Cup 8
Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7) started a touch too soon and had to go back. Bob Sampson (Laser Full) got it dead right and was the first around Dam Green in a start made tricky by a fitful south west wind that did not guarantee getting from Home 1 to Dam Green in one tack. Adam Hilton (Solo) followed Bob closely but then there was a gap before the rest came round – Steve Axford (Laser Full), the Bosuns, the rest of the Lasers and Robin Spiller (Streaker). Bob Sampson extended his lead as he made his way up, round Middle, then West, to Pinkie. The beat back was achieved, that lap, without tacking, but every inch of windward water needed to be hoarded and on later laps everyone had to tack as the wind shifted. The Solo remained in second place until Steve Axford (Laser Full) caught up at Dam Green at the beginning of the second lap. These two were luckier with the wind near the Dam; Bob Sampson had lost a lot of time trying to find the motive power to get himself round Dam Green. Nathan Pollard was the next Laser Full to get free of the pack and come up to the leaders; he overtook the Solo at Pinkie on lap 2 but never troubled the front two. At the start of lap 2 Jane Anderson had caught up with Penny Abbott’s Radial and Sue Murray’s 4.7 and overtook. Brian Pollard with Cilla Gilbert began as the leading Bosun but were overtaken by the Sally Wills, Roger Heasman boat. Poor Robin Spiller, who’d believed the forecasts of powerful winds and only brought a small sail for his Streaker, had his woes compounded by forgetting to leave Zebra to port. He retired.
- Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
- Adam Hilton (Solo)
- Steve Axford (Laser Full)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7)
- Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
- Sally Wills and Roger Heasman (Bosun)
- Penny Abbott (Laser Radial)
- Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
Retired, Robin Spiller (Streaker)
Ladies/Gents/Gosling Cups 7
With similar winds lap times remained much the same for the afternoon race at around fifteen minutes, but this time Jane Anderson did successfully get away first followed by Steve Axford, Adam Hilton and Bob Sampson. The big sails of Steve’s and Bob’s Lasers soon disposed of Jane’s 4.7 but it took the Solo a lot longer, despite having not far off double the 4.7’s canvas. Bob caught up with Steve and strove valiantly all race to overtake him. The titanic struggle often took them off the fastest course, probably contributing to their not getting the top places when the handicaps were applied. Nathan Pollard got pushed out at the start line and was the last away but he had already made up places by Dam Green and was on Bob Sampson’s stern by Zebra. They had both got free of Roger Heasman’s Bosun (Sally Wills now crewing) but Jane Anderson was more persistent, nudging past Nathan towards the end of lap 1 only to be reovertaken before they rounded Dam Green. Nathan was then free to chase the front three but it took him a couple of laps. He slipped past Adam Hilton’s Solo at Pinkie on lap 4 but got no further. The handicaps radically changed the order. Steve Axford’s five minutes over the well-sailed Bosun of Roger Heasman and Sally Wills was not enough to give him the victory.
- Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun)
- Adam Hilton (Solo)
- Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7)
- Steve Axford (Laser Full)
- Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
- Penny Abbott (Laser Radial)
- Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)
Many thanks to Linda Spiller who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.