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.
| Rank | HelmName | CrewName | Class | Rating | Elapsed | Corrected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob Sampson | LASER | 1101 | 0.41.51 | 0.38.01 | |
| 2 | Nathan Pollard | LASER | 1101 | 0.42.28 | 0.38.34 | |
| 3 | Jane Anderson | LASER 4.7 | 1210 | 0.47.46 | 0.39.29 | |
| 4 | Roger Heasman | Steven | BOSUN | 1198 | 0.49.26 | 0.41.16 |
| 5 | Adam Hilton | Penny Abbott | BOSUN | 1198 | 0.50.38 | 0.42.16 |
| 6 | Anna Walker | LASER RADIAL | 1150 | 0.50.50 | 0.44.12 | |
| 7 | Leila Farmer | HARTLEY 12.2 | 1188 | 0.53.50 | 0.45.19 | |
| 8 | Dave Perrett | SOLO | 1142 | RET |
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.
- Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
- Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
- Roger Heasman and Anna Walker (Bosun)
- Penny Abbott and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
- 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.