11th August 2019 Race Report

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.