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.

Ladies/Gents/Junior/Gosling 5

It was a bright day with light winds at the start and the course the race officers designed was largely determined by the position of fishermen, some perched a metre or two off-shore around Inlet. Ten boats approached the start, all trying to keep close to the windward buoy in preparation for the long beat to West, which for some helms on some laps proved reachable in one tack. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) and Paul Anderson (Laser Full) crossed the line first, but then everyone arrived at once, pushing the Aero 5 of Adam Hilton beyond the buoy. By the first mark James Pollard (Laser Full) had established a clear lead and  the two Laser Radials of Sue Murray and Nathan Pollard had settled into a race long duel for third and fourth places, with Sue leading at the end of the first two laps and Nathan the second two. The Aero 5, starting last, took a lap to clear the slower boats but never reached the leading four Lasers. Vicki Duncalf (Topper) stayed in touch with the Murray /Pollard scrap for a while until overtaken by the Wills/Sampson Bosun. Jane Anderson finished forty seconds behind James Pollard but her smaller sail gave her the victory when the handicaps were applied. Vicki Duncalf was rewarded for staying close to the leaders for so long by gaining second place.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
2. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
3. James Pollard (Laser Full)
4. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)
5. Sally Wills and Bob Sampson (Bosun)
6. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
7. Adam Hilton (Aero 5)
8. Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)

Retired: Paul Anderson (Laser Full), John Savage (Otter)

 

Pursuit 5

The winds, and particularly the gusts, were stronger for the afternoon Pursuit race, with the single handed boats up on the plane when in the middle of the Lake. Vicki Duncalf started first and no one reached her, the Aero 5 (third to start) getting close at the end of the sixty seven minutes allotted to the race. The Wills/Sampson Bosun started second, nine minutes after the Topper, but lacked pace in these conditions and lost a place each lap. James Pollard (Laser Full) who started sixth had fourteen minutes to make up on the Topper and must have made up thirteen of them – he came third. The Laser Radials found it harder to gain ground; Sue Murray did best, finishing third, but Jane Anderson had had an impossible eighteen minute handicap.

1. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
2. Adam Hilton (Aero 5)
3. James Pollard (Laser Full)
4. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
5. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)
6. Sally Wills and Bob Sampson (Bosun)
7. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
8. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

 

Grateful thanks were given to Jane Chadney and Stuart Mealing who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.

Spare – Sailboat 2

This race should have run on 28 April, but was cancelled when the wind completely deserted Upper Tamar Lake. Today seemed more hopeful with a promising, if variable easterly breeze as competitors set out. However, as the starting hooter sounded the wind again faded, determined to be in unco-operative.
By Dam Green the Lasers of Jane Anderson (radial), Nathan Pollard (full) and Paul Anderson (full) had pulled ahead, thereafter to remain in that order. The Gull of John Dabbs was then going well in pursuit but behind him there was some congestion as Cilla Gilbert with Brian Pollard crewing in a Bosun brushed the buoy, took another tack to round it successfully and completed a penalty turn, while Robin Spiller had to do a loop after heading the wrong way in his Streaker and Vicky Duncalf’s Topper sail lost the wind, stalling.
This all lost the latter group valuable time, giving the Lasers a huge advantage. Although John Dabbs was overtaken by the Streaker and finally the Bosun, he kept up a reasonable pace. The breeze came and went from various directions, catching Vicky Duncalf unbalanced in a slight gust and tipping her in the lake. After a quick recovery she returned to the shore to dry off.
The race was shortened to 2 laps.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser radial)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser full)
3. John Dabbs (Gull)
4. Paul Anderson (Laser full)
5. Cilla Gilbert & Brian Pollard (Bosun)
6. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
Retired – Vicky Duncalf (Topper)

Tamar 7

With the breeze still light, not everyone fancied a second sluggish sail. The Bosun crew swapped places and Paul Petvin went out in the Gull. Jane Anderson and Nathan Pollard in the remaining Lasers got away well with Brian Pollard in close contention, followed by the Topper, but the last dinghy away took a while to cross the line.
Later, as the wind died completely at the far end of the lake, Vicky Duncalf and Paul Petvin were left stranded in glassy calm, while the more fortunate Lasers were neck and neck on the way back to the dam. The Bosun was not far behind at first but lost momentum as it too succumbed to lack of wind.
By the time a more encouraging north easterly breeze set in Nathan Pollard had established his lead over Jane Anderson on the water, but it proved difficult to extend over the three laps. The Bosun moved well, catching up a bit and the Topper persevered. The Gull slipped sideways, backwards and finally retired after 2 laps, it’s helm having enjoyed the learning experience.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser radial)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser full)
3. Brian Pollard & Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
4. Vicky Duncalf (Topper)
Retired – Paul Petvin (Gull)

Thanks to Linda Spiller and Paul Petvin for running the races and to Mandy Pollard for photographs.