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.

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

Frostbite 1

Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) and Vicki Duncalf (Topper) were the leaders at the start. Adam Hilton (Solo) had crossed the line before them but he had anticipated the starting signal and had to duck back. The winds were easterly, reasonably consistent and quite strong enough to have sailors sitting comfortably on the gunwale. John Dabbs was doubtful about sailing his Bosun single-handed and was having rigging problems so he joined Colin and Louise Witchel in their Bosun. The sun shone more and more of the time as the day went on.

Paul Anderson (Officer of the Day) had designed a course which went no further north than Middle in order not to further aggravate the fishermen on the Cornwall bank who had already complained about the gig boats that rowed past them. The course made up for this loss by zig-zagging across the middle of the Lake in a manner too complex for the Commodore to follow. He retired. Jane Anderson completed four ten minute laps in the lead.

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Icicle 1

The winds continued pleasant, the sun warm; perfect sailing weather. Anderson, Hilton and Duncalf crossed the line very close together. The Solo was perhaps a touch ahead and got round Dam Green in the lead. The Anderson Laser had taken over by the time they reached Zebra and remained ahead. Vicki Duncalf’s Topper held third place on the water and the Dabbs Bosun fourth. The handicaps promoted the Topper to second by one second!

Grateful thanks were given to Paul Anderson who ran the races and took the photographs.

Covid 19 Sunday Race 17

Eleven boats crossed the start line and made for Dam Green in warm sunshine and southerly winds that varied between faint and gentle. Of a bunch that included the Laser Radials of Sue Murray and Jane Anderson, the full-sailed Laser of Bob Sampson and the Solo of Adam Hilton, it was probably Jane Anderson who had started first; certainly it was she who rounded Dam Green first, free of the melee that followed. Adam Hilton emerged in second place on the run to Middle with Robin Spiller, who could possibly have demanded water from the Solo at the buoy, close behind and Bob Sampson rapidly making up ground. John Dabbs sailing alone in his Bosun and Graham Joyce (Laser Full) were the major gainers on the beat to West, the Bosun rounding the buoy second behind Jane Anderson. Bob Sampson made the bigger sail on his Laser pay dividends on the beat all the way back from Pinky to Dam Green and he led the fleet at the end of laps one two and three. Jane Anderson was consistently second but behind them places continued to be swapped; Robin Spiller, for example, was seventh at the end of lap one but fourth at the end of lap two and sixth at the end of the race. Applying the handicaps made major changes to the results.

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Covid 19 Sunday Race 18

The winds were light and changeable in much the same way as for the first race. Most competitors took a very similar time to complete three laps; Geoff Floyd taking a mere six seconds more in the second race! Penny Abbott (Laser Full) grabbed the lead through an ace tack that took her straight from around West to Dam Green, only to lose it again on the next lap by capsizing on the way to Pinky. Jane Anderson was the next of the Laser sailors with Bob Sampson taking time to assert himself but leading from the second lap onwards. Sue Murray, Adam Hilton and Robin Spiller swapped places once or twice and John Dabbs was again well up the fleet in his Bosun.

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Grateful thanks were given to John Duncalf who ran the races and to Paul Anderson for help with launching and recovery.

Covid 19 Wednesday Race 6

It drizzled or it rained on the way to the Lake. For some there was fog. It wasn’t much better on arrival at the Lake; still very damp and with a wind considerably more powerful than forecast. Still five boats took to the water. Leila Farmer launched her Hartley for her first race, and sailing solo too! Nicky and John Buckett rigged their Bosun. Linda Spiller put a Radial on her Laser. Robin Spiller and Adam Hilton had standard sails on their usual boats.

Linda Spiller started well, took the lead and never lost it. But she was always chased by Adam Hilton’s Solo and for the first lap the Buckett Bosun was close behind too, Robin Spiller’s Streaker eventually replacing the Bosun as chasing boat. By the second lap the wind was much reduced and by the third the sun was out and warming the fleet. Leila farmer retired after two laps.

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Many thanks to Bob Sampson who got the race started.

Covid 19 Wednesday Race 5

Bob Sampson’s Topper was first round the first buoy, Dam Green. (Yes, Bob was sailing a Club Topper. He said he wanted a change. He got one; he rigged the kicker wrongly and spent the race using main force to get the boom where he wanted it.) Adam Hilton’s red Bosun, a rarely sighted Paul Petvin crewing, had been first over the start line but was well downwind and already behind the other, Heasman/Wills, white Bosun by the time they rounded the first buoy. The battle wasn’t over however. The red Bosun led the white one on a couple of brief occasions during the race but Roger Heasman had got the gap to nearly a minute by the end. The wind at the start was south-westerly, fitful, not strong at all. It strengthened considerable during the race; those elegant lightweights, Heasman and Wills, had some trouble keeping the Bosun the right way up. The Spillers had left home in a howling wind and therefore with small sails for both the Laser and the Streaker. It took them some time to assert themselves, but Linda Spiller was up to second by the end of lap 1 and she led at the end of lap 2. Robin was second at the end of lap 2, leaving Bob Sampson at third on the water at the end of the race. The Topper’s marvellous handicap gave him the victory.

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Many thanks to Geoff Floyd who ran the race and to John Dabbs who took the photographs.

Covid 19 Sunday Race 13

A fine fleet of eleven boats took to the waters of a Tamar Lake liberally sprinkled with kayaks and paddle boards. The sun shone and the winds, advertised as northerly, began with a good deal of east in them. They were unusually consistent all day, just strong enough to capsize a couple of helms doing the gybe at Dam Green. It was difficult for John Duncalf, continuing his generous run as Officer of the Day, to select a start line for competitors to beat up to. In the end he chose the far end of the Home 2 start line, with the fleet setting off towards the Dam. Bob Sampson (Laser Full) soon took over the lead, chased, as ever, by Jane Anderson with the smaller Radial sail on her Laser. Graham Joyce (Laser Full) went very well and stayed in third as did Robin Spiller (Streaker) in fourth. It was good to see Sue Murray (Laser 4.7) back after being attacked by a tree. Adam Hilton’s Solo lost its forestay and he retired. Louise – it was her turn to helm the Witchell Bosun – completed their first race to much celebration from the bank.

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Covid 19 Sunday Race 14

The start was moved to the near side of the Home 2 line and Adam Hilton, able to hear the horn this time, managed to get away first and lead up to Dam Green with Graham Joyce, Sue Murray and Linda Spiller in close attendance. But after that, on the way to West, the Sampson and Anderson express train steamed past and took over the race lead. Linda Spiller took up and held third place with Adam Hilton not going below fourth. Robin Spiller was absent from the race, the Streaker’s rudder having separated from its tiller. The handicaps again gave Jane Anderson the victory but demoted Bob Sampson to fourth below Sue Murray and Adam Hilton.

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Grateful thanks were given to John Duncalf who ran the races and to John Dabbs who took the photographs.