AM: Icicle Series 5

With a strong blustery wind sending whitecaps across the lake, it was a day when 
Upper Tamar sailors needed both brave hearts and strong sinews to venture forth, but 
a baker's dozen helms took up the challenge and turned out for the midday race.  In 
many cases, 'turning out' was immediately followed by 'turning over' and the Lakes 
Trust rescue boat was kept busy keeping a watchful eye on sailors struggling to right 
their capsized craft.  However, the Toppers of Vicki Duncalf and Jane Anderson were 
quickly away as the starting horn sounded, followed by a trio of Lasers.  Both John 
Duncalf and John Buckett started on the wrong side of the Home buoy and had to 
circle back to re-start on the correct side.  Adeney Pooley had his hands full 
attempting to sail the two-sailed Graduate and went over as the dinghy met the full 
force of the wind coming out of the West Bay.  After a struggle he gamely set off 
again with a hull still half-full of water and joined John Buckett in heading towards 
the windward mark, before both helms gave up the battle and retired.  

At the front of the fleet, it was Steve Axford's Laser Radial that worked its way into 
the lead; Steve, making a much-welcomed return to the lake, was revelling in planing 
at high speed down the lake on the broad reach back from the Far mark towards the 
Dam.  Jane Anderson  was using all her skill and experience to keep her Topper in 
second place whilst  Katie Leveridge was doing exceptionally well until she came 
unstuck on the gybe at the Dam buoy and lost many places in recovering from the 
capsize.  In third place, Simon Veal's choice of a full-sized Laser sail gave him good 
speed downwind but he had to fight to get his boat to windward and it took him until 
well into the second lap before he could overtake Jane Anderson's Topper.   
Stephanie Clark's option of Laser 4.7 rig proved to be a good one and she looked well 
in control as she completed the first lap in fourth place.  By the end of the second lap, 
Steve Axford had pulled out a big lead over the fleet, a lead which became bigger as 
second-placed Simon Veal was picked up by a vicious gust as he approached the Dam 
mark; as he attempted the gybe, the Laser flicked Simon off the boat like a horse 
unseating its rider and sent him arcing yards out over the water in a spectacular 
imitation of a backstroke swimmer's diving start.  Steve continued on to cross the line 
in first place, with the Lasers of Simon Veal and Stephanie Clark in second and third 
respectively.  On handicap, however, it was Jane Anderson in her Topper who came 
out on top, pushing  Steve back into second, with another Topper, helmed by Vicki 
Duncalf taking a well-earned third.

Results: 

1st Jane Anderson (Topper)
2nd Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
3rd Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
4th Stephanie Clark (Laser 4.7)
5th Katie Leveridge (Laser 4.7)
6th John Duncalf (Topper)
7th Jane Chadney (Laser 4.7)
8th Stephen Muller (Topper)
9th Simon Veal (Laser)
Mary Carter (Laser 4.7), Adeney Pooley (Graduate), John 
Buckett (Otter) rtd, John Savage (Solo) dns

PM: Frostbite Series 5

A whittled-down fleet of seven boats came out for the afternoon race in conditions 
that were forecast to improve but with winds that were still very demanding.  Simon 
Veal had capsized during the five-minute countdown and was left off the pace as the 
horn signalled the start but the rest of the fleet was tightly bunched on the line.  Out of 
the pack, Katie Leveridge emerged in front and showing just how much she revelled 
in the strenuous conditions, pulled away from the other two nominally-faster Lasers.  
Coming to the end of the first lap, she had a heart-stopping moment as she rounded 
the Dam mark, her nemesis of the first race.  Onlookers from the shore watched with 
bated breath as her Laser faltered on coming out of the gybe and teetered agonisingly 
close to a capsize until the dinghy slowly came upright and she regained control.  As 
in the first race, the beat to windward was often taxing for all the boats.  Even in the 
Topper dinghies, a lightweight helm such as Jane Anderson could be seen with her 
boat's mainsail almost touching the water in some of the gusts, despite hiking out as 
far as possible.

Steve Axford, some way short of his peak sailing fitness after several months off the 
water, was beginning to tire by the third lap but determinedly kept going.  He was 
rewarded when a momentary mistake by Katie at the Far mark enabled Steve to slip 
by into the lead and he built on this to draw away and once again be first to cross the 
line, over 30 seconds ahead of Katie.  However, as in the morning the gap wasn't 
sufficient and this time it was Katie in the smaller 4.7 rig who took gold medal 
position on handicap, a richly deserved reward for a gutsy performance, whilst as first 
Topper home Jane Anderson garnered second thus leaving Steve in third.  All the 
helms received a round of applause from the watching audience as they finished, 
however, in appreciation of their skilful and courageous sailing in difficult and taxing 
conditions.

Results: 

1st Katie Leveridge (Laser 4.7)
2nd Jane Anderson (Topper)
3rd Steve Axford (Laser Radial)
4th John Duncalf (Topper)
5th Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
6th Simon Veal (Laser)
John Buckett (Otter) rtd