Bosun PLUS 2

This was a race for Bosun dinghies (with interlopers permitted) and eight of them took to the water only to find little or no wind. What breaths there were seemed to be coming from somewhere over the Dam so the first post-start buoy was Dam Green where the Bosuns bunched up, all on starboard tack except for Brian Pollard (Cilla Gilbert as crew) who rounded the buoy first.  As the fleet was snail-pacing to Middle, Bob Sampson (with Robin Spiller) was to windward and coming up but it was Sue Murray (with Vicki Duncalf) who got round West first, if one discounts Nathan Pollard’s non-conforming Laser. She had a good lead over the slow-dicing pair of John Dabbs (Penny Abbott crewing) and John Buckett (with Annie Quartermaine) and then the next pair Roger Heasman (with Linda Spiller) and Brian Pollard. Adam Hilton and Geoff Floyd found their own doldrums at Middle and never made it to West, Louise and Colin Witchell having already given up the struggle to get their Bosun to sail anywhere.

At the start of the second lap there were five Bosuns within inches of each other but coming up to Dam Green Roger Heasman got water over John Buckett, Bob Sampson and John Dabbs, Sue Murray having by now an unassailable lead, if any lead could be so-described when the wind might disappear at any moment. It didn’t and the Murray/Duncalf Bosun took the victory.

Bosuns Fleet

PLUS Fleet

Pursuit 2

In Pursuit races handicaps are applied to the boat/skipper combinations before the start so that the theoretically slowest start first and the faster boats follow at prescribed intervals. There were still five Bosuns in the fleet (although some crew changes) but others had escaped to single handers in the hope of better sailing. To everyone’s great relief there was enough wind to sail with, although the early starters were disadvantaged by light airs which were replaced by stronger breezes just as the faster boats were starting their races. As a result Vicki Duncalf (Topper), who started first, was soon overtaken as were the Bosuns and Linda Spiller (Laser Full) was leading the fleet before the end of the first lap. Adam Hilton (Solo) was attempting the same feat but was held up trying to get past John Bucket and Bob Sampson’s Bosuns but still got through to second place by the end of the first lap. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full) had even more ground to make up. He was up to sixth after the first lap, to third at the end of lap two but hadn’t quite got past the Solo in front of him by the end.

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

Midweek Mug 6

It being half term, the Lake and its shore were littered with families and children together with a large contingent of sea-cadets. The winds were from the south and brought unaccustomed warmth to the Lake, despite it being an overcast day with occasional ominous dark clouds. Robin Spiller, Officer of the Day, wisely responded to these conditions by choosing a Home 2 start, thus avoiding the melée around the pontoon and setting up a demanding beat to reach Dam Green. From there the course went to Middle, crossed to West and ran to Far, making for a long and demanding beat back to the Dam.

The fleet unusually had more double-handers – three Bosuns – than single and it was Sue Murray’s Club Bosun (Bob Sampson crewing) that got over the line first. Adam Hilton’s Solo was however well to windward, setting off from the corner of the pontoon. Once out of the lee of the land, he was able to reach Dam Green first in one tack. The Solo was never again headed.

Linda Spiller (Laser Radial) had started fourth, too far towards the Home 2 end of the line, and took a couple of laps to overtake John Dabbs and Penny Abbott in their Bosun and then Sue Murray in hers. She finished nearly two minutes behind the Solo. The Murray/Sampson Bosun, at about three minutes behind, was given the victory by the handicaps.

Teatime Plate 2

There was a good shakeup of the double-hander partners of the fleet. Sue Murray separated from Bob Sampson and joined up with Ethan Walker. Bob went off to tutor Anna Walker in helming the family Hartley 12.2. John Dabbs and Penny Abbott swapped who wore the trousers. Roger Heasman’s Bosun joined in with Leila Farmer helming.

