A general view from the Dam of the start of the midday race, James Pollard probably just first away
And an excellent close-up of the fleet gybing round Dam Green
The fleet heading away, very much in a stop-start mode, as the gusts came and went with almost no warning; Toby Tobias was being Captain Courageous in the first race, bravely taking on the conditions single-handed in a full-sailed Bosun
Everything looking surprisingly benign here in the sunshine, as Adam Hilton’s Solo and Penny Abbot’s Laser Radial beat back down the lake
Start of the afternoon race, with Jane Anderson first across the line in her Laser 4.7
Sufficient wind in the gust to have the Topper up on its side and dragging the boom through the water, though the lack of white caps on the water suggest that the overall windspeed wasn’t necessarily that high – but despite it all, Nathan went on to win on handicap
And then the vicious gusts would die just as soon as they came….. Here a hiking Steve Axford has had the wind vanish from under him, necessitating a rapid scramble back inboard for even the most experienced sailor
The two Bosuns slogging it out on the beat: Toby, now with Rachael Pomeroy as crew, ahead of John Buckett and Brian Pollard in the white-hulled boat
Always an interesting first few seconds when there’s a split on whether to go for a port or starboard tack start, though the light winds for the midday race meant that helms had longer to respond to calls of ‘Starboard’
Looking for the wind – and the best line – to the the first mark
Really good to see two rarely-raced boats out on the water: Elliot Pomeroy and crew Rachael are out in Wayfarer 4004 (formerly raced at Tamar by Roger Ford and Val Shillito), whilst Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert head downwind in the Kestrel
Nathan and John in close company in their Toppers
Relatively rare to see four Lasers in such tight competition at Tamar in the later stages of a race: here Bob Sampson (who went on to win) leads this quartet, whilst Sue Murray (in the red-hulled boat) came in an excellent second
Start of the afternoon race, with James Pollard showing at the head of the fleet
Interesting shot of the opening beat to West White: although camera angles can be deceiving, it looks as though Jane Anderson and Bob Sampson, tighter in to the Cornwall bank, have got a higher line to the mark than the boats further out in the lake
Jane Anderson getting her Laser onto the plane in the afternoon, on her way to victory in the second race
Swirling gulls, perhaps driven inland by rough weather at sea, provide a backdrop as the leaders head into the stronger winds in West
The whole fleet (already reduced by a couple of retirements) in shot on the reach back from Pinky; Jane Chadney, bravely out in the lone Laser 4.7, leads the fleet
Jane planing back across the middle of the lake
More spray than hull visible as eventual winner, Nathan Pollard, keeps his Topper from submarining
Not just spray but solid green water looks to be coming aboard as the Bosun of Brian Pollard and John Dabbs bludgeons its way through the chop
Nathan makes a deft recovery from a wobble near the start line
Elliot Pomeroy, with Rachael and Jack as crew, all sitting on the side to keep the ‘Mona and Mike Ford’ nicely balanced on the beat
The fleet looks for wind after the start of the midday race – and mainly fails to find any – but some impressive reflections in the water and nice cloudscapes, instead
Just enough breeze to get the boats gliding sedately along – but still quite a change from last week, though
Eventual winner Jane Anderson coming up behind the Bosun of Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard
Studies in concentration: both Nathan Pollard and Adam Hilton look totally focussed in the light winds
A tad more breeze for the start of the Icicle Series in the afternoon, but the weather clearly belying the series name, as the the RS200 leads away the fleet on a bright, sunny day
Judging by the surface of the water, there’s breeze in front of them and also behind them by the Cornwall bank, but Adeney Pooler and Linda Spiller are having to negotiate the flat patch in between
John Dabbs doing well to have his Gull up with the Laser
White sails contrasting with the shade of the wooded bank behind, with Elliot needing his sunglasses in the low-angle autumnal sunshine
Using Start Line 2, much of the fleet looks to be seriously line-shy, but Jane Anderson is quickly away in the foreground, though Nathan Pollard in the RS200 has gone for a start well to windward
Nathan Pollard and Jane Chadney get the RS200 round the tricky approach to Dam Green, with Jane Anderson just behind in her Laser Radial and Linda Spiller on the outside in the full-rig Laser
