1st July 2018 gallery images

Adam Hilton getting away first on the midday race, but sadly was over the line (notoriously easy to do on a Start Line 2) and was disqualified

During the extended drought, this was one of the very few grey and wet days; here Sue Murray has taken the lead in her Laser Radial

A dogleg round Zebra to a gybe at Inlet White and then the leaders embark on a downwind leg across the lake in the (mainly) south-easterly breeze

Sue Murray in her Laser Radial still maintaining her lead over Bob Sampson and Nathan Pollard, even though the latter two were in full-rig Lasers

Sue still hanging on to her lead – note the growing beach in the background as the water levels start to drop

Bob Sampson looks to have just taken the lead (note the stoic fishermen on the shore, suffering for their sport – but each to their own….)

By the afternoon race, the rain and mists had rolled away, hence the much crisper photo… Changing down to his brightly-coloured Radial sail for the Tamar series, Nathan Pollard is first across the line

Bob Sampson has gained the lead from Nathan as the fleet rounds Middle and heads up the lake into a rather stronger breeze

Don’t look now, but they’re just behind you, Nathan…

And now in stereo… Sue and Penny reaching down the lake in close contention – and they stayed much the same till the end of the race, when Sue was over the line just a few seconds ahead of Penny

Concentration that paid off… Bob Sampson on the way to victory on handicap in the afternoon race

10th June 2018 race report

AM: Barnwell 3

John Dabbs in his Gull won this race on handicap. He was ninth to cross the finish line but only eight minutes behind Steve Axford in the full-sailed Laser who finished first. Another major beneficiary of the handicaps was Vicki Duncalf in the Topper. She finished tenth, nine minutes behind Steve, but was awarded third place. It was another lovely Sunday with light and highly variable easterlies which disappeared altogether for minutes at a time leaving the fleet scattered motionless across a glassy Lake. The officers of the day, Geoff Floyd and Robin Spiller, shortened the race to two laps. The leading bunch consisted of Lasers (Nathan Pollard, Steve Axford (who shared the lead between them) and Linda Spiller with full sails, Jane Anderson and Penny Abbott (with Radials) and a lone Solo (Adam Hiltonâ€™s). They all finished within a minute of Steveâ€™s time but the full sailed Lasers got demoted in the results. The second bunch (the Bosuns, the Gull, the Topper, Bob Bennettâ€™s Laser Radial) were also pretty close together for much of the race, but were left some way behind when they got becalmed at Inlet and subjected to angry glares from offshore fishermen.

Results:

1. John Dabbs (Gull)

2. Adam Hilton (Solo)

3. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

4. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)

5. Penny Abbott (Laser Radial)

6. Steve Axford (Laser Full)

7. Nathan Pollard (Laser Full)

8. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)

9. Sally Wills and Roger Heasman (Bosun)

10. Bob Bennett (Laser Radial)

11. Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)

PM: Tamar Memorial Trophy 5

A revised course omitted the fisherman infested Inlet and the wind held up most of the time. There was enough of it for the leaders to be doing fifteen minute laps, four of them within the hour. But at the other end of the fleet it took half an hour longer â€“ the tail-enders were being lapped – so there were no major promotions by the handicap system. Again Steve Axford led, from the off this time, and he was four minutes ahead of Linda Spiller by the end. Jane Anderson was second round Dam Green, the first buoy, but third at the end of each lap with Adam Hilton consistently fourth. Roger Heasman, now helming the Bosun with Sally Wills as crew, was well up for the first couple of laps and kept his fifth place in front of Nathan Pollard, now flying a Radial, but was ten minutes behind the Solo at the end.

Results:

1. Steve Axford (Laser Full)

2. Adam Hilton (Solo)

3. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)

4. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)

5. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun)

6. John Buckett (Otter)

7. John Dabbs (Gull)

8. Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)

9. Penny Abbott (Laser Radial)

10. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Retired: Vicki Duncalf (Topper), Bob Bennett (Laser Radial)

Grateful thanks were given to Geoff Floyd and Robin Spiller for running the races and to Mandy Pollard for her photographs.

10th June 2018 gallery images

All Lasers competing to be first away at the start of the midday race, except for Adam Hlton in his Solo in the foreground

Bob Bennett’s Laser and the Bosun with Cilla Glbert at the helm both trying to get to Dam Green in the fluky breezes that turned on and off in an instant

Nathan Pollard going well in his full-rig Laser, ahead of Steve Axford

Bird watching is very important (though Sally may be wondering whether in the sailing world, black birds, like black cats, may bring bad luck)

John Dabbs, the winner of the morning race

Just how close can you be on the final horn…..?

As so often with Start Line 2 , helms have opted for a wide variety of postions on line as the horn sounds for the afternoon race

A cluster of boats round Dam Green on a day when the wildly fluctuating wind direction could make or mar the approach to a mark

Steve Axford has already pulled out a considerable lead as the race leaders bear away downwnd towards West White

The two Johns near the back of the fleet in the afternoon race

27th May 2018 race report

For a BH weekend it was remarkably quiet at UTLSC with only 7 boats on the water.Â The wayward gusty wind from over the dam proved challenging, as did the need to avoid water close to banks occupied by those engaged in a fishing competition.