The Solo again got away well from its preferred corner of the pontoon. Linda Spiller’s Laser Radial didn’t get away as well as she would have liked but was soon chasing the Solo. On lap 3 she was ahead for a tack or two beating back from Far and on the final lap she had the Laser a boat’s length in front of the Solo as they crossed the line. Penny Abbott and John Dabbs eventually got past Sue Murray and Ethan Walker on the last lap only to loose their advantage shortly before the finish line. The Bosuns this time finished five minutes behind the single-handers, leaving the Solo to take victory. Anna Walker successfully finished her first race.

Grateful thanks were given to Robin Spiller, Officer of the Day.

Wed 26 May 2021 Race Photos

(I have no idea why embedding the photos doesn’t work this week! So please click on the link above to see the photos)

Midweek Mug 5

A beautiful blue sky, fluffy white clouds topping the hills and a decent north-westerly breeze with not too frightening gusts; what more could the Midweek Mugs ask for?

A starboard start was the consensus, easily leaving  Zebra to starboard and hoping to reach Inlet on the second tack; not often achieved. John Dabbs’ Bosun with Adam Hilton as crew was away first but Sue Murray’s 4.7 was soon both in front and further to windward; she led well before Inlet and ended the four laps with a four minute lead over Robin Spiller (Streaker) who had overtaken the Dabbs Bosun on the way to Far on the first lap. This left Geoff Floyd as the filling in a Bosun sandwich, Roger Heasman’s Bosun (with Leila Farmer) making up the bottom slice. Geoff Floyd looked like escaping several times but never quite made it. Louise Witchell’s Bosun, disadvantaged by flying small sails, circulated at the rear.

Teatime Plate 1

John Dabbs, now with Robin Spiller as crew, was again away first, with Sue Murray again second and again pulling away soon. Stephanie Clarke, returning to Tamar racing after many years and with Bob Sampson as crew to remind her of anything she’d forgotten, was helming the Club’s Bosun. She started third but was second at Inlet and was only forty seconds behind Sue Murray at the finish of this two lap race, giving her the victory on handicap. The battle between Bosuns and Solo resumed. John Dabbs was just ahead at Inlet but Geoff Floyd was pulling ahead on the beat to West with Roger Heasman only just behind. Unfortunately Geoff’s Solo was nearly overwhelmed by a gust, took in a lot of Lake and sailed back to retire. On lap 2 Roger Heasman found himself in front of Dabbs/Spiller Bosun, the result of one misjudged tack by Quebec, and remained in third to the end.

Grateful thanks were given to Linda Spiller, Officer of the Day and for taking photos

Midweek Mug 3

Bob Sampson had been doing a bit of teaching and so had small sails on the Club Bosun, the fast one, with Robin Spiller as crew. The weather, although gusty and only intermittently sunny, didn’t really demand small sails on Bosuns so Roger Heasman’s – he had Adam Hilton as crew – and John Dabbs’s – Penny Abbott crewing – both flew full size canvas. Linda Spiller was in her Laser with a 4.7 lofted. The wind was mostly westerly and the start was on the pontoon side with Zebra the first buoy and a beat  to West White next. Roger Heasman started on port from the end of the pontoon and got to Zebra first and was still just ahead of Linda Spiller at West. But after rounding Middle Linda took the lead and never relinquished it. She finished the four laps four minutes ahead of the Bosuns of which the Dabbs/Abbott boat was only half a minute behind the Heasman/Hilton craft, with the small sail Bosun another four minutes further back.

Midweek Mug 4

Penny Abbott took over the helm of the Dabbs Bosun but was only third over the start line. Roger Heasman couldn’t replicate his neat start off the end of the pontoon and was fourth. Bob Sampson was second away but Linda Spiller made a good start and led this cut-down two lap race throughout. Roger Heasman, who is still learning how best to set the sails on his new Bosun, had twitched the main and got the boat pointing somewhat higher with the result that he made up for his tardy start overtook the other Bosuns  and was up to second on the run back from Pinky. On the second lap Penny Abbott designed an elegant beat from Zebra to West which was instrumental in getting her back to second where she finished, a minute in front of Roger. Bob Sampson had put in some nifty tacks too and had kept the deficit down to less than a minute this time.

