AM: Sailboat Trophy 1 With children galore enjoying instructor guided lessons outside the clubhouse, the club racing started on the far side of the lake with 15 boats taking part. The weather was fine and slightly fickle with gusts coming in from an easterly direction but changing direction rapidly which kept sailors on their toes for the whole race. Bob Sampson was first away after a lull, then a wind direction change left the fleet desperately trying to claw their way round Dam mark, which was sheltered today by the high dam wall. After that the race went the full length and width of the lake producing some nifty sailing by some in order to get the best position for the gusts as they travelled up the lake. Roger Heasman and John Buckett were doing well as were Nicky Buckett with crew Jane Chadney on board the club's Bosun, and Sue Murray in her Topper Topaz. Simon Veal spent the morning experimenting (rather successfully) with his new purchase - a navy blue Bosun, and Stuart Mealing was determined to get round the course without missing any buoys out this time!!! The course was shortened to 2 laps giving Steve Axford line honors after a gruelling battle with Bob and Jane Anderson in her Radial, but it was Jane who won on handicap after the results had been calculated. Results: 1. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) 2. Steve Axford (Laser) 3. Bob Sampson (Laser) 4. Sue Murray (Topper Topaz) 5. John Buckett (Otter) 6. Roger Heasman (Streaker) 7. Simon Veal (Bosun) 8. Adeney Pooler (Graduate) 9. Stuart Mealing (Laser Radial) 10 Vicki Duncalf (Topper) 11. John Savage (Solo) 12. Toby Tobias (Bosun) 13. John Duncalf (Topper) Mary Carter (Laser Radial), Nicky Buckett and Jane Chadney rtd. Grateful thanks to John Leveridge and Alan Comber who both stepped in at a moment's notice to do Race Officer duties. PM: Pursuit Series 1. This is a race when the slower handicapped boats get to start off first, and the faster guys are put to the back, going off at later times in a calcuated individual timed start. So it was Stephanie Heasman in her Topper who set the race off to be followed by Vicki Duncalf and John Savage in their respective boats 4 minutes later, then John Duncalf and Toby a minute after that, then John Bucket 1 min later, Simon Veal (2 minutes later), Jane Chadney and Nicky B (with Jane helming the Bosun this time) and Adeney Pooler set off 9 minutes after the start, followed by Roger Heasman at 12 minutes, Bob Sampson at 15 minutes, Steve Axford and Paul Whybrow (in his Solo) at 17 minutes, then lastly Jane Anderson at 18 minutes after the start. So quite a bit of work had to be done by everyone to try and catch Stephanie, who was heading back down the lake again by the time the last 3 competitors had set off. The race was calculated (very complicated maths) to be 65 minutes long and the fleet sailed round the course until the gun signalled the end, the idea being that if the maths is right then everyone should finish pretty close together, thus making it a very exciting spectator race. The little bit extra to win is then down to either helsman's skill or just pure good or bad luck!!!!. Not much position changing happened for the first 30-40 minutes as boats gradually tried to make up the distance, but in the last 20 minutes things started to hot up as the back of the fleet caught up with the front and then it was game-on for the last 10 minutes as the whole fleet met up and everyone was fighting to keep their place in the line-up, thus confirming the voracity of the handicapping. So when the final gun went at 65 minutes it was Bob Sampson who managed to push his way right through the fleet to take line honours, followed by Steve Axford and then Jane Anderson in 3rd place. Results: 1. Bob Sampson (Laser) 2. Steve Axford (Laser) 3. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) 4. Simon Veal (Bosun) 5= Roger Heasman,(Streaker) 5= Paul Whybrow (Solo) 7. John Buckett (Otter) 8. Jane Chadney and Nicky Buckett (Bosun) 9. Adeney Pooler (Graduate) 10. Toby Tobias (Bosun) 11. Vicki Duncalf (Topper) 12. John Duncalf (Topper) Alas John Savage started with the wrong lady in the Topper (should have been going off the start with Vicki and not Stephanie), and then sadly Stephanie missed a buoy out and had to retire. All agreed it had been and excellent and exciting race and as the clouds came across the sky, all retired back to the clubhouse for an evening bar-b-q. Again, grateful thanks to Alan Comber who manned the race box for this event, with Kathy Wyke helping out with the report.