Covid 19 Sunday Race 11

Nine boats were signed on for the race but only seven started. The wind was coming from the west in powerful and unpredictable gusts but in the boat park, sheltered by the hill behind, it seemed quite benign. John Dabbs, crewless in his Bosun, once on the water, found that there was more power to these blasts than he could control single-handed. Geoff Floyd (Solo) suspected the same thing, left his boat on shore and boarded the Dabbs Bosun, unfortunately too late to take the start.

Bob Sampson was the first of the four Laser 4.7s in the race to cross the start line. Jane Anderson’s sister Laser followed, beginning a race long battle which she eventually won. Adam Hilton’s Solo started in front of the other Laser 4.7s of Linda Spiller and Penny Abbott. Roger Heasman with Sally Wills (Bosun) entered into the race’s other four lap struggle – with Robin Spiller (Streaker Wave) – which the Bosun won in the end by a handful of seconds.

The beat to West proved crucial each lap, many seconds could be lost by misjudging the tacks. Adam Hilton was finding the Solo untameable and soon let past Linda Spiller’s Laser behind him; Penny Abbott’s got past too on lap 3. But for many helms what will remain in the memory is the speed of the planing up to and back from Far. The Commodore came off the water saying nothing had ever taken him back up the Lake as fast as that wind on that last lap.

UTLSC PNs

Personal PNs

Covid 19 Sunday Race 12

There were still seven boats in the race because Geoff Floyd had climbed into his Solo  and Adam Hilton, who had left his Solo on the bank, had gone to crew for John Dabbs. Robin Spiller was resting his Streaker.

Jane Anderson restarted her contest with Bob Sampson by leading him over the line in front of Linda Spiller and the Dabbs /Hilton Bosun. But Bob Sampson was already ahead on lap 1 and got some lucky gusts that by the end had planed him a lead of over half a minute over Jane Anderson. Penny Abbott did well with the tacking to West, overtook Linda Spiller and stayed ahead. The Heasman/Wills Bosun with full-sized sails easily overtook the Dabbs/Hilton Bosun flying little ones. Geoff Floyd’s Solo, also with a small sail, eventually overtook as well and finished all of ten seconds ahead of John Dabbs.

UTLSC PNs

Personal PNs

Grateful thanks were given to John and Vicki Duncalf who ran the races and to Sue Murray who took the photographs.

Sailwave Scoring Software 2.28.2
www.sailwave.com

Covid 19 Sunday Race 10

The various forecasters agreed that the wind would be very fitful indeed but could not agree whether the clouds would be black or the sun shining or thunder and lightning dominating the sky. In the event the wind was perfectly serviceable, if decidedly on the light side, and the rain held off for the noon race and the time to eat a sandwich afterwards. There were a few gleams of sun and no thunder.

Without these uncertainties there might have been more than the seven boats that took to the water. Three were Lasers, Bob Sampson’s and Linda Spiller’s flying big sails whereas Jane Anderson had put up a Radial. Robin Spiller was out in his Streaker, John Dabbs dithered between Bosun and Gull but went with the Gull on the curious grounds that it was easier to get in and out of the water. Vicki Duncalf was in her familiar Topper but didn’t have a very good day; too little wind. The unusual sight was the Commodore sailing his RS Aero with a size 9 sail for the first time.

The wind was coming over the Dam so the race had Dam Green as the first buoy. The beat up to it already made clear that the Lasers and the Aero were going to scrap for most of the race. Bob Sampson headed the fleet at the end of each lap but Jane Anderson was second on the first lap, Linda Spiller was second on the second and Adam Hilton was second on the third!

1. Bob Sampson (Laser Full)
2. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial)
3. John Dabbs (Gull)
4. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
5. Adam Hilton (RS Aero 9)
6. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
7. Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

The rain started and the wind dropped away so the second race was not run. Grateful thanks were given to John Duncalf, Officer of the Day.

Covid 19 Sunday Race 8

First across the start line was John Dabbs (Bosun), followed by Robin Spiller (Streaker) and then Graham Joyce, racing his Laser for the first time this season. John Dabbs maintained his advantage and rounded West in the lead but was being harried by first Robin Spiller and afterwards Linda Spiller (Laser Full).

It was a day of very light winds, sometimes no wind at all. The fleet was soon spread out across the middle of the Lake, as though glued to a sheet of glass. The yellow-hulled Solo twins (Geoff Floyd and Adam Hilton) found themselves in a central position and able to pick up any breaths the wind gods chose to emit. They reached Pinkie first after multiple slow motion tacks and Adam Hilton – Solo sail number 3300 – rounded it 33 minutes and 33 seconds after the start!

It was good to see a decent complement of Bosuns now that members from different households are permitted to sail double-handed. They were bunched together, Bob Sampson with a family crew, including small granddaughter Amelia, was close to Roger Heasman with regular crew Sally Wills, John Dabbs and the Witchells.

The run back to Dam Green was rather quicker, with sporadic puffs of wind bringing the rear of the fleet closer to the front where Adam Hilton still led Geoff Floyd and Linda Spiller. Nonetheless the race was shortened to one lap which took the leading boats over fifty minutes.

