by Adam Hilton

Mandy Pollard

Frostbite 1

The water near the pontoon was glassy; no wind at water level to produce the slightest ripple. Fortunately at masthead level there was a little movement in the air and the fleet was able, slowly, to reach the start line and then the wind freshened as the day went on, although it never looked like reaching the forecast force 4, gusting 5.

Vicki Duncalf’s Topper, Sue Murray’s Laser Radial and Adam Hilton’s Solo crossed the line as a leading bunch but coming up from the rear at speed was Nathan Pollard’s Laser which had taken the lead well before the first buoy and as the others rounded Dam Green he was away and building a lead that reached three and a half minutes after four laps.

On the first leg the Solo began in second but to leeward of the others and at the buoy Vicki Duncalf, Sue Murray and Brian Pollard’s Bosun (Cilla Gilbert crewing) all rounded in front. In that first lap an order was established. Sue Murray was nearest to Nathan Pollard in second, threatened from time to time by the Solo. Brian Pollard led the Toppers of Jane Anderson (recovered from a slow start) and Vicki Duncalf. The handicaps tossed that order up in the air, only the Pollard Bosun retaining the place it had had on the water.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
4. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
5. Adam Hilton (Solo)
6. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)

Icicle 1

The fleet was reduced to four boats; it was nearly three; Sue Murray spent a while beached on the Devon shore sorting a rigging problem. At the restart Brian Pollard, his Bosun now crewed by visitor Alara Vural Wedgwood, started first but Nathan Pollard was again fast enough to round the first buoy, Dam Green, in the lead, a lead he never lost. Sue Murray got past the Topper and the Bosun and was a couple of minutes behind after two laps; the race being shortened as the afternoon advanced and the always present mist thickened. The handicaps again rewarded the Topper and left Brian Pollard in the third place he had had on the water.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Brian Pollard and Alara Vural Wedgewood (Bosun)
4. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)

Many thanks to Dave Perrett who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard who managed to get her camera to pierce the mist.

by Louise Witchell

Louise Witchell

Teacake 5

Due to light winds from the south east and a fishing competition, a simple triangular course was set.  Two bosuns and two solos taking part – John Dabbs bosun with Leila Farmer crewing and Rick Thurlow taking out the club bosun with Penny Abbott crewing.  Geoff Floyd and Graham Joyce helming solos.

John/Leila were first across the start, followed by Geoff, Rick/Penny, then Graham.  Geoff, finding wind, was first to middle buoy before lack of wind made for a frustrating race, but lovely reflections!  The order remained unchanged with Geoff crossing the finish of the shortened course, just as the winds picked up.

What little wind there was changed direction which meant there was a beat on a different leg each lap!

After handicaps were applied, first place was handed to John and Leila.

1. John Dabbs and Leila Farmer (Bosun)
2. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
3. Rick Thurlow and Penny Abbott (Bosun)
4. Graham Joyce (Solo)

Summer Fruits 4

By the second race the winds had moved through 180° to north west, reversing the course.  Ian Chatterton, with Katy Chatterton crewing his enterprise, joined for this race.

Ian/Katy were first over the start line, followed by Geoff, Rick/Penny, Leila now helming John’s bosun and Graham.  Several tacks were required to reach west white buoy and made a much more competitive race.

A penalty for Leila/John allowed Geoff to overtake at west white and Rick/Penny to close the gap.  On the last lap, Geoff pulled ahead of Ian/Katy after dam green, only for Ian steal the lead by one second at the finish.

After handicaps were applied, the bosuns prevailed with Leila/John taking first place.

1. Leila Farmer and John Dabbs (Bosun)
2. Rick Thurlow and Penny Abbott (Bosun)
3. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
4. Ian Chatterton and Katy Chatterton (Enterprise)

Retired Graham Joyce ( Solo)

Many thanks to Louise & Colin Witchell for OODing the races and taking the photos.

by Jane Anderson

Mandy Pollard

Commodore 6

Dave and Rob went the wrong side of the final mark so retired

Spalding Cup 6

by Adam Hilton

Geoff Floyd

Teacake 4

It was hot and what winds there were came over the Devon shore from points between southeast and northeast. Basically it was a race for Bosuns and Solos, if one can include Rob Spiller’s Streaker as an honorary Solo; there were three of each.

