by Adam Hilton
Brian Pollard
Commodore 7
The final race in the personal handicap Commodore series was run under grey skies and in very light winds. The Lasers of Jane Anderson, Sue Murray and Nathan Pollard all made good starts, with Jane Anderson rounding the first mark in the lead. They were soon joined at a very congested Dam Green by a rare and welcome visitor to Tamar Lake, Steve Axford in his familiar dark-hulled Laser. As the fleet moved up the Lake towards Middle the Solo of Adam Hilton, always a good performer in light winds, caught up the Lasers. Jane Anderson had a clear lead as the fleet crossed to West, increased as she went up to a very distant-seeming Pinky and started an even longer return towards the Dam. Vicki Duncalf, running the races for the day, seeing that the circuit was taking forty minutes, shortened the race to a single lap. Behind the leader places changed a good deal, each skipper of the single-sailed dinghies having a go at being best of the rest. John Buckett’s Otter led the Bosuns going up the Lake but in this bunch too positions changed several times, John Dabb’s Bosun finishing the race as the leader, with Roger Heasman behind him. In these very light winds no crew was needed to sail a two-sailed boat.
- Adam Hilton (Solo).
- John Dabbs (Bosun)
- Roger Heasman (Bosun)
- John Buckett (Otter)
- Steve Axford (Laser Full)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Jane Anderson (Laser Full)
- Sue Murray (Laser Full)
Spalding Cup 7
The course was changed to shorten the laps and the fleet managed three tours in around forty minutes with the wind slightly increased until the end. Sue Murray started first but was threatened by Jane Anderson and Nathan Pollard at the first mark where everyone arrived at once and those closest to the mark had priority. Sue Murray still led on the way up the Lake but Jane Anderson took over and increased her lead to some four and a half minutes at the end. Nathan Pollard also overtook Sue Murray but she had fought regained her place by the finish. The Bosuns of John Dabbs and Roger Heasman scrapped throughout with the latter in front at the end, but John Buckett’s Otter was a couple of minutes in front of them.
- Jane Anderson (Laser Full)
- Sue Murray (Laser Full)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Adam Hilton (Solo)
- Steve Axford (Laser Full)
- John Buckett (Otter)
- Roger Heasman (Bosun)
- John Dabbs (Bosun)
Grateful thanks were given to Vicki Duncalf, for running the races and to Brian Pollard for the photographs.