AM: Frostbite Trophy 1

In autumnal sunshine which seemed out of place for the first in a series being 
competed for a Frostbite Trophy, the biggest problem faced by the helms was a 
distinct lack of wind which threatened to turn the midday race into the dreaded 'drift'.  
In a ragged start, John Buckett's Otter had its bows over the line and had to turn back, 
leaving Steve Axford's Laser to be first away.  The smaller boats in the fleet seemed 
to point higher on the beat to the first mark and got there before the bigger craft.  
However, in the wind shadow of  the shore, rounding the Inlet mark was a painfully 
slow business.  Once out into the middle of the lake, things speeded up a little, but 
with the winds funnelled by the reservoir sides, the leg up the lake to the Pinky mark 
turned into a fluky beat in which the Lasers of Bob Sampson and Steve Axford edged 
their way to the front.

By the end of the first lap, Steve was ahead, but with 30 minutes having already 
elapsed, the Race Officer decided that the fleet had suffered enough and shortened the 
race to two laps.  Although light winds are normally considered unfavourable for the 
Toppers in the fleet, Jane Anderson and John Duncalf were both showing good form 
at the end of the first lap, easing past Mike and Adeney in the Wanderer and then 
overtaking John Chandler after the turn at Dam buoy.  Also showing well to the fore 
was Derek Farnfield in the single-handed Wanderer, resolutely surging onwards when 
surrounding boats had entered the Doldrums.  As the race reached its conclusion, 
Steve Axford rounded the final turn and was away clear, but Bob Sampson touched 
the buoy and in doing his penalty turn, allowed Neil Wallace's Wayfarer to just beat 
him to the line.  Neil was also confirmed to be overall winner on handicap, ahead of 
Steve, who just held onto second place by the narrowest of margins in front of an 
impressive third from Derek Farnfield.

Results: 

1st Neil Wallace and Nicky Buckett (Wayfarer)
2nd Steve Axford (Laser)
3rd Derek Farnfield (Wanderer)
4th Jane Anderson (Topper)
5th Bob Sampson (Laser)
6th John Duncalf (Topper)
7th John Buckett (Otter)
8th Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
9th John Chandler (Bosun)
10th Mike Ford and Adeney Pooley (Wanderer)
Adam and Nathan Pollard (Pico) rtd

Lunchtime: Peter Pocock Junior Achievement Trophy

There was a touch of tension in the air as the juniors prepared for the final round of 
the Peter Pocock Achievement Trophy, with the outcome of the series depending on 
the final race.  There was just enough wind for the six boats to inch away from the 
line, with Willemijn Rademaker taking the lead, followed by sister Annabelle in the 
tiny Optimist.  As the boats approached the first mark, however, the lake turned into a 
mirror-like calm and the fleet ground to a halt.  Fraser Martyn eventually found a 
zephyr that got him round the buoy and then, in clear air, glided away downwind 
leaving all the competition stranded.  Eventually, the other boats got away and at the 
end of the first lap, Emily Veal was in second place and still in with a chance for the 
series.  On the second lap, though, Emily slipped back to fourth, whilst at the front 
Fraser built up an unassailable lead to take first place, with Willemijn Rademaker and 
Megan Higgs taking second and third.  The trophy, given in memory of former club 
stalwart Peter Pocock, was then presented by Mark Pocock to overall series winner 
Fraser Martyn, who had shown commendable improvement in his sailing ability over 
the course of the seven-race series to take the title.

Results: 

1st Fraser Martyn
2nd Willemijn Rademaker
3rd Megan Higgs
4th Emily Veal
5th Liselotte Rademaker
6th Annabelle Rademaker

Overall series placings: 

1st Fraser Martyn
2nd Emily Veal
3rd Willemijn Rademaker

PM: Icicle Trophy 2

For the afternoon race, a freshening breeze gave helms prospect of relief from the 
nerve-jangling search for wind of the morning race.  However, they were perhaps too 
eager to get away and the starting hooter was followed by a second, indicating that 
one or more boats had false-started; John Chandler was the only one to turn back to 
re-cross the line, though, leaving a question-mark hanging over other helms who had 
also been quick off the mark.  With the breeze continually veering and backing, it was 
a day that handsomely repaid the ability to read the changing wind direction and tack 
at the right time; on this occasion, Tamar's two Derren Brown's of the windshifts 
were Bob Sampson and Neil Wallace, who pulled out a lead from the rest of the fleet 
as they worked their way round the upwind part of the course.  After an excellent 
start, Simon Veal was also going well and was holding onto third place at the end of 
the first lap.

On the second lap, Neil had overtaken Bob when disaster struck on the downwind run 
to the Dam mark: a trailing mainsheet lassoed a mooring buoy and instantly 
transformed the docile Wayfarer into a tethered bucking bronco.  Neil was given an 
eye-watering thump by the boom and the boat nearly capsized, before Neil eventually 
managed to untie the mainsheet knot and slip free.  In the pandemonium, Bob steamed 
past to take a lead that Neil could not retrieve.  Further back in the fleet, John Savage 
was moving well, with his Solo passing both Otter and Bosun, whilst Steve Axford 
had overtaken Simon Veal for third.  At the end of the race, however, the twist in the 
tail was delivered by the Race Officer, who broke the news that both Neil and Bob 
had been over the line at the start and were therefore disqualified.  This passed victory 
on handicap to Steve Axford, with John Buckett second in the Otter and Simon Veal's 
excellent opening lap reaping him a third place, with John Chandler recovering well 
from his re-start to notch up a fourth.  The best applause of the day though went to 
Adeney Pooley, who after a re-orientation spell as crew, had his first race at Tamar as 
helm and determinedly piloted an unfamiliar Pico round all three laps to successfully 
complete the race.

Results: 

1st Steve Axford (Laser)
2nd John Buckett (Otter)
3rd Simon Veal (Laser)
4th John Chandler (Bosun)
5th John Savage (Solo)
6th John Duncalf (Topper)
7th Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
8th Mike Ford (Wanderer)
9th Derek Farnfield (Wanderer)
10th Adeney Pooley (Pico)
Bob Sampson (Laser), Neil Wallace and Nicky Buckett (Wayfarer), rtd