by Adam Hilton

No geese (or swans) were hurt in the taking of these photos! Mandy Pollard

Commodore 4

Bob Sampson and Nathan Pollard laid on another episode of their titanic struggle in this Commodore series. Despite the winds being strong and viciously gusty – there were several capsizes – they had full-sized sails on their Lasers and were again blown along at remarkable speeds when the wind was behind them. With these winds coming from points west, Geoff Floyd, running the day’s races, designed a start using the Home 2 line with West as the first buoy. Nathan Pollard started well but it was Linda Spiller with a mere 4.7 sail on her Laser who started best and rounded the mark first. Jane Anderson with another Laser 4.7 was not far behind and by the end of the lap had established herself as the leader of the 4.7s. Linda Spiller followed her until at the end – they completed five ten minute laps – Sue Murray, in the third Laser 4.7, overtook. Meanwhile Nathan Pollard and Bob Sampson were at the front of the fleet, never far apart until Bob capsized on lap 4, allowing Nathan to win on the water by two and a half minutes. The series’ personal handicaps turned the order upside down.

1. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
2. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
3. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
4. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7) and equal, Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
5. Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7)
6. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
7. Adam Hilton (Solo).

Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave) retired

Spalding 4

Brian Pollard emerged from the starting melee around Home 2 having to do penalty turns. It led to a long hard race trying to make up water lost to the other Bosun of Roger Heasman and Linda Spiller. Nathan Pollard judged his tacks to West just right and rounded the buoy first with Bob Sampson following and Jane Anderson third. On the run back towards the dam Bob Sampson established himself in front of Nathan Pollard and the two big-sailed Lasers began again their run at the head of the fleet, only briefly interrupted by Nathan Pollard capsizing on lap 3. However no one was immune from the arbitrary intrusions of the winds. On the final lap, as the two Laser planed towards Dam Green, a gust caught Nathan Pollard in its embrace and took him up to where Bob Sampson was preparing to round the buoy. Nathan had the inside line and took the buoy first. In the few meters still to sail to the finish line Bob had no chance to retrieve his lead. Jane Anderson and Sue Murray had had their own Laser 4.7 battle behind the leaders, finishing fourteen seconds apart and the conventional boat-based handicap gave them first and second places above the big-sailed Lasers.

1. Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7)
2. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
3. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
4. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
5. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
6. Roger Heasman and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
7. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Grateful thanks to Geoff Floyd, officer of the day.

by Adam Hilton

Brian Pollard

Teacake 1

Rather a miserable day, grey, gusty, wet, which is probably why the fleet was rather small. Although it might have been a little bigger if Brian Clifton hadn’t had to withdraw his Kestrel when his jib halyard got stuck. The wind was coming from many points around the south west so the start was towards the Dam. Adam Hilton’s Solo was to windward but John Dabbs (with Nicky Buckett crewing) was over the line faster and just led around Dam Green. The Solo had got in front before they went past Middle on the way to Pinkie but the contest was not over, John Dabbs gaining on the multi-tack beat to West, but Adam Hilton taking back the lead on the reach to Inlet and finishing the lap perhaps three boat lengths ahead . Roger Heasman (with Bob Sampson) were a hundred yards behind at the end of lap 1. John Dabbs began lap 2 by overtaking the Solo on the way to Pinkie but Adam Hilton was able to regain the lead during the beat back and Roger Heasman made up a lot of water, bringing him within striking distance of the Dabbs Bosun. But the order stayed the same during lap 3, the Solo finishing a minute in front of the Bosuns, not nearly enough to overcome their handicap advantage.

1. John Dabbs and Nicky Buckett (Bosun)
2. Roger Heasman and Bob Sampson (Bosun)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo).

Roger’s Bosuns 4

Brian Pollard’s yellow-hulled Bosun joined the fleet and there was a general redistribution of crew, Bob Sampson going to Brian’s boat, John Dabbs swapping one Buckett for another and Adam Hilton going to crew for Roger Heasman. In the rain and the force 3 to 4 winds. Brian Pollard got to Dam Green first and his lead was never challenged, the boat pointing higher in the beats than either of the other competitors, to the extent that, with the wind shifting, Pinkie to West became a single tack for Brian on the last lap, a feat the other skippers could not match. Roger Heasman and John Dabbs were close at Dam Green on lap 1 but Roger managed to pull away and although the gap between the two Bosuns varied through the race the order did not change.

