Commodore 3

The wind for the first race was a bit stronger than expected with some strong gusts coming from a north-westerly direction. The first to cross the line was Nathan in his Aero followed by Jane then Vicki, Liam, Dave and finally Brian’s Bosun crewed by Amanda. At the end of the first lap Nathan built a good lead ahead of Dave in his small-sailed Solo followed by Liam in his Laser, Brian/Amanda, then Jane and Vicki both in Toppers. In lap 2, Jane overtook Brian and Amanda whilst pulling ahead of Vicki by a good 300m. In the 3rd lap Liam managed to overtake Dave at Pinky and all positions were maintained for the 4th and final lap though the Aero had built up a greater lead.

Results:

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (RS Aero 6)
3. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
4. Brian Pollard and Amanda Beer (Bosun)
5. Liam Routley (Laser Full)
6. Dave Perrett (Solo – small sail)

Barnwell 5

For the second race of the day the wind changed direction more towards a westerly and the decision was made to shorten the race to 3 laps due the challenging conditions. Nathan crossed the line first followed by Brian/Amanda and Liam, who got stuck in irons head to wind after going-about at the Inlet buoy losing his position in the fleet. As the Aero came to the end of the lap, the rest of the fleet were still at the other end of the course. Part of the way into the 2nd lap Liam made the decision to retire after battling some hefty gusts at Inlet. During this lap, after joining the fleet for the second race, the Bosun of John Dabbs crewed by Linda Spiller, overtook Brian’s Bosun at Pinky to get 3rd place in the fleet. Brian retook the lead over John after partially missing a mark in the 3rd lap but lost this back to John at the last buoy.

Results:

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (RS Aero 6)
3. John Dabbs and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
4. Brian Pollard and Amanda Beer (Bosun)
5. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
6. Dave Perrett (Solo – small sail)
   Rtd: Liam Routley (Laser Full)

Thanks go to the OOD Robin Spiller who ran the race, to Mandy Pollard for taking the photos and to Nathan Pollard who wrote this report.

Midweek Mug 11

At last! A warm, dry, light breeze coming from the southeast. All but one of the helms opted for a starboard tack start in the optimistic hope that they could round Dam Green buoy in a single tack by starting as close to the end of the pontoon as possible. None was successful, all needing two tacks. Sue was first across the start line and, with more foresight, started on port tack crossing the start line close to Home 1 buoy and, with only a single tack, was first to round Dam Green.

Dave managed to get past Sue on the run to Inlet via Zebra, and that established the on-the-water order for the remainder of the four laps: Dave (Solo), Sue (Laser 4.7), John & Leila (Bosun), Geoff (Solo) and Colin & Louise (Bosun).

For most of the first three laps, Geoff was always in contention with John, but never managed to get past him. During the race, the wind had been steadily increasing to a really useful breeze. Then on the third lap as he gybed around West heading for Pinky, Geoff capsized. He quickly recovered without getting wet himself, but his boat was swamped. By the time he had got himself organised and his Solo substantially baled, he had put himself out of reach of John’s Bosun.

Applying the boats’ respective handicaps after an hour’s racing, Sue took the race honours with only just over a minute separating the first three boats.

Results:

1. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
2. John Dabbs and Leila Farmer (Bosun)
3. David Perrett (Solo)
4. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
5. Colin & Louise Witchell (Bosun)

OOD: Ian Chatterton

Tamar Cup 4

Another blustery Sunday, but not as bad as the last two Sundays in that we did actually set off on a Race!  At the1 minute gun Liam Routley capsized his Laser Full Rig when a nasty gust caught him off guard near the Pontoon whilst he was adjusting his kicking strap!  Jane Anderson was first  off at the start line in her Topper; Nathan Pollard in his Aero swiftly moved into 2nd position by the first mark (Home 2), then passed Jane on the beat to West mark, swiftly rounding it to go back across the lake to Middle mark.  He kept the lead throughout the rest of the race until the end. After rounding the top mark (Pinky), Dave Perrett in his small sail Solo picked up a good gust to take 2nd position, with Jane keeping close to his stern in 3rd place as they headed down the lake again to Inlet mark.  Vicki Duncalf (Topper) was doing well and ably managing the gusts, as was Brian Pollard with Tash who were also keeping well up with the leaders as they made their way around the course in their yellow Bosun!  As the race progressed, Liam had yet another capsize in a hefty gust just before rounding Inlet mark and decided the morning session was not for him, so he retired.  The placings remained the same for the rest of the race .

