Barnwell 3

It was another sunny Sunday race with very little wind or, at times, none at all. What wind there was generally came from the north but breaths might appear from anywhere. The race was shortened to one lap which took an hour. Nine boats took the start and four Lasers, Sue Murray’s Radial initially leading, and John Buckett’s Otter got away. But it took an age for the rest of the fleet – Bosun, Streaker, Solo and Laser – to even cross the start line. On the way to Inlet Nathan Pollard (Laser Full) took the lead and went round Inlet, dreaded because in the lee of the hill but in practise no worse than anywhere else, in first place. Sue Murray, Bob Sampson (Laser Full) and Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) followed with John Bucket falling back into the tardier group.

Every member had a turn at the front of the leading Laser bunch but it was Jane Anderson who got hers over the finish line first. However a magic stream of air had taken the Solo from the second group up to the back of the leading Lasers and its advantageous handicap gave Adam Hilton the victory.

Sailboat 3

By the time the second race started a decent little northerly had appeared, quite strong enough to send the fleet around the course at around fifteen minutes a lap. Adam Hilton’s Solo got away first with Sue Murray and Nathan Pollard following but by the end of the first lap Bob Sampson had taken charge of the front of the field with Nathan Pollard following him and Jane Anderson next. The Bosun, now helmed by Penny Abbott, spent the race dicing with Robin Spiller’s Streaker. Linda Spiller’s Full Laser overtook Sue Murray’s Radial on lap 2 but the handicap hoisted Sue to fourth and demoted Linda to seventh.

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

Sailwave Scoring Software 2.28.2

Sue Murray had noticed the auspicious forecast and suggested a last race before we all lock ourselves in, put on five kilos and go stark stirring crazy. And the weather was indeed gorgeous, a beautiful sunny (cold) day with just enough north westerly wind to feel one was racing, although rounding Inlet, in the lee of the hill, was often a problem.
Bob Sampson (Laser) was first to go round the first boy (Zebra) of a short course that he had set. Sue Murray (Laser Radial) followed. At some point Linda Spiller (Laser) touched the Murray Laser and had to do forfeits. Rob Spiller (Streaker) and Adam Hilton (Solo) competed at the rear. Adam had got to the line too soon and had to do a voluntary 180 degrees to avoid crossing it too soon. He started last but managed to get past Rob after West by calling a dastardly starboard on him. The gap was never more than a length or two. On the last lap (of four) Rob overtook at Home2 and held the position round the sea cadets safety boat (a mark of the course) and across the finish line. He needn’t have bothered; the handicap gave Adam back the place.

Many thanks to Bob Sampson for setting the course and starting the race.

Covid-19 Autumn 4

A heavily-crewed Bosun with John Dabbs at the helm was first across the starting line. He was assisted by Robin Spiller and Adam Hilton who jointly handled the jib and kept the boat upright on a grey, cold day with plenty of north westerly wind. Two little Toppers followed, Vicky Duncalf leading Jane Anderson with Sue Murray in her Laser 4.7 coming up fast behind them. Beating past Zebra and round Home 2 bunched up the fleet, Jane Anderson tacking early and losing out, the Bosun dropping much of its lead and Sue Murray hard on the wake of Vicky Duncalf. The course then took a deviation towards the Cornwall bank and West White before returning to the Devon side of the Lake with Middle buoy needing to be rounded before the beat up to Pinky could continue. This combination of buoys proved confusing to helms throughout the day, the Bosun having to retire from this race after missing out Middle buoy. Jane Anderson’s Topper made up a lot of water in this phase of the race, passing the Bosun to take the lead, but Sue Murray had freed herself from Vicky Duncalf’s dirty wind and was in pursuit, briefly leading the Anderson Topper at the end of the long run to Dam Green but losing out at the buoy and only consolidating her lead well into lap 2. Vicky Duncalf went past the Bosun, her Topper pointing noticeably higher on the beats, but her advantage was never secure, the Bosun faster on the runs. The Topper’s handicap gave back the victory to Jane Anderson. 

Covid-19 Autumn 5

Linda Spiller swapped race-officiating for sailing her Laser 4.7 and promptly led across the line and stayed in front for two laps. The Bosun was now only two up, John Dabbs still at the helm. Geoff Floyd had changed the small sail on his Solo for the standard size. Sue Murray chased Linda Spiller up to the top of the Lake with the two Toppers following at an increasing distance. The Bosun and the Solo spent the beginning of the lap neck and neck but the Bosun overtook Vicky Duncalf’s Topper on the first lap as did the Solo on the second. Unfortunately a capsize caused Geoff Floyd to retire on lap 3. Disasters began to afflict Linda Spiller; a double penalty turn near Dam Green reduced her lead, confusion about the course lost it, so Sue Murray’s laser 4.7 took over at the front of the fleet. As in the morning the Dabbs Bosun and Vicky Duncalf’s Topper were in contention. At one point the Topper touched the buoy at Dam Green and had to do a penalty allowing the Bosun past but at the beginning of lap 3 Vicky Duncalf overtook the Bosun and was never again headed by the bigger boat even if the gap between them continued to open and close. An unusual feature of the race was that on the long run from Pinky to Dam Green the wind was dead astern so that helms had the choice of putting their booms out to port or to starboard.

