solo)

Many thanks to Toby Tobias and Sally Wills who were Officers of the Day and to Mandy Pollard for photographs.

Teatime Tankard/Roger’s Bosuns 2

 

Another charming day, enough sun, enough wind from points around north west, gusty as ever. Inlet and the Devon bank were lined with fisher people so Nathan Pollard’s course (he was OOD) had a lop-sided look to it; there was a diversion to West but otherwise it was very much up and down the middle of the Lake. Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard in the Bosun were first across the line, but Linda Spiller’s Laser Radial soon took the lead and never relinquished it. Adam Hilton’s Solo started fifth but slipped past the Bosuns and up to Linda’s wake where he stayed. He never looked likely to overtake but they finished only twenty seconds apart and the Solo’s advantageous handicap gave him the victory. Sally Wills, with Bob Sampson crewing the Bosun, had a fine race only spoilt by an unnecessary gybe at West. John Dabbs was helming the Commodore’s Bosun solo. He started 4^th, dropped back with rudder problems but then hauled himself up to his previous position.

 

Teatime Tankard

1.      Adam Hilton (Solo)

2.      Sally Wills and Bob Sampson (Bosun)

3.      Linda Spiller (Laser Radial)

4.      John Dabbs (Bosun)

5.      Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)

 

Roger’s Bosuns

1.      Sally Wills

2.      Cilla Gilbert

 

Many thanks to Nathan Pollard and Robin Spiller who ran the race.

This was the last of the midweek mug series and although the winner had already been decided, second and third places were up for grabs.  In a fickle light to moderate breeze only 5 boats took to the water and one of these, Paul Whybrow’s Solo had turned turtle before the start, hampering his progress, as it took one lap to expel all the water taken onboard.  The two lasers of Nathan Pollard and Linda Spiller were first across the line, battling for first place on the water throughout.  They were the first to encounter two kayakers parked on one of the buoys, effectively concealing the course!  The remainder of the fleet, Sally Wills and Roger Heasman in a Bosun, Paul Whybrow and John Dabbs in a Gull maintained their 3rd, 4th & 5th positions, although final rankings would all be to play for when PYs were applied.

Results:

1. Sally Wills & Roger Heasman (Bosun)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser full)
3. John Dabbs (Gull)
4. Nathan Pollard (Laser full)
5. Paul Wybrow (Solo)

Thanks to Robin Spiller for acting as Officer of the Day and to Mandy Pollard for photos.

Cup 4

The very usable south easterly winds meant starting towards the dam with Dam Red as the buoy to round before beginning the run up the Lake. Penny Abbott (Laser Radial) and Adam Hilton (Solo) were over start line 2 at the gun. Penny turned back but Adam was first round Dam Red, blissfully unaware that he was disqualifying himself! Sue Murray (Laser Radial) led at Inlet and continued to fight off the full-sailed Lasers of Bob Sampson and Nathan Pollard who followed. At Pinkie the drizzle continued, as it did throughout, and the order was still Sue Murray, Bob Sampson, Nathan Pollard, the outlaw Hilton Solo, Paul Whybrow’s legal Solo, the recovering Penny Abbott, John Dabbs’ Gull and Cilla Gilbert at the helm of Brian Pollard’s Bosun. But by the end of lap 2 Bob Samson had managed to get speed out of his big sail and had overtaken Sue Murray. On lap three Nathan Pollard did too. When the handicaps were applied the corrected times gave the Gull the victory by a minute and Sue Murray a lead over Bob Sampson of five seconds!

1. John Dabbs (Gull)

2. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)

3. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)

4. Paul Whybrow (Solo) and equal 4th Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)

5.

6. Penny Abbott (Laser Radial)

7. Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)

Disqualified: Adam Hilton (Solo)

Tamar 6

Nathan Pollard, now with a Radial sail and in a slightly stronger but much drier wind, got away first with Bob Sampson second, Linda Spiller (Laser Full) third, Penny Abbott fourth, Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert next and Sue Murray last. Penny Abbott got past Linda Spiller at Dam Red, then Bob Sampson passed Nathan at the end of the run to Middle, squeezing him at the buoy. At the end of the lap Bob Sampson was pulling away, Penny Abbott and Linda Spiller were catching up Nathan Pollard with Sue Murray not far behind. By lap 3 Bob Sampson was miles ahead, finishing two minutes in front of Nathan Pollard, enough to overcome his handicap disadvantage and give him first on corrected time. The other Lasers continued to scrap, with Linda Spiller finishing third and Sue Murray managing to get over the line a couple of seconds in front of Penny Abbott.

1. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)

2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)

3. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)

4. Penny Abbott (Laser Radial)

5. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)

6. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Many thanks to Jane and Paul Anderson who ran the race and wrote these reports to Mandy Pollard who took the photos.