Results;  After the usual Ports Yardstick adjustments for Handicap Racing had been made, the results were as follows: 

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
3. Nathan Pollard (Aero 6)
4. Dave Perrett (Solo)
5. Brian Pollard & Tash Routely (Bosun)
   Liam Routley (Laser Full) retired in lap 2.

Cup Race 4

At the afternoon start gun it was difficult to see who was off the line first, but Jane managed to round the next mark (Home 2) in 1st place and yet again, Nathan in his Aero rounded West ahead of her for the downwind leg to Middle mark.  Liam took a different line from H2 to West mark to take 4th place from Brian’s Bosun before rounding the downwind buoy, Middle.  A nice broad reach down to Dam mark at the other end of the lake pushed Liam up to an excellently accomplished 2nd place where he stayed for the rest of the race and chasing Nathan.  At the end of lap 1 Brian & Tash and Vicki in her Topper were neck and neck, however the Bosun was a bit too downwind of the course to make the buoy and tacked into Vicki’s space (3 boat lengths required).  Vicki had to avoid a collision, so the Bosun had to retire because of this rule infringement!!.

Meanwhile, Dave Perrett had passed Liam to take 2nd place at the start of Lap 4.  Running downwind from Zebra Mark to Dam mark, Liam ably managed to pass Dave to return himself to 2nd place on the finish line.  Vicki sadly capsized in a bad gust whilst rounding Dam mark and capsized, but quickly righted her Topper to cross the finish line in good time!

Results:

1. Jane Anderson (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Aero 6)
3. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
4. Dave Perret (Solo)
5. Liam Routley (Laser Full)
   Brian Pollard & Tash Routley (Bosun) retired.

Grateful thanks to Jenny Routley for offering to be Race Officer for the day, to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs and to Jane Anderson who wrote this report

Midweek Mug 10

Louise set a simple clockwise course of four laps taking in Home 1, West, Pinky, Middle, Inlet and Dam Green in response to an initial blustery westerly wind which, during the race, backed significantly to the southwest.

John was first across the start line in his full-sail Bosun crewed by guest Liesje, followed by Dave in his reduced sailed Solo and Sue in her Laser 4.7. John managed to maintain his lead until he had to give way to Dave as they both rounded Dam Green at the end of the first lap. Leila managed to capsize in her Laser Radial as she rounded this mark, with a textbook recovery. This was to be the first of four capsizes by her during the race, all from which she successfully recovered.

John was overtaken by Sue en route to West on the second lap followed by an exhilarating broad reach to Pinky.

The course involved three consecutive gybes (Pinky, Middle and Inlet), and it was the gybe at Inlet that was Geoff’s downfall. He capsized and, before he could fully recover, drifted on to a lee shore requiring assistance from the safety boat to extricate himself.

In the final placings, Sue took the honours with John & Liesje in second place. Dave followed John just two seconds later on corrected time.

Results:

1. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
2. John Dabbs and Liesje Birchenough (Bosun)
3. David Perrett (reduced sail Solo)
4. Leila Farmer (Laser Radial)
   Retired Geoff Floyd

OOD: Louise Witchell

Powerful winds were forecast and several sailors stayed at home as a result. Others came to the Lake but stayed on the shore. The northwesterlies were indeed powerful, coming barrelling over the hills with the turbulence of water cascading over a weir. The waters of the Lake had long angry white streaks.

Nonetheless the Vicecommodore devised a course for a potential race and Dave Perret, his Solo flying a cut-down sail, was the first to take to the water to try it out. He made it to the top of the Lake but came to grief trying to round West White buoy. It was difficult to right a capsize when the gale wouldn’t allow the boat to stay head to wind and Perrett needed assistance from Tom Sparks in the safety boat.

Brian Pollard, sailing the Bosun with his usual crew, Natasha Routley, could have used a lot more weight than she provided to counter the wind pressure. As it was the boat was over-powered by the northwesterlies. He sailed across the Lake to Inlet where the winds were unwilling to let him turn the boat around. When that was finally achieved the Bosun scuttled across the Lake back to the pontoon.

Nathan Pollard lofted the smallest of the Aero’s four sails, the 5, but was still over-powered. After two capsizes he returned to the shore. Bob Sampson was similarly cautious. He put the little 4.7 sail on the mast of the Laser but it was no use. The man known for loving the sheer exhilaration of planing at speed across the centre of the Lake may have avoided a capsize but was very soon back on shore.

Both scheduled races were cancelled.

Thanks were extended to Jenny and Liam Routley who readied themselves to oversee the races and to Mandy Pollard who photographed the struggling sailors.

