Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club race report, Sunday, July 10

Tamar 4

JAMES Pollard comfortably won the Tamar Four race held at the Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club last Sunday on a horrible day for sailing.

With 30mph gusts forecast, and blasts very like that coming over the hill and making white water in the middle of the lake, a lot of sailors stood on the bank and wondered whether to take to the water.

Eventually seven boats did with James Pollard in the only Laser (albeit with a little 4.7 sail) getting away first followed by Vicki Duncalf, Jane Anderson and Nathan Pollard in Toppers with some having a prudent amount of their sails still wrapped safely around their masts. Three Bosuns followed, led by Adam Hilton, Linda Spiller and John Dabbs with small otter sails. Next came the brave Elliot Pomeroy and Amy Gere in a club Bosun with full-size sails and finally John Buckett and Brian Pollard who had also made the cautious sail choice.

Competitors were spared a gibe at the far end of the lake and James came planing back towards the dam at great speed followed by Jane, who now led the Toppers. In the lee of the hill the wind was quite capable of dropping to nothing, leaving the Hilton, Spiller and Dabbs Bosun drifting onto the buoy at Home One.

It was consequently overtaken by its Pomeroy/Gere sister ship as the big sails ran faster to the pinky. While this move was going on, Nathan was returning but a gust caused his mast to hit the Bosun’s shrouds . He did penalty turns but maybe the nearest Bosun, on port, was more at fault. Elliot had trouble getting the Bosun round Pinky and gave up the unequal struggle with the wind at the end of the lap.

James was way ahead at the finish, with Jane following and then Vicki, who had got ahead of Nathan, only to be re-overtaken in the blast towards the dam. No one capsized!

1. J Pollard (Laser 4.7); 2. J Anderson (Topper); 3. N Pollard (Topper); 4. V Duncalf (Topper); 5. A Hilton, L Spiller, J Dabbs (Bosun); 6. J Buckett, B Pollard (Bosun)

Retired: E Pomeroy, A Gere (Bosun)

The winds increased over lunch and the afternoon race was abandoned.

Thanks were then expressed to Robin Spiller forbeing the Officer of the Day.