Nathan Pollard and Jane Chadney in the RS200 leading the fleet away to the first mark
An impressively large number of boats on the water for a late-October race
Still close racing at the front of the fleet as the race unfolds: the Lasers of Jane Anderson, Sue Murray and Bob Sampson are all tight on the heels of the RS200
The whole fleet takes the same line on a port tack start for the afternoon race, led by Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert in the Bosun
Paul Whybrow’s Solo bears away, with a string of dinghies about to follow in his wake
The sails of a sextet of boats make an excellent composition for the photographer as they run downwind towards Zebra, with the brightly-coloured Topper sails standing out in the hazy October light
Despite the forecast light winds, Bob Sampson is having to hike out hard in the Laser as he beats towards the Dam
The heron turns a blind eye but Elliot and Rachael Pomeroy are going well in the club Wayfarer
Steve Axford leads the fleet away at the start of the aptly-named Frostbite race on a bitterly cold day
Close competition between the Bosuns: Adam Hilton and John Dabbs just ahead of the blue-hulled Bosun helmed by Brian Pollard and with two crew: Cilla Gilbert and Jane Chadney
Round Dam Green and starting on the beat
And just when you think it can’t get much colder, along comes a hail storm! (Though it seems to have flattened the wind temporarily)
Fabulous picture of Steve Axford planing at speed
Under a threatening sky, six brave helms and crews get away for the start of the afternoon’s Icicle race
Whitecaps in evidence as Steve Axford and Sue Murray beat up the lake
And then, shortly afterwards, the sun is out and the wind seems to have dropped
Some patchy sunshine and a good turnout (14 boats) as the fleet starts the final midday race into a northerly breeze
Fighting for elbow room as a cluster of boats try to find both water and wind to round Inlet, where the hillside has blanketed the northerly breeze
A picture of concentration as Jane Anderson rounds Dam Green on her way to victory in the Frostbite race
And Penny Abbott at the same mark…
Sue Murray tight behind Graham Joyce as they start to harden up
And similarly tight racing in the Toppers, with Elliott Pomeroy hard on the heels of Nathan Pollard
A smaller fleet at the start of the afternoon race; Roger Heasman appears to be several boat lengths ahead but it transpired that he had been over the line at the gun and was subsequently recalled to do a re-start
Ghosting downwind in winds that became lighter as the afternoon progressed; Adam Hilton’s Solo is clearly going extremely well at this point, as he is keeping pace with Jane Anderson’s Laser Radial – and indeed he went on to win the race on handicap
Just a trio of boats take to the water for the midday race, with Nathan Pollard’s Laser 4.7 away from the start in the lead
The red hull of Adam Hilton’s Bosun making the only bold splash in a grey wintery-looking shot, with the lichen-clad trees in the background overhanging the water making a good approximation to the forbidding dark forests of childrens’ fairytales
Nathan looking ahead to victory, both on the water and on handicap
Nathan again ahead, well clear at the start of the afternoon race
Elliot and Vicki head across the lake in their Toppers, whilst the club Bosun, sporting cut-down sails, heads up the lake in the background
Even though the conditions were reported to have eased for the second race, it still looks fairly wild and windy across the middle of the lake as this trio of boats beats towards Far
The complete six-strong fleet all visible in telephoto shot at the top end of the lake
An excellent crisp close-up of Roger Heasman helming the club Bosun, with Sally Wills and Geoff Floyd on crewing duties on what looks like a distinctly chilly late-October day
The difficulties caused when the wildly swinging wind direction turns the start into a run, leaving boats quite widely scattered across the lake at the start
The difficulties caused when the wildly swinging wind direction turns the start into a run, leaving boats quite widely scattered across the lake at the start
The reflections of the sails in the not-quite-still water reveal how little wind there was for helms to work with
And not much movement towards the top end of the lake, either, as helms heel their boats to make the most of a negligible breeze
A similar pattern in the afternoon race, with helms trying to avoid being carried unwillingly across the line by the following breeze
Paul Whybrow’s distinctive red-hulled Solo leads this mid-fleet group, as they head downwind towards Middle whilst he leaves it behind
‘Tiny Clanger meets Big Flapper’: Jane Chadney’s Laser disturbs one of the lake’s herons into a ponderous take-off from its perch on one of the race marks
