Lots of pressure on the start line these days, with a couple over the line at the hooter having to thread their way back through 20-odd boats in order to re-start
Interesting mix of classes showing at the front of the fleet on the first beat with, from leeward: Graduate (Adeney Pooler), Laser (Steve Axford), Solo (Adam Hilton) and, almost hidden, Gull (John Dabbs)
Simon Veal and Nicola Clay managing to get the Bosun’s spinnaker pulling well, despite the fluky winds; John Savage’s Solo just behind
Good action shot as James Pollard hardens up on rounding Dam Green
Good to see Stuart Mealing out on the water, as the Laser beats up towards the Home 2 mark
Start of the Commodore’s Cup series in the afternoon: slightly fewer boats on the water, but still lots of pressure on the windward end of the line
Not much wind as Nicky Buckett’s Laser ghosts away from Zebra, with Paul Whybrow’s Solo just coming up to the buoy
Adeney Pooler’s Graduate and Nathan Pollards’s Topper, with both helms apparently concentrating on their hands
Adam Hilton and John Dabbs get away clear in the first race of the Sailboat Series
Quite a good number of boats for a very windy day in April
The fleet rounds the first mark at Home 2 and starts the beat towards West Wight, across the windiest part of the lake; Adam Hilton’s Bosun still holding onto the lead
James Pollard planing at speed on the reach back towards the Dam
Nice action shot as Simon Veal’s three-up Bosun puts in a tack
Looks relatively peaceful (temporarily) as James Pollard and Jane Anderson cross the line at the start of the afternoon race
A contrast in angles of heel in the two Bosuns: Simon Veal’s leans to the wind whilst behind, club Bosun the ‘Mike Ford’ stays bolt upright as helm Nicky Buckett opts for a gentler approach on the bea
Probably the best shot of the day as James Pollard has to hike out hard even on the reach
Using Start Line 2, a leading group of boats head for the first mark at Zebra, with Alan Comber and John Weller showing ahead in the Enterprise
Spot the difference…. Bob Sampson’s full rig Laser sandwiched between the smaller 4.7 rigs of Jane Anderson and James Pollard
Bob Sampson’s Laser appears to have pulled out a lead of almost the length of the lake over the bulk of the fleet on the way to his eventual victory in the midday race
Adam Hilton’s Solo leads a trio of boats round the dogleg of Dam Red and Dam Green
The fleet already well spread out at the start of the first Cup Race of the 2015 season
Some close-quarters jostling for position at Zebra, just after the start
A study in concentration: a fabulous action close-up of Roger Heasman and Annie Quartermain in the Kestrel
Toby Tobias and Brian Pollard get the Bosun moving well in a fresher patch of wind on a day of sometimes fickle breezes
The Bosun of Adam Hilton and John Dabbs make a good start to the midday race; in the foreground, it’s good to see Geoff Floyd out racing in his Solo
Heading up to Pinky on the first lap, it’s now a different Bosun, with Nicky Buckett and Annie Quartermain, who are in the lead, with the Toppers of Nathan Pollard and Jane Anderson, plus the Streaker of Robin Spiller, not far behind
Most of the fleet in line astern as Nicky Buckett and Annie Quartermain still hold on to the lead, only shortly before having to retire when there were more problems with the Bosun’s rigging
A second good start of the day for Adam Hilton and John Dabbs
Close quarters racing as five boats (Linda Spiller’s Comet is almost hidden from view) tack round the mark
It was an afternoon dominated by the club’s burgeoning Topper fleet (they took the first four places on handicap); the distinctive light blue hull at the back of this quartet is Jane Chadney, who has moved from her Laser into a Topper
Jane Anderson’s Topper is pulling out a substantial lead, though the foreshortening effect of the telephoto lens makes it look less in this picture
There was a fascinating ding-dong between the two Bosuns of Adam Hilton and Simon Veal throughout much of the afternoon race: even one of the cattle in the field behind is sufficiently interested to stop eating and watch!
Jane Chadney heading downwind in her blue-decked Topper in the afternoon’s Pursuit race
Nicky, Rachel and John in the ‘Mike Ford’ club Bosun, whilst James Pollard sits just behind, surfing on the Bosun’s not-inconsiderable wake and ready to plane past on the leeward side
John Savage just getting his Solo onto the plane, on a day of sudden gusts and lengthy lulls
And Paul Whybrow’s Solo also going very well downwind
James Pollard on his way to a clearcut victory in the Pursuit
Nice panoramic shot of most of the fleet en-route to Far and back
Excellent close-up of the two Solos
James Pollard unchallenged at the front as the race moves into the closing stages
Start of Sailboat 5, with Bob Sampson away well in his Laser
Stuart Mealing’s Laser Radial going well in centre of shot, Adam Hilton’s yellow Solo just behind
Jane Chadney almost level with Vicki in their Toppers
Converging wakes throwing up some decidedly choppy looking water as the fleet bears away towards Inlet in the afternoon race
The top of the lake looking well filled with boats as they reach all the way back from Far to Dam Green, Sue Murray’s Laser 4.7 looking to have a slight advantage over Jane Anderson at this point
Toby Tobias and new member Ellie Tucker speeding across the windiest part of the course
Linda Spiller looking relaxed in her Comet as Jane Chadney has to lean out in the Topper
Lovely to see the re-launched and immaculately refurbished club Bosun, the ‘Rob Eason’, out on the lake: Annie Quartermain at the helm with Roger Heasman crewing, making the boat kick up an impressive wake
Jane Anderson leads the fleet away on a misty May Sunday
Adam Hilton and John Dabbs head this quartet searching for the Inlet buoy in the gloom
Nathan Pollard leads the Toppers round the same part of the course
Start of the afternoon’s Commodore’s Cup race, with Sue Murray looking to try a starboard start along the line, whilst the rest of the fleet go for the port tack option
A tightly grouped fleet just after the start
Jane Chadney in the foreground in her Topper
A cheerful Toby and Ellie in the Bosun
And finally, a shot from the midday race, showing just how misty it was, with only sail of James Pollard’s Laser really standing out in the murk
James Pollard and Adam Hilton get away first for the midday race in the Sailboat Trophy series; Nathan Pollard’s Topper is down to leeward in the foreground after being hit by a particularly vicious gust just before the start
Making choices on which tack to choose, just after the start
Relatively more sheltered for this trio of boats as they head to make the turn at Inlet White
Excellent close-up of Adam Hilton in his Solo on the long downwind leg back towards the Dam
Many thanks to Matt Lennox for his work on safety boat duties, assisted by Brian Pollard, on a day when capsized sailors undoubtedly found it reassuring to have someone standing by, ready to help when needed
Eventual victor James Pollard getting soaked from the spray kicked up by his Laser 4.7
Normally pictures of sailing on windy days tend to make the water look less choppy than it actually is – but in this case the long fetch for the north-westerly wind has created a confused maelstrom from the waves bouncing back off the dam wall that doesn’t look very pleasant at all
Nathan Pollard having to work very hard to try to prevent the boom of his Topper dragging in the water
