Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club race report — Sunday, July 14

Spare — Sailboat Two

This race should have run on April 28, but was cancelled when the wind completely deserted Upper Tamar Lake.  

Sunday seemed more hopeful with a promising, if variable easterly breeze as competitors set out. However, as the starting hooter sounded, the wind again faded, determined to be uncooperative.

By Dam Green the Lasers of Jane Anderson (radial), Nathan Pollard (full) and Paul Anderson (full) had pulled ahead, thereafter to remain in that order.  

The Gull of John Dabbs was then going well in pursuit but behind him there was some congestion as Cilla Gilbert with Brian Pollard crewing in a Bosun brushed the buoy, took another tack to round it successfully and completed a penalty turn, while Robin Spiller had to do a loop after heading the wrong way in his Streaker and Vicky Duncalf’s Topper sail lost the wind, stalling.

This all lost the latter group valuable time, giving the Lasers a huge advantage.  Although Dabbs was overtaken by the Streaker and finally the Bosun, he kept up a reasonable pace.  

The breeze came and went from various directions, catching Duncalf unbalanced in a slight gust and tipping her in the lake. After a quick recovery she returned to the shore to dry off.

The race was shortened to two laps due to the lack of wind.

Winner: Jane Anderson (Laser Radial); Runner-up: Nathan Pollard (Laser Full); 3rd: John Dabbs (Gull); 4th: Paul Anderson (Laser Full); 5th: Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun); 6th: Robin Spiller (Streaker)

Retired: Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Tamar Seven

WITH the breeze still light, not everyone fancied a second sluggish sail.  

The Bosun crew swapped places and Paul Petvin went out in the Gull.  

Jane Anderson and Nathan Pollard in the remaining Lasers got away well with Brian Pollard in close contention, followed by the Topper, but the last dinghy away took a while to cross the line.  

Later, as the wind died completely at the far end of the lake, Vicki Duncalf and Paul Petvin were left stranded in glassy calm, while the more fortunate Lasers were neck and neck on the way back to the dam. The Bosun was not far behind at first but lost momentum as it too succumbed to the lack of wind.

By the time a more encouraging north easterly breeze set in, Nathan Pollard had established his lead over Anderson on the water, but it proved difficult to extend over the three laps. The Bosun moved well, catching up a bit and the Topper persevered.  

The Gull slipped sideways, backwards and finally retired after two laps, it’s helm having enjoyed the learning experience.

Winner: Jane Anderson (Laser Radial); Runner-up: Nathan Pollard (Laser Full); 3rd: Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun); 4th: Vicki Duncalf (Topper)

Retired: Paul Petvin (Gull)

Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club race report — Sunday, July 21

Ladies/Gents/Junior/Gosling Five

IT WAS a bright day with light winds at the start and the course the race officers designed was largely determined by the position of fishermen, some perched a metre or two off-shore around Inlet.

Ten boats approached the start, all trying to keep close to the windward buoy in preparation for the long beat to West, which for some helms on some laps proved reachable in one tack.

Jane Anderson (Laser Radial) and Paul Anderson (Laser Full) crossed the line first, but then everyone arrived at once, pushing the Aero 5 of Adam Hilton beyond the buoy. By the first mark James Pollard (Laser Full) had established a clear lead and  the two Laser Radials of Sue Murray and Nathan Pollard had settled into a race long duel for third and fourth places, with Murray leading at the end of the first two laps and Nathan Pollard the second two.

The Aero 5, starting last, took a lap to clear the slower boats but never reached the leading four Lasers.

Vicki Duncalf (Topper) stayed in touch with the Murray/Pollard scrap for a while until overtaken by the Wills/Sampson Bosun. Jane Anderson finished 40 seconds behind James Pollard but her smaller sail gave her the victory when the handicaps were applied. Vicki Duncalf was rewarded for staying close to the leaders for so long by gaining second place. 

Winner: Jane Anderson (Laser Radial); Runner-up: Vicki Duncalf (Topper); 3rd: James Pollard (Laser Full); 4th: Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial); 5th: Sally Wills and Bob Sampson (Bosun); 6th: Sue Murray (Laser Radial); 7th: Adam Hilton (Aero 5); 8th: Cilla Gilbert and Brian Pollard (Bosun)

Retired: Paul Anderson (Laser Full), John Savage (Otter)

Pursuit Five

THE winds, and particularly the gusts, were stronger for the afternoon Pursuit race, with the single handed boats up on the plane when in the middle of the lake.

Vicki Duncalf started first and no one reached her, the Aero 5 (third to start) getting close at the end of the 67 minutes allotted to the race.

The Wills/Sampson Bosun started second, nine minutes after the Topper, but lacked pace in these conditions and lost a place each lap.

James Pollard (Laser Full), who started sixth, had 14 minutes to make up on the Topper and must have made up 13 of them — he came third.

The Laser Radials found it harder to gain ground; Sue Murray did best, finishing third, but Jane Anderson had had an impossible 18 minute handicap.

Winner: Vicki Duncalf (Topper); Runner-up: Adam Hilton (Aero 5); 3rd: James Pollard (Laser Full); 4th: Sue Murray (Laser Radial); 5th: Nathan Pollard (Laser Radial); 6th: Sally Wills and Bob Sampson (Bosun); 7th: Jane Anderson (Laser Radial); 8th: Brian Pollard and Cilla Gilbert (Bosun)

Grateful thanks were given to Jane Chadney and Stuart Mealing who ran the races and to Mandy Pollard for the photographs.