The Solo of Adam Hilton got away first, was first around Dam Green but threw it all away by very nearly forgetting to leave Home 1 to port. Roger Heasman’s Bosun, Nessy crewing, Robin Spiller’s Streaker and Dave Perrett’s Solo all got past. The single-handers took control; Dave Perrett leading at the end of the first lap with Robin Spiller second.  The Hilton Solo overtook Robin Spiller on the second lap and Dave Perrett’s Solo on the third, helped by an evil Lake spirit which did not allow Dave to beat between West White and Home 2 with any dispatch. The course went no further north than the middle of the Lake and so laps were short; even so, three laps took the winner forty minutes. Also unusual was that the handicap system thought the results on the water were the right ones. And so the three single-handers beat the three double-handers.

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. Dave Perrett (Solo)
3. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
4. Roger Heasman and Nessy (Bosun)
5. John Dabbs and Leila Farmer (Bosun)
6. Rick Thurlow and Penny Abbott (Bosun)

Summer Fruits 3

The sailing programme envisaged no second race but management conjured up this Summer Fruits race, competing for the rosewood bowl that Roger Heasman presented. Dave Perret was first away this time followed by Penny Abbott, now helming the Club Bosun with Rick Thurlow as crew. Adam Hilton was next, the Solo pointing high and already making up ground; he led at the end of the first lap and from then on. Dave Perrett lost his lead, he was down to fourth at the end of Lap 1, and was having his usual trouble getting from West White to Home 2 at a reasonable speed. John Dabbs got his Bosun past Penny’s on the second lap and finished in third place, only a minute and a half behind the leader. The handicap gave him victory.

1. John Dabbs and Leila Farmer (Bosun)
2. Adam Hilton (Solo)
3. Penny Abbott and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
4. Dave Perrett (Solo)
5. Louise and Colin Witchell (Bosun)
6. Nessy and Roger Heasman (Bosun)

Many thanks to Geoff Floyd who ran the races and took the photos.

by Adam Hilton

Louise Witchell

Commodore 5

A beautiful day and the promise of a shore-side barbeque after the racing brought sailing and non-sailing members to Tamar Lake. Nine boats took to the water for the noon race. The very light winds meant that all five of the Lasers’ helms except Paul Anderson, who chose a Radial, had full sized sails. There were two Solos, Dave Perrett’s flying a shiny black Kevlar sail for the first time. Robin Spiller was out in his Streaker and Steve Smith was helming Roger Heasman’s Bosun.

The Solo of Adam Hilton crossed the start line in the lead but before the first buoy, Dam Green, Sue Murray and Jane Anderson in Lasers had slipped by. Robin Spiller was next around the buoy and then the Smith/Heasman Bosun, pushing Nathan Pollard wide. But on the gentle sail to Inlet Nathan Pollard disposed of the Bosun and the Spiller Streaker. At Pinkie he went by the Solo and by the end of what turned out to be a slow two lap race, he was past Sue Murray’s Laser and in second place. Robin Spiller and Adam Hilton had a pass and repass race with Dave Perrett joining them at the end.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Full)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Dave Perrett (Solo)
4. Adam Hilton (Solo)
5. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
6. Sue Murray (Laser Full)
7. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
8. Steven Smith and Roger Heasman (Bosun)

Disqualified: Paul Anderson (Laser Radial)

Spalding 5

There were now three Bosuns in the fleet: John Dabbs’ with Penny Abbott as crew, Louise Witchell helming hers with Linda Spiller and Roger Heasman now at the helm of his with Steve Smith in charge of the jib sheets.