1. Brian Pollard and Bob Sampson (Bosun)
2. Roger Heasman and Adam Hilton (Bosun)
3. John Dabbs and John Buckett (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to Nicky and John Buckett, Officers of the Day.

by Adam Hilton

Teatime Tankard 8

John Buckett’s Otter was first away on a day of very light and variable northerlies with hazy sunshine. But the Otter didn’t point as high as Linda Spiller’s Laser (Full) or Adam Hilton’s Solo and they were the boats leading at the first mark, Inlet. The Solo got all the luck with the mini-gusts and was first at the end of lap 1, finishing lap 2 (and the race) five minutes in front of the Laser. Robin Spiller’s Streaker simply wouldn’t make forward progress, slow-motion tacking from one bank to the other in more or less the same place. Robin retired it. Roger Heasman, sailing his Bosun single-handed, overtook John Buckett but was only fourteen seconds ahead at the finish. Colin and Louise Witchell brought their Bosun in another five minutes later.

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. John Buckett (Otter)
3. Roger Heasman (Bosun)
4. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
5. Colin and Louise Witchell (Bosun)

Retired:Robin Spiller (Streaker)

Roger’s Bosuns 3

Brian and Nathan Pollard’s Bosun led over the line, followed by Roger Heasman now with Linda Spiller crewing, Adam Hilton with John Buckett and then the Witchell Bosun. Bob Sampson, generously taking over OOD duties, had changed the course to avoid the worst of the Pinkie doldrums and the first mark was West White which Roger Heasman just reached before Brian Pollard. There was then a very close race back to Zebra where Brian had the inside line and went round first. He kept the place at Middle but then Roger handed him the victory by going the wrong way round the buoy and having to return when he realised. The Hilton/Bucket Bosun was struggling; the skipper not easily making the transition from Solo to Bosun. Colin and Louise were not far behind at Zebra. Roger managed to regain second place by overtaking Adam before West White.

1. Brian and Nathan Pollard (Bosun)
2. Roger Heasman and Linda Spiller (Bosun
3. Adam Hilton and John Buckett (Bosun)
4. Colin and Louise Witchell (Bosun)

Bob Sampson magnanimously took over as Officer Of the Day so that Adam Hilton’s Bosun could boost the numbers in the Bosun race.

Commodore 2

Robin Spiller’s was the outstanding first lap. He got his Streaker away well on a day when there was a whole bunch of fast starting boats; he led at the first buoy, the Streaker pointing high in the light northerlies and continued to lead the whole lap until overtaken by Linda Spiller’s big-sailed Laser on lap 2. The other outstanding first lap was John Dabbs’. He was sailing his Bosun alone and was making it look as nimble as a much lighter craft; he finished the lap in third but something went wrong on the second lap and he toured in seventh and later sixth, but still the leading Bosun. The Lake was dominated by a fishing competition so the course had to be short to avoid clashes at the north end, resulting in a five lap race. Adam Hilton’s Solo started behind the leading bunch and finished the first lap in fifth but the boat’s inherent speed in these light wind conditions pulled it up to third, despite its skipper putting it in irons when rounding Zebra. Sue Murray had chosen a 4.7 sail for her Laser despite the light winds, hoping for a handicap advantage but not taking into account that this was a race based on personal, rather than boat, handicaps. She was a consistent fourth. Geoff Floyd took his Solo up to fifth where he stayed for the last three laps; the personal handicaps gave him the victory.

1. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
2. John Dabbs (Bosun)
3. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
4. Roger Heasman (Bosun)
5. Brian Pollard and Bob Sampson (Bosun)
6. Adam Hilton (Solo)
7. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
8. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
9. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Colin and Louise Witchell retired their Bosun when tiller and extension parted company.

Spalding 2

For the afternoon race the wind had freshened a little, still from a North-Westerly direction.