Midweek Mug 8

It had rained in the morning for the first time in weeks but was now sunny if not exactly warm. The brisk winds were coming from the North. Three Solo sailors showed up and agreed to fly small sails. Leila Farmer had a 4.7 on her Laser and Ian Chatterton left the jib off his Enterprise in an effort to tame it. John Dabbs would have raced with standard sails if the shackle holding up his jib hadn’t mal-functioned thus preventing him and his new crew from starting the race.

Leila Farmer crossed the line first followed closely by Geoff Floyd’s Solo. The fleet had started on starboard tack meaning at least one more tack to get to Inlet, the first buoy. Adam Hilton (Solo) was the exception, starting from the pontoon on port and managing to make Inlet in one tack thus gaining himself a useful lead which he promptly threw away by capsizing. The remaining single handers then spent the next phase of the race swapping places. Geoff Floyd led Leila Farmer at Inlet but didn’t at Pinkie. Dave Perrett (Solo) took some time to assert himself but first overtook Geoff Floyd after rounding Dam Green at the end of the lap. On lap 2 Leila Farmer lost her lead beating up to Pinkie; Geoff Floyd had regained his before Pinkie but lost it definitively to Dave Perrett before the end of that lap. The little fleet spread out somewhat on lap 3 but Dave Perrett’s forty second lead over Leila Farmer’s Laser 4.7 was nowhere near enough to overcome her handicap advantage.

1. Leila Farmer (Laser 4.7)
2. Dave Perrett (Solo)
3. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
4. Ian Chatterton (Enterprise)
   Retired: Adam Hilton (Solo) John Dabbs and Lou (Bosun)

Thank you, Linda Spiller, for running the race.

Midweek Mug 7

A lovely bright sunny day with a gentle breeze from a nominal SE direction.

The Activity Centre’s Barney kindly agreed to push the start sequence button to allow Leila (the designated OOD) to participate in the race. Barney generously delayed the start by 10 minutes to allow Roger to sort out a problem with hoisting his mainsail.

Apart from some interesting competition for places around the first buoy (Dam Green) and the subsequent chase during the first leg to the Inlet buoy, the remainder of the race proved to be a procession, with Linda leading the way through all three laps, sailing confidently despite a near capsize at one point. The other competitors dealt with the vagaries of the ever-changing wind direction and speed in their own ways.

Linda finished far enough in front of the other boats to be able to sound the finish horn as they each crossed the finish line after well over an hour’s pleasant but sometimes frustrating sailing.

Results:

1. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
2. Roger Heasman and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
3. Leila Farmer and John Dabbs (Bosun)
4. Bob Sampson (Topper)
5. Louise & Colin Witchell (Bosun)

Thanks go to Barney from SWLT Activity Centre for starting the race.

OOD: Leila Farmer

Midweek Mug 6

Results:

1. Bob Sampson and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
2. Ian Chatterley (Enterprise)
3. Roger Heasman and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
   Retired: Louise and Colin Witchell (Bosun)

Thanks go to Barney from SWLT Activity Centre for starting the race.

OOD: Roger Heasman

Midweek Mug 5

Half of the starting six boats were Bosuns. The others comprised a Laser 4.7, an Enterprise and a Solo. The helms and crews had to cope with a beautifully sunny but hot day (25degC) combined with a skittish SE wind to add a bit of interest.

Dave was first across the start line, followed closely by Roger with new crew Lou. An unlucky hole in the wind saw John with Leila as crew to be the last boat to round Dam Green on the first lap. However, John managed to recover most of the lost ground against the other Bosuns before Pinky was reached via Zebra and West.

Ian was sailing his Enterprise single-handed and with a cut-down mainsail which seemed a good match for the prevailing conditions. Linda in her Laser with a borrowed 4.7 rig was having trouble shaking off John’s Bosun during most of the 2nd and 3rd laps but pulled well clear during the 4th (and final) lap. She was later to discover that her sail was batten-less and this could possibly have cost her first place.

The four laps were completed in just over an hour with only seven minutes covering the fleet when handicaps had been applied.

Results:

1. Dave Perrett (Solo)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
3. John Dabbs & Leila Farmer (Bosun)
4. Roger Heasman & Lou (Bosun)
5. Ian Chatterton (Enterprise)
6. Louise & Colin Witchell (Bosun)

Many thanks to Sue Murray who stepped into assist the OOD role whilst waiting for repairs to be undertaken to her car.

OOD: Leila Farmer and Sue Murray

Midweek Mug 3

Results:

1. Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)
2. John Dabbs, Leila Farmer and Adam Hilton (Bosun)

Thanks go to Barney from SWLT Activity Centre for starting the race.

OOD: Sue Murray