Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club
Racing 5th July 2009

AM: Tamar Memorial Trophy 5

Promised sunshine and a steady 13mph wind, the weatherman definitely 
got it wrong with brooding black clouds and wind that didn’t know 
whether to blow or not and couldn’t decide which direction it was coming 
from.  As fourteen boats crossed the start line the wind which had been 
reasonably constant decided to drop away the moment the start horn 
sounded.  With everybody sitting on their hands for a couple of minutes 
odd boats suddenly got little puffs (Vicki Duncalf particularly suddenly 
steaming through the fleet) and as the boats approached the West mark 
the wind decided suddenly to pick up.  This caused some close gybing 
between boats for the broad reach to Middle mark with Neil Wallace and 
Nicky Buckett in the Wayfarer starting to pull out a lead from Roger Ford 
and Val Shilito in their Wayfarer.  Jane Anderson and Jane Chadney 
followed closely behind in their Laser Radials on the run to Far.
A close encounter with the buoy at Far, saw Paul Anderson’s fully rigged 
Laser doing a penalty pirouette. With the lead boats stretching away the 
following boats suddenly found themselves becalmed and having to make 
tacks to get to Inlet.

The rain then also decided to come down cats and dogs and over the rest 
of the race started with amazing intensity and stopped equally quickly.
As the race progressed Paul Anderson managed to move up through the 
fleet with Derek Farnfield also having a good race in his Streaker.  The 
other big mover of the day was Sue Murray and her son Mark in the 
Topper Topaz who sailed to the best of the wind and moved up through 
the fleet. Bob Sampson with Simon Veal crewing for him in the RS200 
made good use of the spinnaker and by the end of the third lap had 
managed to move up into second place.  The rain had the last laugh as it 
absolutely pelted down at the finish and had everybody running for hot 
showers to try and recover fingers, toes and other body part feelings!

Results: 

1st Neil Wallace and Nicky Buckett (Wayfarer)
2nd Roger Ford and Val Shillito (Wayfarer)
3rd Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
4th Derek Farnfield (Streaker)
5th Bob Sampson and Simon Veal (RS200)
6th Sue and Mark Murray (Topper Topaz)
7th Jane Chadney (Laser Radial)
8th Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
9th Mike Ford (Solo)
10th Adeney Pooler (Graduate)
11th Stephanie Heasman (Topper)
12th Emily Veal (Laser 4.7)
13th Paul Anderson (Laser)
14th Roger Heasman (Laser Radial)

PM race: Ladies/Junior/Gosling
Almost half the fleet had decided to call it a day and just as the afternoon 
race 4 minute horn sounded, thunder and lighting rolled in and the race 
had to be abandoned!
Oh to be in England when summertime is here!