Jane Anderson continued to demonstrate her light wind mastery, again finishing first, in front, this time, of Sue Murray with Nathan Pollard (who managed, on this day of very light winds, to capsize!) in third. The Bosun race began with Roger Heasman starting well but not being given enough water by Adam Hilton at Dam Green, hitting the Solo and doing penalty turns. John Dabbs ended up leading the Bosuns and being awarded a joint third place by the handicaps. Louise Witchell got ahead of Roger Heasman and was still there at the finish.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser Full)
2. Sue Murray (Laser Full)
3. Dave Perrett (Solo) equal with John Dabbs and Penny Abbott (Bosun)
5. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
6. Loise Witchel and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
7. Roger Heasman and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
8. Paul Anderson (Laser Radial)

Retired: Adam Hilton (Solo)

Many thanks to Penny Abbott  who ran the first race and to Robin Spiller who ran the second. Louise Witchell took the pictures.

Racing was followed by a very enjoyable BBQ. Many thanks to Bob Sampson & John Dabbs for resurrecting the barbeque, cleaning it and providing the charcoal and lighters.

by Adam Hilton

Teacake 3

There were the same four Solos in this Wednesday race as there had been a week before. They were joined by Leila Farmer in her Laser Radial and by Roger Heasman’s Bosun helmed by Penny Abbott with Rick Thurlow crewing. It was hardly a summer’s day but it didn’t rain and the winds were gentle and steady by Tamar Lake standards. The course led from the far side of the starting line to Inlet buoy, tricky as ever, across the middle of the Lake to West White and up to Far buoy; a beat, a reach, a beat and a long run back to the Dam.

At the start Penny Abbott’s Bosun was first over the line but Adam Hilton’s Solo was soon beside it, pointing higher, and demanding water from the windward boat. Penny tacked away and allowed not one but two Solos to overtake. Dave Perrett’s Solo was the second to reach Inlet. Graham Joyce was the next Solo skipper to round Inlet and set off on the reach to West White. Leila Farmer followed leaving Geoff Floyd, after a terrible start, to bring up the rear.

The beginning of the second lap saw Dave Perrett gobble up the water between his Solo and the leading one, create an overlap at Inlet and round that buoy in the lead, only for the wind to abandon him and the previous order to be restored.

The third lap saw Leila Farmer asserting the Laser’s speed and overtaking the Bosun but Geoff Floyd being even more assertive and getting past both to finish third on the water. The handicap promptly pushed him back down to fourth. Graham Joyce admitted to sailing over West White buoy and needing to be disqualified.

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. Dave Perrett (Solo)
3. Penny Abbott and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
4. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
5. Leila Farmer (Laser Radial)

Disqualified: Graham Joyce (Solo)

Roger’s Bosuns 7

The course was shortened by only going as far north as Pinkie and by reducing the lap count to two. The fleet also was reduced to two Solos, Dave Perrett’s and Geoff Floyd’s, the Heasman Bosun, now with Rick Thurlow at the helm, and Leila Farmer’s Radial. Dave Perrett started last but was fortunate that the others were being pushed to leeward on the beat to Inlet; he was able to reach the buoy without wasting time in the Inlet doldrums and shake off his lousy start. But leading the race was of no use to him when he capsized ten metres from the finish line and needed the safety boat’s assistance to recover.

1. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
2. Rick Thurlow and Penny Abbott (Bosun)
3. Leila Farmer (Laser Radial)

Retired: Dave Perrett (Solo)

Many thanks to Louise and Colin Witchell who kindly ran the races.

by Adam Hilton

Robin Spiller

Tamar 9

On this August Sunday the winds blew strongly from the north west, banks of cloud rolled through, but the rain managed to hold off until lunchtime. The temperature was a miserable 14 degrees! Penny Abbott, Officer of the Day, set a course of startling simplicity; a beat all the way north to Far buoy and a run all the way back south to the Dam. Bob Sampson, with a little 4.7 sail on his Laser, got away first, but by the time the fleet reached the top of the Lake the order reflected the sail size of the three Lasers in the race; Nathan Pollard leading with a Full, Steve Axford second with a Radial and Bob Sampson the third Laser but fourth boat because Brian Pollard, James Pollard crewing, had achieved a fine beat to keep himself among the Lasers in third place. The other Bosun on the water was Roger Heasman’s, but was helmed for the first time by Steve Smith with Adam Hilton as crew. In front of them was Jane Anderson, who’d been second at the start, but was fifth to round Far. The handicap promoted her to first, demoted the Lasers but allowed Brian Pollard to keep his third on the water.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Brian and James Pollard (Bosun)
4. Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
5. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
6. Steven Smith and Adam Hilton (Bosun)

