Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club race report — Sunday, November 4

Frostbite Six

THE start was towards the Dam, the winds being southerly and gentle, and Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) was the first of nine boats to cross the line, with Nathan Pollard (Laser Full) second and Sally Wills, helming the club’s Bosun with Roger Heasman as crew, third.

This was a day when the few minutes after the starts were crucial and as a result, very little overtaking took place.

By the end of the first lap, Nathan Pollard had grabbed the lead from Jane Anderson and Adam Hilton (Solo) had cleared the rest of the fleet to follow behind these two leaders.

Robin Spiller (Streaker) was next and Penny Abbott got her Laser Radial up to fifth ahead of the three Bosuns during the second lap. These laps were taking about 20 minutes and so the race officer John Duncalf shortened the contest to three of them. Hilton’s Solo finished three minutes behind the leading Laser, enough to give him the victory on handicap.

Winner: Adam Hilton (Solo); Runner-up: Jane Anderson (Laser Radial); 3rd: Robin Spiller (Streaker); 4th: Nathan Pollard (Laser Full); 5th: Sally Wills and Roger Heasman (Bosun); 6th: Jane Chadney and John Dabbs (Bosun); 7th: Penny Abbott (Laser Radial); 8th: Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun); 9th: Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Icicle Six

JANE Anderson again started first with next Roger Heasman, now bossing the club Bosun, then Adam Hilton’ Solo and Robin Spiller’s Streaker.

But more important was the order around the first buoy. With Dam Green so close to the start line and with the wind just West of South and therefore a choice of starting on port and coming up to the buoy on starboard or the other way round, there was plenty of scope for conflict as the fleet all arrived at pretty much the same time.

As an example, Heasman, on port, lost time having to dive behind the starboard tacking Pollard.

In any event, the leaders as they ran up to Middle emerged as the familiar Anderson, Pollard, Hilton trio.

Pollard overtook Anderson on the first lap but never got far enough ahead to overcome the handicap difference between Radial and Full sails.

Penny Abbott (Laser Radial) got pushed well out at Dam Green but asserted herself on the way up the lake and spent the race at fourth ahead of Spiller.

The wind was slightly fresher and lap times went down enough for John Duncalf, running the race, to allow it to run the full four laps — to no avail; no overtaking took place after the first lap!

Once the handicaps were applied, it was Hilton who took victory.

Winner: Adam Hilton (Solo); Runner-up: Jane Anderson (Laser Radial); 3rd: Nathan Pollard (Laser Full); 4th: Robin Spiller (Streaker); 5th: Penny Abbott (Laser Radial); 6th: Roger Heasman and Sally Wills (Bosun); 7th: John Dabbs and Jane Chadney (Bosun); 8th: Vicki Duncalf (Topper); 9th: Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)

Thanks were expressed to John Duncalf, who was officer of the day, to Sue Murray and Bob Sampson who were in the safety boat and to Mandy Pollard who took the photographs.