More photos to round off the season, taken by Jane Chadney when she was on rescue boat duty; thanks to her, and to Roger Ford for piloting the RIB to get in the right position.
Paul Whybrow accelerates away from the turn Dam Red at the start of the afternoon race, with Nicky in second
The bulk of the fleet rounding Dam Red, with Stuart going well
The fleet heading for West
Enough in the gusts to heel some of the boats…
Vicki keeping well to windward
Simon showing some speed…
Rounding West White
Bob to leeward, Paul and Nicky in close company tight under the bank
Before the start of the afternoon race: boats going all ways
Toby completes a tack
Roger gives one of the club Bosuns a spin, with James Pollard as crew
Tight racing: Roger and James Pollard in the Bosun, John almost shielded behind,plus Simon and Lee Hartop in the Enterprise and Vicki in her new Topper
And the same quartet now heading across the lake
Enterprise of Alan Comber and John Weller, with Bosun of Roger Heasman and James Pollard close behind
Toby three-up in the Bosun, with Jane Chadney and Jenny Whybrow as hard-working crew in the stiff breeze
Roger and James in the Bosun, plus John and Vicki in the Toppers
The fleet rounds the first mark at Inlet White, with the leaders already on a broad reach across to West, Steve Axford’s Laser in pole position
Really good close-up of Steve Axford – the sort of picture you see in the pages of ‘Yachts and Yachting’
Atmospheric shot of the eventual race winner, Jane Chadney
Taken from a similar position, Mary Carter going well in her Laser 4.7
Bob Sampson and James Pollard get the gennaker pulling well in the RS200
Close-quarters competition at the back of the fleet: John Buckett’s Otter just about to be overtaken by Vicki in the Topper, with John Savage’s Solo in close attendance
Jockeying before the start of the afternoon race, with the sky already looking quite dark
… and now white streaks across the water, a sure sign that the wind is seriously building
Now lining up for the start, under a dramatic sky
And the fleet sets off across a decidedly choppy Upper Tamar, with Toby and Stephanie in the RIB keeping a close eye
A few seconds later, Adam Hilton’s Solo in the foreground is in trouble with a broken tiller extension, whilst Roger heads East in the Streaker
John Buckett throws in the towel and heads for the pontoon in the Otter, whilst the fleet battle their way towards Pinky
Interesting sidelight on the dinghy classes racing at the club these days: whereas a few years back, sometimes Lasers made up the bulk of the fleet, in this shot there’s a wide variety of classes (with just one Laser, but two more were in the race)
Still jockeying before the start
One class in the ascendant at the moment is the Solo: here three are in shot – Paul Whybrow in the foreground, with Adam Hilton and John Savage visible further back
Boats in the foreground beating across towards Middle, whilst ahead boats already round the mark have borne away onto a run and the leaders are already round the downwind mark and heading back towards the Dam
Alan Comber (sailing Christine Marshall’s Otter) approaching Middle, chasing hard after Simon Veal’s Bosun and John Savage’s Solo
The wind beginning to pick up across the middle of the lake: Mary Carter gets her Laser onto the plane, whilst behind the Bosun (with Toby Tobias and Nathan Pollard) is kicking up a bow wave
Roger Heasman heading back towards the Dam in his Streaker
John D leads Jane Anderson in their Toppers, whilst Mary Carter’s Laser heads the other way
Toppers in a Bosun sandwich: Simon Veal with crew Alex Clifton produces an impressive bow wave in the Bosun, followed by the planing Toppers of Jane Anderson and John Duncalf, with Toby Tobias and Jane Chadney making an even bigger splash behind