DNS: Dave Perrett (Solo)

Tamar 10

Penny Abbott added width to the course which now only reached as far north as Pinkie, then went to West and across to Inlet before returning to the Dam. Nathan Pollard got away well this time and dominated the race, never being headed. The other two Lasers followed in order of sail size. Jane Anderson was able to take the next place in a somewhat processional race since Brian Pollard’s Bosun had broken its rudder before the start and wasn’t competing. Next was the Heasman Bosun, now with Adam Hilton at the helm and then Vicki Duncalf joining the fleet in her Topper. Dave Perrett hadn’t quite sorted the small sail on his Solo before the first race began but was now competing although unfortunate to capsize on the first lap. The handicap again recognized Jane Anderson’s efforts in the Topper but thought Bob Sampson had done better than Steve Axford.

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
4. Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
5. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
6. Adam Hilton and Steven Smith (Bosun)
7. Dave Perrett (Solo)

Retired: Brian and James Pollard (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to Penny Abbott who ran the races assisted by Linda Spiller. And to Robin Spiller for taking the photos with Mandy’s camera.

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.

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. Leila Farmer (Topper)
3. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
4. Rick Thurlow and Roger Heasman (Bosun)
5. Dave Perrett (Solo)
6. Ethan Walker (Laser Radial)
7. 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.

1. Roger Heasman and Rick Thurlow (Bosun)
2. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
3. Dave Perrett (Solo)

Retired: Graham Joyce (Solo) Adam Hilton (Solo)

Many thanks to Bob Sampson who kindly ran the races.

by Adam Hilton

Mandy Pollard

Commodore 4

Roger Heasman, in his Bosun with newcomer Steven, got a very good start but it was Bob Sampson’s full-sailed Laser which drew away and led the race throughout, winning by half a minute from Nathan Pollard in another Laser. The Heasman Bosun continued to lead the rest of the fleet although harried by Jane Anderson’s Laser 4.7 and Dave Perrett’s brand-new-to-him Solo. They were both past the Bosun by the end of lap one although Dave Perrett retired after two laps with a main sheet that kept jamming. The winds seemed to come from different directions in different parts of the Lake; southwest near the Dam, west in the middle of the Lake and north at the top. They strengthened as the day went on.

Spalding Cup 4

Dave Perrett got his new Solo’s main sheet working to good effect, speeding over the start line in first place. However the two fast Lasers were soon past him, with Nathan Pollard leading this time, a lead he maintained throughout. The Solo then slipped down the order with Jane Anderson’s Laser 4.7 taking over third place and staying close enough to the leaders for the handicap to award her victory. Some changes had taken place in the fleet; Linda Spiller had joined in her Laser 4.7 and spent most of the race at fourth, promoted to third by the handicap. Robin Spiller set out in his Streaker flying the Wave sail, not the right choice as it turned out; he retired. Anna Walker had gone to crew for Roger Heasman and Penny Abbott had taken over the helm in Adam Hilton’s Bosun but got no closer than him to overtaking the Heasman Bosun ahead. Steven took over the helm of the Hartley for a lap or two before retiring. By the end the westerlies were strong enough to have the boats planing across the middle of the Lake.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
4. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
5. Roger Heasman and Anna Walker (Bosun)
6. Penny Abbott and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
7. Dave Perrett (Solo)

Retired: Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave), Steven and Leila Farmer (Hartley 12)

(No idea why but Race Results for this race won’t cut and paste as a table! – see Spalding Cup Individual Race Times)

Grateful thanks were given to Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.