by Adam Hilton
Mandy Pollard
Barnwell 6
Nathan Pollard (Laser Full) started first and was first round Dam Green. Bob Sampson (Laser Radial) started third but was able to reach Dam Green without tacking which put him ahead of second starting Roger Heasman (with David Perrett, Bosun). Adam Hilton and Geoff Floyd had abandoned their Solos because of the high winds – force 4 and 5 gusting 6 – and started the fourth Bosun behind John Dabbs and Linda Spiller in theirs. That had been reversed by the time they went about at Dam Green, the Hilton/Floyd boat only staying ahead a short time. There were two other Bosuns in the race; Brian Pollard’s, with Cilla Gilbert, and Colin and Louise Witchell’s, which was flying a set of small sails that made it easier to handle in the winds but uncompetitive. Brian Pollard got past the Hilton/Floyd Bosun on the first lap and on the second John Dabbs got past the Heasman/Perret one only to have Roger Heasman go ahead again before the end of the lap. The Dabbs/Spiller boat ended the race as the lead Bosun but retired because of a missed buoy.
At the front the order was reversed when Nathan Pollard capsized at West and Bob Sampson took over the lead until losing it again on lap 2. The gap between the two Lasers remained small despite the difference in sail power, Nathan Pollard, with more square meters of canvas, probably having to spill more wind than Bob Sampson. The handicaps put Sampson back ahead.
- Bob Sampson (Laser Radial)
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- Roger Heasman and David Perrett (Bosun)
- Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
- Adam Hilton and Geoff Floyd (Bosun)
- Louise and Colin Witchell (Bosun)
Retired: John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun), Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave)
Sailboat 6
The place to be at the start was up against the leeward buoy, enabling the skipper to get to Dam Green without tacking. Consequently there was a good deal of pushing and shoving to get that coveted position, some of it not within the rules, which led to the post race retirement of Bob Sampson. Adam Hilton (Solo) was luckier and, powered by a passing gust, slipped in front of Brian Pollard’s Bosun to take the next-to-buoy position and make it to Dam Green in the lead. Following was Bob Sampson (now with a full size sail on his Laser) Brian Pollard and John Dabbs, who subsequently did a penalty turn. The Sampson Laser soon overtook the Solo and Nathan Pollard’s Laser was quickly free of the double-handers and in third place. He then got past the Solo near West on lap 3. The leaders thereafter became increasingly far apart, a minute between Sampson and Pollard at the finish, the Solo nearly four minutes back.
Robin Spiller, now with a full-size sail on his Streaker, had to make his way through the fleet after the start and did get past the sparring Bosuns only to slip back again. Geoff Floyd had put a small sail on his Solo, was already regretting it by the time he took to the water and was not competitive. The Bosuns were still changing places on the last lap and finished with John Dabbs in front, Brian Pollard twenty seconds behind and Roger Heasman another thirty seconds back.
- Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
- John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
- Adam Hilton (Solo)
- Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
- Roger Heasman and David Perrett (Bosun)
- Robin Spiller (Streaker)
- Geoff Floyd (Solo)
Retired: Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
Grateful thanks were given to Sue Murray who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard who took the photos.