Sue Murray (Laser 4.7) made a good start just ahead of Vicki Duncalf (Topper) with the rest of the fleet all quite close behind. Nathan Pollard who had joined the fleet with his full-sailed Laser, soon took the lead and maintained it throughout the race. In fact the positions changed very little although Robin Spiller (Streaker) continued his fine day’s sailing, making good progress from sixth to third position on the water. As the wind direction moved a little more northerly boats had to be careful of involuntary gybes as they came back from Middle towards the Dam but all coped well and there were no dramas on the water. The wind had freshened and lap times had consequently reduced so the Officer of the Day, John Duncalf, elected to demand seven laps. Many competitors were heard to cry “Just how many laps have we done?”  Sue Murray’s small sail gamble came good in this race with boat-based handicaps, although holding on-the-water second place in front of some theoretically faster boats she hardly needed the handicap to take honours.

1. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7)
2. Brian Pollard and Bob Sampson (Bosun)
3. Nathan Pollard (Laser)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
5. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
6. Roger Heasman and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
7. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
8. John Dabbs (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to John Duncalf, Officer of the Day.

by Adam Hilton

Roger’s Bosuns 1

The forecast was for westerlies of force 6 gusting 7 and mostly they were westerlies and there were certainly times when they were of force 6 and of force 7 but there were times when they were most other strengths too. The winds during the race were strong and very gusty. But when the sailors arrived the wind was a good deal milder although shelter had to be found when heavy showers arrived. Nobody put small sails on their Bosun. Unusually, there were more potential crew than helms. Brian Pollard had brought Nathan. Ian Chatterton ended up crewing for Adam Hilton and Roger Heasman had his regular crew, Linda Spiller.

Brian got away first, beating towards West, getting there first and staying first throughout the race. The only doubt about the Pollard race was whether their Bosun was going to dig its yellow nose so deep in the water that the boat went under; spectators by the race hut were on tenterhooks. Roger Heasman followed at the start and throughout, generally gaining on the runs and losing the gains on the beats. Adam Hilton brought up the rear but, exhausted by battling the constant gusts, retired after two laps of the three.

1. Brian and Nathan Pollard (Bosun)
2. Roger Heasman and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
3. Adam Hilton and Ian Chatterton (Bosun)

There was no appetite for a second race.

Grateful thanks were given to John Dabbs, Officer of the Day, and Penny Abbott, who took the photos on her phone.

Tamar 7

Eleven boats approached the start with such enthusiasm for the bright day and the fresh little northerly winds that half of them were already over the line when the horn blew. At the restart John Dabbs, sailing his Bosun reefed and alone, got away first on starboard tack as was the rest of the fleet. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial), Adam Hilton (Solo) and Vicki Duncalf (Topper) followed. The Bosun soon had to tack but was not clear of the others and Vicki Duncalf called starboard on him. There was a touch and the resultant penalty turns put the Dabbs Bosun at the back of the field. Bob Sampson (Laser Full) started sixth but in the course of the first lap got himself to the front of the fleet, a position he never lost and, with a two minute lead over second place Jane Anderson at the finish, his win was handicap-proof. Nathan Pollard’s Laser Full started in eighth but was soon chasing Adam Hilton’s Solo in third, and on the second lap overtook on the beat to Pinkie but didn’t manage to catch Jane Anderson ahead. The big-sailed Laser of Paul Anderson and the Streaker of Robin Spiller were never far apart, the Streaker ending the first two laps in fifth place, the Laser in sixth but the position was reversed at the finish, the two boats twelve seconds apart on the water. The Bosuns of Brian Pollard, Cilla Gilbert crewing, and Roger Heasman, with Linda Spiller, spent the day in close competition, the Pollard boat leading this race at the end of each lap and a little over half a minute ahead at the finish. Those forty seconds meant the difference between second and seventh places when the handicaps were applied!

1. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
2. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
3. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
4. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
5. Adam Hilton (Solo)
6. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
7. Roger Heasman and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
8. John Buckett (Otter)
9. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
10. Paul Anderson (Laser Full)
11. John Dabbs (Bosun)

Tamar 8

The two warring Bosuns both started very well, Brian Pollard’s right on the line as the horn blew, but he was some way to leeward and Roger Heasman had an advantage which he held onto until the last lap; he finished seven seconds behind his rival. The third Bosun, now with John Buckett joining John Dabbs as crew, threatened to change the order, approaching Dam Green neck and neck with Brian Pollard, but finished each lap the third of the trio. Vicki Duncalf’s Topper chased the Bosuns throughout and was close enough at the finish for the handicap to put her above the Dabbs boat. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) and Adam Hilton (Solo) were the other early starters; the Anderson boat too early and obliged to dive back over the line. This set-back put Jane Anderson in fourth at the end of lap one but she was gaining on the Solo when Adam Hilton added an extra buoy to the course and handed her third place. The leading places were held by the full-sailed Lasers of Nathan Pollard and Bob Sampson with the Pollard boat dominant.  Unusually the handicaps hardly changed the order on the water.

1. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)
2. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
3. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
4. Adam Hilton (Solo)
5. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)
6. Roger Heasman and Linda Spiller (Bosun)
7. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
8. John Dabbs and John Buckett (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to Nicky Buckett, Officer of the Day and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.

Teatime Tankard 6

At noon there was no wind. At one there was no wind. The Spillers thought they would just eat their lunch in the shade and go home. Bob Sampson had brought a book. But by 2pm Stephanie Clark, the OOD, had whistled up a few breaths of wind from over the northwest hills and had set a course which went no higher up the Lake than Middle, anywhere beyond being completely glassy.

And so, a little late because no one had wanted to rig if they might not race, the seven boat fleet crossed the line with John Dabbs Bosun first, Adam Hilton’s Solo second and Sue Murray’s Laser Full third. The Lasers, Sue’s and Linda Spiller’s, soon disposed of the Bosun and Solo and Sue got lucky with the wind and pulled out a two minute lead over Linda which she kept to the end. Geoff Floyd’s Solo and Robin Spiller’s Streaker diced, Geoff ending the race nineteen seconds ahead. Bob Sampson, sailing the Club Topper which he would later use for teaching, got himself from last to as high as fourth at one point but was last again by the finish. Adam Hilton’s Solo, having stayed close to Linda Spiller’s Laser, was given the victory by the handicap.

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. Sue Murray (Laser Full)
3. Bob Sampson (Topper)
4. John Dabbs (Bosun)
5. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
6. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
7. Robin Spiller (Streaker)

Teatime Tankard 7

The scheduled race was the first of the Roger’s Bosuns series but there was only one Bosun rigged and in the heat no one wanted to rig any more boats. Even Roger himself wasn’t up for it because he had readied his lovingly refurbished, red white and blue Cherub for its first outing. So another Teatime Tankard was run on a course unchanged except that, with a more reliable looking wind, the fleet ventured as far north as Pinkie.

Robin Spiller crossed the start line first with Adam Hilton second, close to the windward buoy and with Sue Murray in his wake. Sue got position at West and took the lead, again finishing a couple of minutes ahead of the other Laser – Linda’s – but she, all unaware, had twice missed out Home 1 and had to be disqualified. Robin Spiller had kept his Streaker in contention, finishing the first lap in third and the second in fourth but then he retired (‘lost his hat’ the OOD’s note says). The handicap again benefitted the Hilton Solo (two and a half minutes behind Sue Murray’s Laser) and the Dabbs Bosun (seven minutes behind).

1. Adam Hilton (Solo)
2. John Dabbs (Bosun)
3. Sue Murray (Laser Full)
4. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
5. Roger Heasman (Cherub)

Retired: Linda Spiller (Laser Full) Robin Spiller (Streaker)

Grateful thanks were given to Stephanie Clark , Officer of the Day.

Commodore 1

Linda Spiller was flying the largest sail on her Laser in recognition of the gentleness of the winds. She was rewarded with a good start, with rounding Dam Green first and with the lead on the long, faltering light wind run to Pinkie. The other Lasers, also with full-sized sails, were not going to give up and both Bob Sampson and Jane Anderson overtook Linda Spiller on the way to West. Spiller fought back, (if ‘fight’ is the right term; in such light winds racing was like sword fighting with feathers) overtook Jane Anderson and finished the lap in second place. Meanwhile the Solo of Adam Hilton was an intruder among the Lasers, sneaking up from the rear on the run to Pinkie by getting first dibs of whatever puff of wind was coming up. He passed Sue Murray’s Laser Radial but she got the place back on the second lap and finished the race twenty seconds ahead of him. John Dabbs, sailing alone in his Bosun, didn’t start well but did the same coming-from-the-rear trick to come up with the leading bunch and was only a minute and a half behind the leaders at the end. Bob Sampson forgot to go the correct side of Home 1 on lap 2, gave up his lead and retired. The Commodore series uses a handicapping format which takes into account the past performance of the skipper as well as of the boat with the result that John Dabbs was awarded with first position.

