Four full-rig Lasers head the 18-strong fleet at the midday start, with Nicky Buckett well positioned to windward
Tight racing in the Laser fleet, as a bunch of four helms arrive at Dam Green, with Graham Joyce at the front of the pack
John Dabbs up at the sharp end, surmounting the intricacies of using a spinnaker (a rare sight at Tamar – but with the course including a reach from Pinky to Dam Green, a sufficiently long leg to make it worth a try)
Only a slightly smaller start for the afternoon race, with a split between port and starboard tack starters
On the reach back from Pinkie, with the Lasers showing at the front of the fleet and Jane Anderson pulling away clear
The wind picked up for the afternoon race (with the westerly probably aided by a sea breeze), giving sufficient power to get the Lasers on the plane across the middle of the lake
Good close-up of Nicky Buckett, going nicely in a quieter patch
More close quarters competition at Dam Green (apparently sufficiently nerve-racking enough to get Robin biting his fingernails)
With a course set to use Start Line 2, five boats head towards Middle on a day of intermittent drizzle/rain and low cloud
Eventual winner Jane Anderson in her Radial, between the two full-rig Lasers of Bob Sampson and James Pollard
A beacon on a grey day, the yellow-hulled Solo of Adam Hilton emerges out of the murk on a fast reach back to Dam Green
Brian Pollard busy bailing (from rainwater rather than lake water) in the Bosun; the two Toppers behind show the strength of some of the gusts, which were also alarmingly variable in direction at times
Nathan Pollard, out on his own in the afternoon’s Pursuit Race
When the low cloud rolled across the lake at times, visibility became so poor that the safety boat took up station in the middle of the lake; here Bob Sampson’s Laser is in stealth mode as it glides through the fog
The Bosun of Nicky Buckett and Brian Pollard has just managed to overtake Nathan Pollard, as the two boats emerge out of the gloom at Middle
But then finally the mist cleared, to allow a crisp shot of Sue Murray getting the Laser 4.7 onto the plane
Nathan keeping a watchful eye on the sail when heading downwind, whilst Linda Spiller undertakes the short beat up to Zebra
Round the buoy and whizz….. immediately up onto the plane
John Dabbs helming on a day not for the faint-hearted
Nathan bears away towards the turn at Zebra, almost submerging the end of the boom as he does so. The edge of the whitecaps and sizeable chop across the exposed middle of the lake can clearly be seen just a few yards behind….
Sue Murray makes a brilliant start in her Laser 4.7 at extreme left, whilst the Enterprise has to circle round for a re-start
Adam Hilton and John Dabbs lead a trio of boats up the lake towards Far
And another trio of boats, further up the lake, passing the Start Line 2 mark; the strength of the wind meant that Roger had switched to the smaller Streaker Wave rig
James Pollard at full stretch on the plane across the middle of the lake, in a full-rig Laser, no less…..
Adam looks back… but doesn’t get turned into a pillar of salt, on a day when he and John Dabbs surmounted anything the elements could throw at them – the two Solos picking up the gusts just behind
Start of the afternoon race, with Jane Chadney making an excellent start
James again blasting downwind on a broad reachthe lake, in a full-rig Laser, no less…..
And Jane Chadney generating an impressive cloud of spray, even in the smaller 4.7 rig
Linda Spiller’s Laser 4.7 in between the two Bosuns
Nice shot of the three Bosun’s competing for the Roger’s Bosun Trophy: John Dabbs and Adam Hilton lead the way, with Brian Pollard and Roger Heasman in the ‘Rob Eason’, with Cilla Gilbert and Bob Sampson completing the trio. Good to see….
Ensemble picture of all eight boats in the fleet – encouraging for a Wednesday race.
Nathan Pollard takes a step into the unknown, racing with brother James’s Laser.
John Duncalf at the front of a gently drifting fleet as the horn sounds
But then they all line line up into a tightly packed phalanx of boats
Plenty of time for an extended chat, as Bosun and Enterprise ghost past Zebra
Lasers at the front of the fleet, but surprisingly, Adeney Pooler’s Graduate and Adam Hilton’s Solo are only just behind, resulting in well-earned first and second places respectively on handicap
John Buckett’s Otter temporarily at the front in the afternoon’s Pursuit Race, just ahead of early leader Nathan Pollard, but the red hull of Paul Whybrow’s Solo is looming up in the background, on its way to victory
The afternoon’s racing was in considerably more wind, with a steadyish north-easterly pushing the boats along quite nicely at times; here, a gust has Adeney’s Graduate up on the chine
The powerboat heads out to get ready to record the finishing places, with Paul Whybrow having a comfortable cushion ahead of the chasing fleet
Tight competition for the minor places, as gulls swirl across the foreground to give sometime of a maritime atmosphere at the landlocked reservoir
Paul Whybrow first away to leeward, in very light airs
Close racing in the Roger’s Bosun competition; here Brian Pollard is just ahead of John Dabbs
Brian Pollard helming, with Roger Heasman ever-watchful from under the boom
Cilla Gilbert looks to have found a little more wind here, at the helm of the recently-renamed ‘Mona and Mike Ford’, with Bob Sampson sitting out to leeward to induce a little heel
A port-tack start on the first beat to West White; Jane Chadney nicely positioned to windward at the front
Just after the start; noticeable how the boats that are closest to the shore have less pronounced wakes than those further out, presumably a result of the wind shadow effect of the trees behind the dinghy park
Linda Spiller having a great race in her Laser, close up behind James Pollard on the way to a 4th place on handicap
Penny Abbot helming the Bosun, crewed by new members Bob and Ann Bennett, out in their first race with the club
James Pollard leaves the rest of the fleet in his wake at the start of the afternoon Cup Race
The top end of the lake filled with the 18-strong fleet:good spectator sport for the Bank Holiday visitors to Tamar
More new members, Raily, Mario and Orlando Graham, crewing under the watchful eye of Adam Hilton
The Enterprise heads a group of boats round the dogleg between the newly-replaced Inlet White buoy (many thanks, Matt) and Zebra, giving an enjoyable short reach across the windiest part of the lake
