2nd June 2019 race report

Ladies/Gents/Junior/Gosling 3

After a bright week, Sunday was grey, wet, windy and above all, gusty. They came and went, these gusts, with great suddenness and, at different times and in different places, could arrive from anywhere between the south west and the north. Five boats were drawn to the water; the Toppers of Vicki Duncalf and Jane Anderson, The Bosun helmed by John Dabbs with Jane Chadney as crew and  the Club Bosun with Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert and finally Adam Hilton’s  Aero7. Jane Anderson had her bow over the line first but Brian Pollard came through to leeward and emerged from rounding  the first buoy, Dam Green, with a four lengths lead! The Aero, at moments showing its inherent speed, overtook on the way to West but lost the lead again at the buoy attempting, unnecessarily, to gybe! The Toppers were swapping places, the Dabbs/Chadney Bosun bringing up the rear but getting past the Toppers before the end of the lap. The Pollard/Gilbert Bosun was still at the front at the beginning of lap 2 but the Aero again grabbed the lead between West and Pinkie only to dump its skipper in the water at the buoy. The Bosuns were now first and second although with an increasing gap between them and massive bow waves as the wind drove them deep into the water. John Dabbs retired his. So three boats finished well apart but not far enough for the Pollard/Gilbert Bosun to keep its victory on the water when the handicaps were applied.

1.        Jane Anderson (Topper)

2.        Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun),

3.        Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Retired: Adam Hilton (Aero7), John Dabbs and Jane Chadney (Bosun)

 

Pursuit 3

With the handicaps applied to starting times, Vicki Duncalf’s Topper was first away, just recovering from a gust. The morning’s battering had damaged the tiller on Adam Hilton’s Bosun, now with John Dabbs and Jane Chadney crewing. Temporary repairs were only just completed in time to get to the line the required three minutes after the Topper’s departure.  Jane Anderson started next and the Pollard/Gilbert Bosun last. The order stayed the same for the first two laps although the boats were beginning to close up on the second. The Toppers benefitted from their speed when planing on the reach. On lap 3, after three quarters of an hour’s racing, they were much closer together, indeed Brian Pollard came through to lead the rest in the course of the lap. Then, on the fourth lap, Jane Anderson, partly benefitting from Both Vicki Duncalf and Adam Hilton having to do penalty turns, took on second place .

1.       Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

2.       Jane Anderson (Topper)

3.       Adam Hilton, John Dabbs and Jane Chadney (Bosun)

4.       Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

 

Grateful thanks were given to the Officers of the Day, John Buckett and Sally Wills (who also took the photos).