Grateful thanks were given to Bob Sampson and Brian Pollard in a very cold safety boat, to Linda Spiller for running the first race and to Adam Hilton for running the second. The photos were a combined Pollard/Spiller/Hilton effort. 

There was a lull between Tuesday’s gales and Thursday’s gales. Wednesday afternoon’s wind was westerly and so gentle that it took a minute or two to get from the pontoon, in of the lee of the hill, to waters supplied with motive power. However in the middle of the Lake there was quite enough wind to necessitate sitting on the gunwale.  Buddy sailing (with compulsory mast float) was ruled possible, but a short course – up to Home 2 across to West White and back to Dam Green – was thought advisable to keep the little fleet together.

John Dabbs, with Penny Abbott in the Bosun, was broadside to the starting line in front of the advancing fleet which consisted of Adam Hilton with Stephanie Clarke in the other Bosun, Bob Sampson in his Laser and Leila Farmer in her Hartley. John put the helm down and crossed the line first, but in the view of his crew, a second or two too early. After a certain amount of discussion he turned back, leaving Bob Sampson’s Laser to power away. The leg from the start to Home 2 was fairly close to the wind and Leila Farmer wasn’t risking pulling her mainsail in far enough to spell danger in gusts and so lost ground to leeward. On lap 2 Adam Hilton touched the buoy at West White and after a certain amount of discussion with his crew did a penalty turn, nearly lapsing into irons in the process. His Bosun’s substantial lead over the sister Bosun was reduced but not lost. Laps were going by quickly so, after a shouted discussion, the race was extended from three laps to four and would have needed more than that to reach the regulation hour. No finish times were taken.

1. Bob Sampson (Laser)
2. Adam Hilton and Stephanie Clarke (Bosun)
3. John Dabbs and Penny Abbott (Bosun)
4. Leila Farmer (Hartley 12)

Many thanks to Jon Cefai (Commodore’s son-in-law) who took the pics.

Frostbite 2

On a blustery but sunny morning only 3 boats took to the water, all well reefed. Astonishingly, all three boats were over the line at the start, so a General Recall had to be sounded & the starting sequence bean again! All OK with John leading, Vicki next and Melanie third as they made their way up to the mark in the middle of the lake, then taking a sharp port rounding of Middle Mark and on to the west side of the lake to round West White Mark. All boats were well challenged on the next leg to the very north if the lake and then it was a choice of which side to out your sail for the dead run down to Home 2 (in the middle of the lake for a sharp turn left to Inlet mark on the east bank of the lake). Two chose starboard tack and the Topper port tack – which seemed to pay off as Vicki caught up the lead Bosun of Melanie & Bob on the way to Inlet. The wind died on the second lap with Vicki keeping well up with Melanie. John Dabbs, slightly hampered by the extra crew and on a reefed sail, bought up the rear.

Icicle 2

With winds moderating six boats set off in the afternoon. Vicki and Melanie & Bob had shaken out their reefs. Linda Spiller, Laser 4.7, had a cracking start closely followed by Melanie in the Bosun and Vicki’s Topper. Melanie (Bosun), Linda (Laser 4.7), Robin (Streaker Wave), Vicki (Topper), Penny (Laser 4.7), John (Bosun) was the order rounding Middle Mark. Melanie building a substantial lead on her way to Pinky Mark. At the beginning of lap 2 the positions had hardly changed, the Topper and Bosun of John dropping back a little. By the start of the last lap the fleet was well spaced with the Bosun of Melanie & Bob leading followed by both Laser 4.7s, the Streaker Wave, Topper and Bosun of John & Paul. And that was how the race ended.

Thanks to Jane Anderson who ran the races and Robin Spiller for the photos

Covid 19 Wednesday Race 7

The rain had stopped but it was cold and the wind was north-westerly, gusty and quite strong. Menacing fishermen lined the banks. Adam Hilton’s Solo led across the start line followed by John Dabbs’ Bosun with Bob Sampson crewing. Linda Spiller had the 4.7 on her Laser. Leila Farmer was courageous; her Hartley un-reefed. Louise and Colin Witchell had small sails on their Bosun. On the long beat up to Pinky Linda Spiller took over the lead. After the gybe round Pinky there was a gybe round West White and then a gybe round Middle. This last was vicious, since helms could round the buoy and find themselves sailing by the lee and having to gybe at maximum speed. This did for Adam Hilton whose Solo went into a terminal roll on lap 2; served him right; he devised the course. In the end only two boats completed the four laps, taking around fifty minutes to do so.

UTLSC PNs

Personal PNs

Many thanks to Robin Spiller who ran the race and took the pics.