The fleet challenge C brought out a number of new faces to racing including Sam Evans and Jonathan Connor. With racing being held as three (short?) races each day there’s the opportunity to practice starts, and the added bonus of personal handicapping (rather than fleet handicaps) so it’s possible to get a couple of good results in before the computer catches up with you!

Jonathon was overnight leader and was tempted to forgo work to maintain that lead, but he didn’t. He was of course doubly handicapped by having Hugh in the front end on Saturday (not good in light winds!)

Sunday started light and drizzly, and then the wind disappeared so there was no racing until after lunch when OD Ian Macpherson got all three races in, but the wind never seemed to settle down. Perhaps if the results had been calculated after race 5 no-one need have sailed the last race.

The results seemed a bit challenging to Sam’s dad as he didn’t realise Sam had won the series (and that he’d have to come to the annual dinner to collect his prize!)

Anyone keeping an eye on the webcam (now that’s it’s working again) may have noticed the happy wedding couple having� a photo session. Talking of which, congratulations to Grahamo and Sarah on their recent engagement. No doubt last night’s party left a few people feeling very sorry for themselves today!

FLEET CHALLENGE C

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2   3   4   5   6 Pts
 1    1666  S EVANS       RSFEVA       2   2   6   6   1   5  10
 2     937  W CARRUTHERS  RS400        3   4   4   5   4   4  15
 3  174889  S HALL        LAS          7   6   5   4   5   2  16
 4  130338  RiCRITCHLEY   LAS        DNS DNS DNS   1   2   1  18
 5    1066  J CONNOR      RSFEVA       5   1   3 DNS DNS DNS  23
 6     103  A NICHOLSON   VARIO        4   5   1 DNS DNS DNS  24
 7    1140  J CHRISTIE    LAS        RTD RTD DNS   2   3 DNS  25
 8  167828  I MACPHERSON  LAS          6   7 RTD  OD DNS DNS  25
 9    1072  R DAWSON      RS400        1   3 RTD DNS DNS DNS  27
10     913  JoHARDIE      RS200      DNS DNS DNS   3   7   3  27
11   13401  G ASHBY       GP           8   8   2 DNS DNS DNS  32
12     562  A SMITH       ENT         OD DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS  45
13   13142  P ALFORD      GP         DNS DNS DNS DNS   6 DNS  48

                     Points for RTD = 10  10   9   7   8   6
                     Points for DSQ = 10  10   9   7   8   6
                     Points for DNS = 14

 4 races to count

PS Hugh has had the video out again

The final race of the Night Jar B Thursday night series managed to be squeezed in before the evenings get too dark. Six boats entered the final race in very light winds. The OD set a short course but even so there was much debate about when to shorten the course as darkness was falling very quickly but if anything the wind was getting stronger! The� race was won by Dave Todhunter in his Mirror, however Joe Watkins’s second place was sufficient for him to pip Eric Smith at the post and take the series -� well done Joe!

NIGHT JAR B

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2   3   4 Pts
 1   41143  JoWATKINS     TOP          4   3   1   2   6
 2   12682  E SMITH       MS           2   4   1 DNS   7
 3   13326  S WATSON      GP           1 DNS   3   5   9
 4     913  JoHARDIE      RS200        3   7   5   3  11
 5    1066  J CONNOR      RSFEVA     DNS   1  10   3  14
 6  174889  S HALL        LAS         10   5   6   5  16
 7     501  J CROSBIE     RS400        9   9 DNS  OD  21
 8   21863  D TODHUNTER   MS          15  15   9   1  25
 9     103  A NICHOLSON   VARIO       12   8   7 DNS  27
10   91029  R BLACKBURN   RS400        8  11 RTD DNS  34
11  161866  M LORD        LAS          4  10 DNS DNS  43
12   13867  D NICHOLSON   GP           7 DNS   8 DNS  44
13    1148  N CURRIE      RS400        6  14 DNS DNS  49
14  173813  P BURNELL     LAS        DNS   6 RTD DNS  51
15   13733  A HODGKINS    GP          12  12 DNS DNS  53
16   13118  V BELL        GP          14  13 DNS DNS  56
17  130338  RiCRITCHLEY   LAS        DNS   2 DNS DNS  60
18  213142  R HODGKINS    LAS         OD DNS DNS DNS  61
19   70142  T SMITH       MS         DNS  OD DNS DNS  61
20  113467  M WRIGHT      GP14       DNS DNS  OD DNS  61
21     927  G CRAIG       TOP        DNS DNS   4 DNS  62
22   13467  P MAYHEW      GP         DNS DNS  11 DNS  69
23    1298  S HUNT        RS400       11 DNS DNS DNS  69
24    1029  M STATTER     TOPAZ      DNS DNS RTD DNS  73
25    1193  W LEWIS       RS200       16 DNS DNS DNS  74
26  125514  R BRYCE       LAS         17 DNS DNS DNS  75
27    9558  P HODGKINS    B14        RTD DNS DNS DNS  78
27    2463  D BECK        GP         RTD DNS DNS DNS  78

                     Points for RTD = 20  16  15   7
                     Points for DSQ = 20  16  15   7
                     Points for DNS = 29

 3 races to count

Apart from a taster session on what must have been one of the wettest day’s of the summer, the OD (or was it Herb) thought better of it when it came to racing. The wind and waves had picked up, and coupled with the rain, apathy set in and racing was abandoned. Of course the wind did ease, and the rain eventually stop, but by then it was too late. However, as you may have noticed from the webcam, Steve Hunt did venture out. He reckons Rich Critchley tried (but failed miserably) to capsize them.