1. Bob Sampson and crew (Bosun)
2. John Dabbs (Bosun)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
5. RobinSpiller (Streaker)
6. Linda Spiller (Laser Full)
7. Graham Joyce (Laser Full)

Retired: Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun), Louise and Colin Witchell (Bosun)

Covid 19 Sunday Race 9

John Duncalf, Officer of the Day, shortened the course by omitting the northernmost buoy in order to avoid having the fleet stuck again trying to get up there. But in the event the wind was a touch fresher and more consistent, even having the cheek to capsize Linda Spiller’s Laser at West. Laps of the short course – up to West, across to Home 2 and back to Dam Green – were taking about eight minutes.

Graham Joyce had a great start, but he was well to leeward and soon had to tack, then came across the Commodore on starboard, had to tack again and lost his advantage. John Dabbs was close behind followed by Robin Spiller. Linda Spiller soon took over the lead and held it throughout, with Adam Hilton behind her and with Robin Spiller threatening to overtake him. At the end of lap 1 the single handed Bosun pair of Bob Sampson (now without family) and John Dabbs powered past Home 1 but Graham Joyce, all unawares, went the wrong side of the buoy and could not benefit from his third position on the water at the finish.

1. Bob Sampson (Bosun)
2. John Dabbs (Bosun)
3. Adam Hilton (Solo)
4. Robin Spiller (Streaker)
5. Linda Spiller(Laser Full)
6. Geoff Floyd (Solo)
7. Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun)

Retired: Graham Joyce (Laser Full)

Grateful thanks were given to John Duncalf, Officer of the Day, and to his timekeeper, Vicki Duncalf.

Covid-19 Wednesday Race 2

Not just sunny but warm with a useful little breeze, a sailing afternoon hard to improve on. But humans are error prone and errors were committed. The Commodore set the course, beating via West to Far, reaching/running back via Inlet, including the instruction to leave Middle to starboard when it should have been to port. This meant, if the fleet was to go round this buoy at all, a 450 degree turn and was largely responsible for a collision between Paul Anderson (Laser Full) and Robin Spiller (Streaker), the first collision, Paul claimed, in his fifty years on the water. Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) started well and soon established a lead in front of Linda Spiller. Behind them Adam Hilton’s Solo was swapping places with the Streaker and the big-sailed Laser. John Dabbs Gull brought up the rear

UTLSC PNs – Midweek Mug

Personal PNs – TeaTime Tankard

Thanks to the Commodore who started the race, sprinted for his boat and collected the finishing times afterwards.

MULTIPLE CUPS 2

Lovely sun cooled by a fresh little breeze saw seven boats take to the water. The Commodore’s Solo crossed the line first but before John Duncalf’s car horn blew for the start. Jane Anderson (Topper) was the first legal starter with Sue Murray (Laser 4.7) second, Bob Sampson (Laser Full) and Vicki Duncalf (Topper) following. The Commodore, oblivious, continued on the tight beat to Inlet, being overtaken by Bob Sampson on the way. On that first lap the wind was sufficiently easterly for a pointy boat to make the buoy in one tack but as time went on the wind moved towards the north putting that out of the question. Linda Spiller soon overtook the Toppers and set off in pursuit of Sue Murray and the errant Solo. John Dabbs, forced to sail his Bosun alone and therefore flying small sails, brought up the rear. The official order remained the same for the rest of the race but on the water the Commodore lost four places when it was pointed out to him that passing Pinkie to port was a requirement of the course. He had regained two of them by the end of the race.

UTLSC PNs

Personal PNs 

MULTIPLE CUPS 3

The wind was stronger for the second race. Jane Anderson made an excellent start but it was possibly the faster moving Laser of Linda Spiller that put its bow across the line first. In any case it was she and Bob Sampson who led on the beat. There were as many approaches to getting to Inlet as there were members of the fleet. At one extreme Linda Spiller, going for speed and as few tacks as possible, was almost at West before she went about and made for Inlet. At the other the Toppers hugged the Devon bank by making more tacks. But all the strategy seemed to make remarkably little difference, the order around Inlet was much the same as it was a few moments after the start. Linda Spiller sailed an impressive race; her 4.7 finishing two minutes behind Bob Sampson’s full-sailed Laser (he had wasted a little time having a dry capsize near Far)

UTLSC PNs

Personal PNs

Sailwave Scoring Software 2.28.2
www.sailwave.com

Grateful thanks were given to John Duncalf who ran the races, assisted in the second by Robin Spiller.

A grey day that got sunnier, a windy day that got calmer, to the extent that competitors were near becalmed in the lee of the headland at Inlet. Bob Sampson started the horn sequence and sprinted for his Laser Radial. And got himself over the line first. Sue Murray (Laser 4.7) followed with Adam Hilton’s Solo behind her. John Dabbs, small sails on his Bosun, followed somewhat to leeward and Louise and Colin Witchell were also on the water, but not competing. The first buoy was Zebra, included to celebrate its reinstatement (thank you to John Dabbs and Aaron Bunning), the next, West, was still a beat, as was the next leg to Pinky. That was a tricky one because the wind, channelled between the hills, left Bob Murray to leeward of the buoy and having to put in another tack. His lead was sufficient to maintain his first place. Lap 2 left the positions unchanged but on the third lap, at windless Inlet, the Solo picked up the breeze before Sue Murray’s 4.7 and, after another lucky puff, rounded Dam Green before her, crossing the finish line a few heartbeats ahead.

Midweek Mug uses UTLSC class PNs

Teatime Tankard uses personal PNs

Sailwave Scoring Software 2.28.2
www.sailwave.com