1. Rank	HelmName	CrewName	Class	Rating	Elapsed	Corrected
   1	Linda Spiller		Laser 4.7	1188	0:29:47	0:25:04
   2	Penny Abbott	John Dabbs	BOSUN	1233	0:31:55	0:25:53
   3	Roger Heasman	Adam Hilton	BOSUN	1233	0:32:59	0:26:45
   4	Bob Sampson	Robin Spiller	BOSUN	1233	0:33:47	0:27:24

Grateful thanks were given to John Buckett, Officer of the Day, who also recorded the race on his dashcam!

Midweek Mug 2

The winds were gentle and shifted further south between when Penny Abbott (OOD) set the course and when the fleet started sailing it. The sky was grey and leaked a light but wetting rain throughout.

Eight boats started and finished the race. John Dabbs (with, very nice to see her, Jane Chadney, Bosun) and Adam Hilton (Solo) got a bit too near the start line and had to turn back, allowing the Spillers (Linda, Laser Full, Robin, Streaker) to get away, with Robin rounding the first buoy, Dam Green, first. Two Solos followed them, Adam Hilton’s in front of Geoff Floyd’s. Then came the double-handers; John Dabbs leading Roger Heasman (Sally Wills crewing). Leila Farmer under the tutelage of Bob Sampson (Hartley12) led Colin and Louise Witchell (Bosun; nice to see them back on the water) The race then got a bit processional although Linda Spiller got past Robin between West and Middle on lap 1 and drew away and Adam Hilton got past him at West on lap 2. Apart from rudely shoving Geoff Floyd down the order from fourth on the water, applying the handicaps made no difference to the results.

1. Rank	Class	HelmName	CrewName	Rating	Elapsed	Corrected
   1	LASER	Linda Spiller		1075	0:35:10	0:32:43
   2	SOLO	Adam Hilton		1144	0:37:48	0:33:03
   3	STREAKER	Robin Spiller		1134	0:38:26	0:33:54
   4	BOSUN	John Dabbs	Jane Chadney	1233	0:44:32	0:36:07
   5	BOSUN	Roger Heasman	Sally Wills	1233	0:45:41	0:37:03
   6	SOLO	Geoff Floyd		1144	0:42:31	0:37:10
   7	HARTLEY 12.2	Leila Farmer	Bob Sampson	1188	0:49:27	0:41:37
   8	BOSUN	Colin Witchell	Louise Witchell	1233	0:57:46	0:46:51

Grateful thanks were given to Penny Abbott, Officer of the Day.

Barnwell 5

Capsizing and avoiding capsizing dominated this race. The winner (Nathan Pollard in his Laser 4.7) even capsized as he crossed the finish line! Fortunately there is no rule banning finishing the race the wrong way up! He had fronted the race from the start, leading over the line from Vicki Duncalf (Topper) and Jane Anderson (Topper). The powerful winds were from the south west which meant a start towards the Dam and Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7) was already coming up fast to take second place as the fleet rounded Dam Green. He remained in the wake of the Pollard Laser throughout the race but at an increasing distance, ending two minutes behind. The truly vicious gusts were making it very hard to keep the boats upright and the safety boat (operated by Tom Sparkes, to whom the Club is very grateful) had to tow in two of the competitors. Jane Anderson and Sue Murray were finishing their three laps and their races at about the same time as the two Laser 4.7s in front of them completed four. Sadly the weather defeated Jane and Sue and they had to retire.

1.       Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7)

2.       Bob Sampson (Laser 4.7)

Retired: Vicki Duncalf, Jane Anderson and Sue Murray in Toppers, Brian Pollard and John Dabbs in a Bosun

The weather did not abate and so the 2nd race was cancelled.

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