Linda Spiller gets away first in her new Laser in the second of the Icicle series, with Nathan Pollard and Jane Chadney just behind
Around Dam Green and heading to West Red, Jane Chadney already has the RS 200’s pink asymmetric spinnaker pulling, but Rachel Pomeroy is just behind in club Bosun the ‘Rob Eason’
It’s presumably an optical illusion, but it looks uncannily as if the Bosun (and also Linda Spiller’s Laser) both have seagulls taking a ride on their dinghies (and no, nobody has been fiddling with Photoshop….)
Elliot Pomeroy, with Kian Downes as crew, looking comfortable in the ‘Mike Ford’
Jane Anderson is showing ahead of the fleet, but is slightly down to leeward as the whole fleet forms a procession at the upwind end of the start line in Frostbite 2, but Vicki’s Topper seems to be well placed to windward
With a 15-strong fleet and only a short beat to Dam Green, there’s lots of pressure to get in the right place to squeeze round the mark; here, Paul Whybrow’s Solo heads a tightly-packed group of eight boats as they head for Home 2
Geoff Floyd gliding along in his Solo, just in front of new member Mike Coulson, who is testing out his new sail in the Laser Pico and is apparently the only one of this trio to have found a temporary gust of wind
If they ever invent a new sport of synchronised sailing, it looks as though Rachael and Vicki would be naturals at it
Linda Spiller gets away first in her new Laser on Start Line 2
Lots of two-way traffic as the fleet tacks in front of the Dam and then heads downwind, with boats running on Starboard tack confronting helms heading for the mark on Port
Nathan Pollard and Jane Chadney head this group of four boats but Elliot Pomeroy in the Bosun is well placed with faster boats
Still time for a chat: Linda and Robin Spiller gliding downwind
The view from the Dam walkway: quite a reasonable amount of wind at this point in the race, but further up the lake towards Pinky, there were numerous dead spots to be negotiated
A tightly packed fleet just after the start of the afternoon’s race in the Icicle series
A nice composition of criss-crossing masts as the leading boats vie to be first around Dam Red: eventual winner James Pollard gets to the lay line for an approach on starboard
Helms and crews wearing dry suits and a grey misty background suggests that winter is getting close: James Pollard still managing to keep ahead of Sue Murray and Bob Sampson in the RS200
A sunny late October day brings out a 16-strong fleet, starting with a beat into the southerly wind to Dam Green
Tight at Dam Green as helms take various strategies to getting round the mark and off downwind
Annie Quartermain looking comfortable at the helm of her new Laser, with Nicky Buckett in the Bosun and Allan Comber in the Enterprise upwind of her
Although the predicted windspeeds suggested a gentle sail, at times there were patches that had boats heeled hard over, with helms and crews having to work hard: here Sue Murray and Bob Sampson in the RS200 are leading Adam Hilton in the distinctive yellow-hulled Sollo
Jane Anderson and James Pollard already leading the fleet away for the start of the afternoon’s Icicle Series race
Once more, very tight at the first mark as the bulk of the fleet arrive at Dam Green almost together
The fleet disappear into the distance at Far; Bosun 101, with Rachael Pomeroy and Cilla Gilbert, are well up towards the front of the fleet, on their way to the second of their day’s victories on handicap
Adam Hilton leading Linda and Robin Spiller in the Laser Radial and Streaker respectively
‘I think this might come in useful…’; with almost no wind in evidence and a long slow drift in prospect, paddles were the ‘must-have’ accessory of the day – though in fact, most boats stuck it out to the end of the race
With the wind direction fluctuating wildly, it was never going to be a start into a true beat – and the whole fleet wanted to be starting at the Home 1 end of the line, so there was much jostling for position
Very slow going as a trio of boats drift towards West Red
Here there are at least tiny wakes coming from the sterns of the three dinghies, so they are at least showing signs of perceptible movement
A new course for the afternoon race, with a beat to Dam Green into a (mainly) south-easterly breeze that was appreciably stronger than in the morning
Winner of both the day’s races, Jane Anderson is away clear round the first mark
Fewer boats out in the afternoon race, but the fabulous weather produced an excellent turn-out for an end-of-season race in November, with a total of nine different dinghy classes visible on the water in this shot
Jane Anderson increasing her lead as she glides downwind, but Adam Hilton’s yellow Solo, which eventually ended up in second place, still has work to do here, some distance behind the Bosun of Rachael Pomeroy and Cilla Gilbert
The start of the midday race, with five boats and crews heading up the lake into a heavy driving drizzle
Elliot Pomeroy to windward of Vicki Duncalf on what looks to have turned into a beat – the wind, which initially looked to be mainly westerly, turned progressively more northerly during the course of the day
Steve Axford and Bob Sampson on the plane. The duo were never far apart for the whole race, but Steve, who was just behind as they rounded Dam Green on the final lap, managed to snatch victory by a tactical tack in the last few yards
Vicki Duncalf keeping ahead of the Bosun of Adam Hilton and John Dabbs. Note the fisherman in the background, who is so unworried by the chill of a bitter early Spring day, that he’s prepared to stand in the water
Start of the afternoon race: the Bosun has stolen a march on the remainder of the fleet by getting away quickly and well to windward. The streaks of foam on the water show that the wind remained pretty strong
Good telephoto close-up of Elliot Pomeroy, wrapped up against the cold
The Bosun’s excellent start means that it’s still in the lead as it beats up to the first mark at Middle
No early-season rustiness for Sue Murray, who looked very comfortable in her Laser 4.7 – and ended up in the 2nd place
Warm sunshine, a full lake and a steadyish breeze – what more could you want in mid-March: the front runners of the fleet start on a port tack towards Dam Red
Really nice to see Paul Anderson back from foreign climes; Vicki blankets Paul on the broad reach up towards Pinkie
A touch of haze adds soft focus to an inviting picture as the boats head towards the downwind mark at Pinkie
Sufficient wind to get James Pollard hiking out in his full-rig Laser, just ahead of Jane Anderson’s Laser Radial
James Pollard looks to have made a good start in the second race, perhaps pointing marginally higher than the following boats
Centreboards up, kickers off, as nearly the entire fleet groups nicely for the camera
Adam Hilton, with a sunny smile, ghosts downwind, whilst the Otter is pushed wide by a header on the beat towards Dam Red
James Pollard and James Williams pictured together as they head back down the lake on a close reach