1. John Dabbs (Bosun)
2. Adam Hilton (Solo)
3. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
4. Sue Murray (Laser Full)
5. Jane Anderson (Laser Full)
6. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Retired: Bob Sampson (Laser Full), Robin Spiller (Streaker)

Spalding 1

The wind was up to its tricks again. Almost frisky over lunch it went to play elsewhere at the beginning of the second race requiring Jane Anderson’s skill to pick up any remaining tiny zephyrs. She took the lead on the run to Pinkie (and kept it for the rest of the race). Then the wind filled in behind the fleet and around the rest of the Lake but didn’t affect any boats until they were all halfway to Pinkie. This enabled John Dabbs’ Bosun to repeat its trick of the previous race and make up for a slow start by coming up to the rear of the bunch of single-sailed dinghies.

On the second lap the wind became positively gusty as the leaders rounded Dam Green. Bob Sampson was in second place, Adam Hilton in third, Sue Murray fourth, Linda Spiller fifth; an order that had completely changed by the end of the race, with the Solo at the back of this bunch and Sue Murray running second to the unassailable Jane Anderson.

The wind became more capricious than ever, deciding to come over the western hills rather than the eastern ones and freshening at times but then again dropping at times too! After an hour’s racing the (conventional boat-based) handicaps turned the order on the water upside down to the benefit of Vicki Duncalf in her Topper and the Dabbs Bosun.

1. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)
2. John Dabbs (Bosun)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Jane Anderson (Laser Full)
5. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
6. Sue Murray (Laser Full)
7. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
8. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)

Grateful thanks were given to Nathan Pollard, Officer of the Day.

Teatime Tankard 5

A lovely warm sunny Wednesday with northwesterlies, moderate in strength but gusty enough to force Sue Murray to practice her dry capsize routine in the middle of the Lake. A trio of Lasers took to the water, Linda Spiller’s with a big sail, Sue Murray’s and Mel Sampson’s with Radials. Robin Spiller and Adam Hilton had their familiar respective Streaker and Solo. The double-handers were represented by Ethan and Leila Farmer’s Hartley 12, John Dabbs’ Bosun with a visitor crewing and the Witchell Bosun, Louise at the helm.

Linda crossed the start line first, tacking to Home 2 and then up to Pinkie. The rest started in the order Sue, Adam, Mel, Robin, John, Leila and Louise. By Pinkie Mel had overtaken Adam and John Dabbs had got his Bosun up to fifth. On the second lap Sue’s little incident put her at the back of the leading quartet. John D and Robin kept changing places. On the third lap Sue overtook Adam but didn’t get enough lead over him to nullify her handicap disadvantage. Equally Linda’s twenty second lead over Mel at the finish got reversed by the handicap.

1. Mel Sampson (Laser Radial)
2. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
5. John Dabbs and visitor (Bosun)
6. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
7. Louise and Colin Witchell (Bosun)
8. Ethan and Leila Farmer (Hartley 12)

Midweek Mug 1

Linda Spiller again started first but the big sail was proving tricky to handle in the slightly increased winds and she lost ground during her beat up to Pinkie so that both Sue and Mel got there ahead of her. The Radial twins had also got past, second starting, Adam. John Dabbs was next round Pinkie and then Leila now helming the Farmer Hartley. On the second lap Mel got past Sue and held that lead, although narrowly avoiding capsize at Dam Green during a period of decidedly freakish gusts.

Linda eventually pulled out a minute and a half’s lead over Adam: not enough! John Dabbs continued to circulate in fifth but, coping solo with the winds, was not close enough to the lead bunch to be promoted by the handicap.

1. Mel Sampson (Laser Radial)
2. Sue Murray (Laser Radial)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Linda Spiller (laser Full)
5. John Dabbs (Bosun)
6. Leila Farmer and visitor (Hartley 12)

Grateful thanks were given to Bob Sampson and Brian Clifton, Officers of the Day.