Tamar Ten

THIS was a day of really fierce gusts, boats suddenly bucking like broncos and often depositing their riders in the drink.

But it was warm and sunny and 15 boats signed on for the first race.

Adam Hilton (Solo) was blown over shortly before the start but got up and was third round the first mark after James Pollard (Laser Full) and Jane Anderson (Laser 4.7).

Steve Axford (Laser Radial) soon overtook and stayed at second behind James for the rest of the race. The wind had a neat trick of ending its gusts as suddenly as they had arrived and James became quite expert at retrieving the situation after being dumped backwards into the lake.

Behind the leaders, sailors were dropping out. Paul Anderson had thought better of starting, Roger Heasman (Streaker Wave) and Stuart Mealing (Laser Radial) went after one lap and Toby Tobias was having trouble keeping his Bosun upright without a crew.

That left the John Buckett/Brian Pollard Bosun as the leading two-hander. Jane Chadney (Laser 4.7) and Penny Abbott (Laser Radial) had a satisfying race-long battle with Penny ending in front by twenty seconds.

Linda Spiller after an eventful third lap - stuck in irons at Middle buoy and then capsized - was pleased to have stuck at it to the end of the race.

Jane Anderson’s 4.7 went from third on the water to first when the handicaps were applied and Nathan Pollard’s Topper went up from seventh to third but unusually the fleet mostly stayed in the order they finished even when handicapped.

1. J Anderson (Laser 4.7); 2. S Axford (Laser Radial); 3. N Pollard (Topper); 4. J Pollard (Laser); 5. J Chadney (Laser 4.7); 6. A Hilton (Solo); 7. P Abbott (Laser Radial); 8. J Buckett,B.Pollard (Bosun); 9. R Spiller (Streaker Wave); 10. A Comber, J Weller (Enterprise); 11. L Spiller (Laser Radial)

Retired: R Heasman (Streaker Wave), S Mealing (Laser Radial), T Tobias (Bosun)

Cup Seven

A FLEET reduced to ten boats set out on a revised course with more fast and exciting reaching but more dicey gibes as well. Penny Abbott (Laser Radial) was the one to capsize before the start this time but recovered to fifth at the end of the first lap, third at the end of the third and second at the end, giving her third on handicap, pushed down by Nathan Pollard (Topper) who finished an excellent third, giving him first on the handicap.

John Buckett, with Brian Pollard in the Bosun, had an excellent start, second over the line after Jane Anderson, and was neck and neck with the other Bosun of Toby Tobias and Rachael Pomeroy at the end of lap one, but spent most of the race behind Toby before getting over the finish line seven seconds in front!

1. N Pollard (Topper); 2. J Anderson (Laser Radial); 3. P Abbott (Laser Radial); 4. J Buckett, B Pollard (Bosun); 5. T Tobias, R Pomeroy (Bosun); 6. A Hilton (Solo); 7. P Whybrow (Solo); 8. A Comber, J Weller (Enterprise)

Retired: R Spiller (Streaker Wave), S Axford (Laser Radial)

Thanks were expressed to Eliot Pomeroy who was Officer of the Day, assisted by John Savage and Mandy Pollard.