Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club race report — Sunday, September 8

Commodore Seven

EIGHTEEN sailors in 14 boats took off towards West in gentle but reliable north-westerly winds that tended to freshen as the day went on.

Sue Murray (Laser), Adam Hilton (Aero 9) and Roger Heasman (with Sally Wills in the club’s Wayfarer) were the fast starters, with Murray leading the first lap with a little group that soon included Jane Anderson (Laser) and Mike Coulson with Nicky Buckett crewing his Wayfarer.

The Heasman/Wills Wayfarer dropped back. A second tussle followed, but at an increasing distance. This group consisted of Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial) whose smaller sail eventually put him behind, Bob Sampson and Steve Axford in Lasers who swapped places and the leader (with a good two square metres more sail than the others) the Hilton Aero 9.

Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert’s Bosun led John Buckett’s Otter and the other Bosuns of John Dabbs, with Bob Jiggens, and Colin Witchell with Louise.

In the course of lap two, Murray was overtaken by Anderson and then the Coulson/Buckett Wayfarer.

By lap three the field was widely spread but the Sampson/Axford duel continued to the end. The handicaps for the Commodore series being based on the past performance of the helm meant that the winner on the water, Jane Anderson, was reduced to sixth in the final results.

Winners: Mike Coulson and Nicky Buckett (Wayfarer); Runner-up: Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun); 3rd: Geoff Floyd (Solo); 4th: Sue Murray (Laser); 5th: Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial); 6th: Jane Anderson (Laser); 7th: John Buckett (Otter); 8th: Steve Axford (Laser); 9th: Bob Sampson (Laser); 10th: Adam Hilton (Aero 9); 11th: John Dabbs and Bob Jiggens (Bosun); 12th: Graham Joyce (Laser).

Retired: Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Wayfarer), Colin and Louise Witchell (Bosun).

Tamar Ten

HALF the fleet started on port tack, close to the pontoon and the other half on starboard near the blue Home One buoy.

Whether it was through the better choice of tack or his superior timing, it was Steve Axford who got off first and led the first two laps.

Sue Murray, now with a smaller sail to cope with the freshening wind, was a close second at the start but was overtaken by the Coulson Wayfarer, now with its regular crew and flying the spinnaker on the long run back to the Dam.

Then past came Nathan Pollard, who’d put the full sail on his Laser to comply with the Tamar Series one boat/one sail rule, was still sixth as they ran from Pinky but had got himself to fourth by the end of lap one and third on lap two only to have Bob Sampson (Laser) go by on the last lap.

The club’s Rob Eason Bosun again proved easily the fastest of the Bosun fleet, finishing seventh on the water, but behind it a group of boats seemed to change places with each of the beats that dominated the excellent James Pollard-designed course.

They were, in the order they eventually finished on the water with Adam Hilton and John Dabbs (Bosun) ahead of Roger Heasman and Sally Wills, now in the other Club Bosun, John Buckett (Otter), Mark and George Stacey (Fusion) and Geoff Floyd (Solo).

Winner: Steve Axford (Laser Full); Runner-up: Jane Anderson (Laser Radial); 3rd: Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun); 4th: Sue Murray (Laser Radial); 5th: Bob Sampson (Laser Full); 6th: Nathan Pollard (Laser Full); 7th: Mark and George Stacey (Fusion); 8th: John Buckett (Otter); 9th: Adam Hilton and John Dabbs (Bosun); 10th: Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun); 11th: Geoff Floyd (Solo)

Retired: Mike and Viki Herbert-Coulson (Wayfarer).

Thanks were expressed to James Pollard, who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.