by Adam Hilton
Mandy Pollard
Frostbite 7
Strong winds caused the fleet to reduce sail. Sue Murray and Bob Sampson had 4.7s on their Lasers. Jane Anderson took to the water in her little Topper. Robin Spiller in his Streaker Wave. Linda Spiller and Adam Hilton left their single-handers on the shore and joined regular Bosun sailors Brian Pollard, with crew Cilla Gilbert, and John Dabbs, with Penny Abbott. The start was from the far side of the line (blissfully unencumbered with fishermen) and the first buoy was all the way up at Pinky. On the long beat up Sue Murray took the lead with Bob Sampson following and Jane Anderson keeping up admirably. The Hilton/Spiller Bosun had crossed the line the wrong side of the buoy and had to go back; Robin Spiller, following, was nearly enticed into doing the same thing. The Dabbs/Abbott Bosun also realising at the last moment allowed the rest of the fleet a head start. A catalogue of disasters in the Hilton Bosun – lost main sheet, lost float, untethered rudder – led eventually to retirement and Robin Spiller also withdrew. Bob Sampson took over the lead at the end of lap 2 but had to work at it. Getting round Dam Green involved a double gybe on one lap! Brian Pollard led the Bosuns with the gap to John Dabbs fluctuating but never large. Jane Anderson’s Topper was overtaken by the Bosuns but finished less than a minute behind John Dabbs, giving her third place on handicap.
- Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
- Jane Anderson (Topper)
- Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
- Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
- John Dabbs and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
Retired: Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave), Adam Hilton and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
Icicle 7
Nathan Pollard joined the fleet and, seeing reduced wind strength, put a full-sized sail on his Laser. Linda Spiller swapped to her Laser 4.7. And Nathan crossed the line first with Brian Pollard’s Bosun close behind, if somewhat to leeward. Sue Murray’s 4.7 was close but Bob Sampson had overtaken her and everybody else by the time they rounded Pinky. However it was Nathan Pollard who led at the end of the lap and from then on. Old battles were resumed, notably between the Dabbs/Abbott Bosun and its Pollard/Gilbert sister, with Jane Anderson keeping her Topper in the mix. On lap 2 John Dabbs (and Jane Anderson) took a Devon bank course up to Pinky whereas Brian Pollard stuck closer to Cornwall; Cornwall won by a yard or two. Bob Sampson touched the buoy at West and had to do a penalty turn which let Sue Murray close and eventually overtake. From then on Bob Sampson stayed back in third place. On lap 3 Linda Spiller made up water on the two 4.7s ahead of her and Brian Pollard was catching up too, leaving a longer gap to the Dabbs Bosun behind.
- Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
- Jane Anderson (Topper)
- Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
- Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
- John Dabbs and Penny Abbott (Bosun)
Grateful thanks were given to Nicky and John Buckett for running the races and to Mandy Pollard for taking the photographs.