A line of helms waiting for the inside boat to decide when to tack – a difficult decision, as the wind seemed to be especially fluky for those approaching Dam Green on port tack
The front of the fleet on the dogleg from Zebra to Inlet White: Paul Anderson and Penny Abbott at the back of this quintet
John Dabbs, eventual winner of the morning race, to windward of Geoff Floyd in the Solo and Cilla Gilbert helming the Bosun on the reach to Pinkie; sufficient wind on this part of the course to get the tell-tales flying
Positions reversed in the afternoon race: Jane Anderson slightly to windward of the RS200 this time, with Paul Whybrow just behind in the red-hulled Solo
Look out, we’re behind you….! The RS200, with pink gennaker still flying as it approaches Dam Green, closes up behind Jane
A nice illustration of how the wind direction bent across the lake on Sunday…..; John Dabbs in the Gull on port tack beating across towards Zebra in the foreground, whilst in the background, the boats are also hard on the beat (albeit on starboard) as they make for Pinkie
A lake of deep Mediterranean blue, deceptively smooth in the foreground, as the midday race in the Frostbite series gets underway
Roger Heasman’s Streaker Wave leads a group round the sometimes tense gybe at Dam Green; note the dark water denoting an onrushing gust in the foreground
A broad reach for this quartet of boats heading down towards the top of the lake
Almost the whole fleet in shot, heading for Pinkie
Excellent close-up of Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert in the Bosun
Again, the calm before the storm, at the start of the afternoon race – Bob Sampson just leading away from the red-hulled Bosun helmed by Adam Hilton
Bearing away for Dam Red, just after the start
Bob Sampson’s full-rig Laser with only a short lead over the Laser 4.7 of Jane Anderson
Nathan Pollard and Jane Chadney in the RS200 leading the fleet away to the first mark
An impressively large number of boats on the water for a late-October race
Still close racing at the front of the fleet as the race unfolds: the Lasers of Jane Anderson, Sue Murray and Bob Sampson are all tight on the heels of the RS200
The whole fleet takes the same line on a port tack start for the afternoon race, led by Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert in the Bosun
Paul Whybrow’s Solo bears away, with a string of dinghies about to follow in his wake
The sails of a sextet of boats make an excellent composition for the photographer as they run downwind towards Zebra, with the brightly-coloured Topper sails standing out in the hazy October light
Despite the forecast light winds, Bob Sampson is having to hike out hard in the Laser as he beats towards the Dam
The heron turns a blind eye but Elliot and Rachael Pomeroy are going well in the club Wayfarer
Steve Axford leads the fleet away at the start of the aptly-named Frostbite race on a bitterly cold day
Close competition between the Bosuns: Adam Hilton and John Dabbs just ahead of the blue-hulled Bosun helmed by Brian Pollard and with two crew: Cilla Gilbert and Jane Chadney
Round Dam Green and starting on the beat
And just when you think it can’t get much colder, along comes a hail storm! (Though it seems to have flattened the wind temporarily)
Fabulous picture of Steve Axford planing at speed
Under a threatening sky, six brave helms and crews get away for the start of the afternoon’s Icicle race
Whitecaps in evidence as Steve Axford and Sue Murray beat up the lake
And then, shortly afterwards, the sun is out and the wind seems to have dropped
Some patchy sunshine and a good turnout (14 boats) as the fleet starts the final midday race into a northerly breeze
Fighting for elbow room as a cluster of boats try to find both water and wind to round Inlet, where the hillside has blanketed the northerly breeze
A picture of concentration as Jane Anderson rounds Dam Green on her way to victory in the Frostbite race
And Penny Abbott at the same mark…
Sue Murray tight behind Graham Joyce as they start to harden up
And similarly tight racing in the Toppers, with Elliott Pomeroy hard on the heels of Nathan Pollard
A smaller fleet at the start of the afternoon race; Roger Heasman appears to be several boat lengths ahead but it transpired that he had been over the line at the gun and was subsequently recalled to do a re-start
Ghosting downwind in winds that became lighter as the afternoon progressed; Adam Hilton’s Solo is clearly going extremely well at this point, as he is keeping pace with Jane Anderson’s Laser Radial – and indeed he went on to win the race on handicap