AM: Commodoreâ€™s Cup 3

All entrants in the midday race were of different class with the fastest, Mike & Viki Herbert-Coulsonâ€™s Wayfarer leading throughout, followed as could be expected by Nathan Pollard, who expertly recovered from a capsize in his Laser radial and Robin Spillerâ€™s Streaker, but there were ongoing tussles for position between the Topper and Laser 4.7 as well as the Bosun and Solo further down he fleet.Â With handicap applied the final results were as on the water, with the exception of Jane Anderson whose Topper gained 3 places.

Results:

Mike Coulson and Viki Herbert-Coulson (Wayfarer)
Jane Anderson (Topper)
Robin Spiller (Streaker)
Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial)
Linda Spiller (Laser 4.7)
Brian Pollard and Sally Wills (Bosun)
John Savage (Solo)

PM: Pursuit 3

The Bosun, followed by Topper and Streaker led those slower dinghies trying to maintain their relative head start, while faster boats successively set off to chase.Â Nathan Pollard was again the victim of a sudden gust but quickly righted his capsized Laser, managing to gain one place overall, as did Linda Spillerâ€™s Laser radial. Jane Anderson and Robin Spiller both lost 2 places, while Roger Heasman, returning to his Streaker gained 2.Â He took the lead early on, fighting off the pursuing Wayfarer, which had sped through the fleet from starting last to clinch a final second place.

Results:

Roger Heasman (Streaker)
Mike Coulson and Viki Herbert-Coulson (Wayfarer)
Linda Spiller (Laser radial)
Jane Anderson (Topper)
Nathan Pollard (Laser radial)
Brian Pollard and Sally Wills (Bosun)
Robin Spiller (Streaker)

27th May 2018 gallery images

Nathan just caught a gust as the horn went for the first race.

The Wayfarer gets ready to raise its spinnaker as it heads downwind

Nathan Pollard looks to have picked up a gust as he gets onto the plane in pursut of the Wayfarer

All seven boats in the morning race, no two boats alike.

Brian and his new crew for the day, Sally, are the first to go in the pursuit race.

Roger, the eventual winner of the pursuit race, is catching up with Brian and Sally, the leading boat.

Mike and Vicki trying to get more power to pass the Laser.

Linda Spiller easing past to the leeward of the Jane Anderson’s Topper on the way to third place in the Pursuit

29th April 2018 race report

a.m. Sailboat 2

With a cold strong breeze blowing onto the shore from the East, many sailors chose to sit this race out.Â However, 7 boats made the start line with a sprint towards Dam mark.Â The first 2 round were Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7) and Jane Anderson (Topper) which happened to be the order in which they finished!Â But once the handicaps had been applied this would change.Â Indeed, whilst brothers Elliot and Jack Pomeroy (Wayfarer) gained 4 places on the water, they finished last on paper!Â The Bosuns of Roger Heasman and Sally Wills, and Brian Pollard with Cilla Gilbert battled it out sandwiched between the 2 Toppers of Vicki and John Duncalf, with Vicki winning the battle, Brian coming in next followed Roger and the John D bringing up the rear.

Results:-Â 1. Jane Anderson (Topper), 2. Vicki Duncalf (Topper), 3. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7), 4. John Duncalf (Topper), 5. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun), 6. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun), 7. Elliot and Jack Pomeroy (Wayfarer).

p.m. Pursuit 2

The Pursuit Race starts off with the slower handicapped boats and sailors going off first, and the rest of the fleet goes off in timed stages according to their previous performances.Â So with was the Duncalf family in their slower Toppers who set the race going as they sprinted down to the first mark, followed by Jane Anderson in her Topper 5 minutes later, then Roger and Sally in their Bosun, then Brian and Cilla in their Bosun, with Nathan in his Laser 4.7 being left the most work to do to make his way up the fleet from the back!.Â John and Vicki swapped positions within the first few metres of the start and then John went and touched the first mark, so it was all change again as Vicki nipped in to head the fleet whilst John completed his penalty turn â€“ a position she stoically and determinedly maintained until the end of the 67 minute race in exceedingly challenging conditions. After the first lap, positions hadnâ€™t changed with Nathan gaining ground at the back, and Jane gaining on Vicki by a minute.Â As the wind strength dropped in the 2^ndÂ and 3^rdlaps, John Duncalf retired rather fed up as heâ€™d hit yet another mark.Â The rest of the fleet remained spread out with only Nathan significantly changing the race order.Â Indeed, despite Roger and Sallyâ€™s valiant efforts to hold off his advances, Nathan managed to take 3^rdÂ place by the end of the race.

Results:Â 1. Vicki Duncalf (Topper), 2. Jane Anderson (Topper), 3. Nathan Pollard (Laser 4.7), 4. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun), 5. Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun).Â John Duncalf had already retired for a hot cup of tea.

Thanks to Rachael Pomeroy for OOD duties and writing these reports.

29th April 2018 gallery images

Nathan gets away first for the midday start, with a trio of Toppers hot on his heels

Nathan Pollard has already pulled out quite a lead as the fleet heads up the lake

Jane Anderson has temporarily overtaken Nathan, whilst on the right of picture, Elliot and Jack Pomeroy seem to be making up lost ground in the Wayfarer, judging by the size of the bow wave.

The fleet clustered together in the middle of the lake, with Nathan clear in front

Nathan overtakes Brian and Cilla in the afternoon Pursuit race

Nathan closing up on Roger and Sally in the ‘Rob Eason’

Vicki on the way to an eventual victory in the Pursuit

22nd April 2018 gallery images