Things didn’t look too promising on Sunday morning. Apathy was embedding itself in everyone’s minds. However, Neil had taken the cover off the boat, and put the jib up, only for everyone to find that he was tuning his boat!

Looking down the wind, we could see the tops of the waves, which is not encouraging! The race did start about Noon, and there was some good racing. Robbie D and Toggle seem to be capsize kings for the day (makes a change from Roy) capsizing once before the start, and then more crucially, just coming into the leeward mark – with their mast in the mud, they lost two places and Steve Hunt, with Sam Hall crewing, won from William and Lesley.

In the GPs, some match racing was the order of the day for Hugh and Nigel. Hugh went on to win.

In the afternoon a brave few ventured out for the Banana Stakes. The winds were blustery again and the kindly OD sent us all around the lake (as you do for pennants!)� The OD and Herb reckoned that the best plane of the day went to Rhonwen & Hugh who planed for about 10 minutes followed by 10 minutes doing 360 degree capsizes! They were not the only ones to capsize – apart from Keith Thomas & Jonathan Connor in a fifteen all the other boats capsized during the race – even William & Lesley who crashed and burned big style!� Rory Yardley, had a good leg down to the bottom of the lake – shame he was hading for 12 instead of 13! Steve Hunt with Sam Hall crewing were first home, but it was Keith & Jonathan who won after personal handicaps were used to calculate the results.

Check out Hugh’s video from last week (Could be painfully slow if you don’t use broadband – Sorry!)

HANDICAP FLEET SKIDDAW TROPHY

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2   3   4   5 Pts
 1    1298  S HUNT        RS400        3   1   2   3   1   4
 2    1072  R DAWSON      RS400        1   3   3   1   3   5
 3     937  W CARRUTHERS  RS400        6   2   5 DNS   2   9
 4    1148  N CURRIE      RS400        2   4   6   4   4  10
 5   91029  R BLACKBURN   RS400      DNS DNS RTD   5   5  20
 6  174889  S HALL        LAS          8   6   8 DNS DNS  22
 7   13885  M FAIRLAMB    GP         DNS DNS   1   2 DNS  24
 8    1049  M SOMERVILLE  RS400        5   5 DNS DNS DNS  30
 9  167828  I MACPHERSON  LAS          4   7 DNS DNS DNS  32
10    9558  P HODGKINS    B14          7 RTD DNS DNS DNS  37
11  160516  T CHITTENDEN  LAS          9   8 DNS DNS DNS  38
12  130338  RiCRITCHLEY   LAS         OD DNS DNS DNS DNS  43
13     913  JoHARDIE      RS200      DNS DNS   4 DNS DNS  44
14  173813  P BURNELL     LAS        DNS DNS  OD DNS DNS  45
15    3520  S BROOKES     FF         DNS DNS   7 DNS DNS  49
16   40892  J HEMINGWAY   TOP         11 DNS DNS DNS DNS  51
17     924  S MCCLENNAN   FF          10 DNS DNS DNS DNS  52
18      41  K HEMMINGWAY  OPPPIE      12 DNS DNS DNS DNS  52
19    9382  C HEMMINGWAY  RSFEVA      13 DNS DNS DNS DNS  53

                     Points for RTD = 14  10  10   6   6
                     Points for DSQ = 14  10  10   6   6
                     Points for DNS = 20

 3 races to count

GP14 AUTUMN CUP

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2   3   4   5 Pts
 1   13176  D LAWSON      GP           1   1 DNS DNS DNS   2
 2   13905  H GODFREY     GP           2   2 DNS DNS   1   3
 3   13655  N LEWIS       GP         DNS DNS DNS DNS   2   6

                     Points for RTD =  3   3   0   0   3
                     Points for DSQ =  3   3   0   0   3
                     Points for DNS =  4

 2 races to count

BANANA STAKES

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1 Pts
 1    2504  K THOMAS      FF           1   1
 2    1298  S HUNT        RS400        2   2
 3   13905  H GODFREY     GP           3   3
 4   13655  N LEWIS       GP           4   4
 5     937  W CARRUTHERS  RS400      RTD   7
 5     338  R YARDLEY     VARIO      RTD   7

                     Points for RTD =  7
                     Points for DSQ =  7
                     Points for DNS =  7

 1 races to count

With the schools regatta over Club sailing was somewhat quieter this weekend. There was a good, warm breeze from the South. OD Pete Nuttall was determined to start on time, but that must have been his own version of Chico Time (Pedro Time?), because it didn’t!

In the first race, the course came back to zero and caused some issues as the wind swung around Sale Fell and the fleet had to beat into the mark. Robbie D lost out to Shunty and William but with the GPs and FFs close by they would win on handicap

The course for the second race stayed in the southerly breeze which led to some spectacular spinnaker legs. With boats capsizing everywhere the rescue crews were kept very busy. After everything was packed away, a call from the coastguard resulted in rescue craft being re-launched to help out some sailors that were in distress at the southern end of the lake. With the air-sea rescue helicopter in attendance, a second rescue craft was despatched with Toggle Hasslehoff aboard to recover the dinghy which the sailors had abandoned

Sunday’s racing was held in stronger winds, but they were still curving around Sale Fell reinforcing the need to stay, or get into, in the stronger gusts to keep driving. A knotted mainsheet resulted in Robbie D losing a place at one mark because he couldn’t bear away. The wind picked up in the afternoon and there were several capsizes (most of them by Roy and Kayla), but Shunty was a casualty when he tried to use his gennaker to catch Robin up and couldn’t handle the gust. Judith Currie had opted out of the last race, so Sam took the front seat in Neil’s RS. While hoisting the gennaker, they ended up going trawling, and Sam had to recover the sail. We’re not sure whether Sam ended up in the water because he fell or jumped!