It started with the Sailing Sec standing at the end of the jetty (when he had some spare time) remotely controlling his new toy, a DragonForce 65 yacht. Within weeks, Bean joined the action, and today the small family massively increased with an influx of another 17 yachts!

Two of the team that developed the yacht,Mike Weston & John Tushingham, travelled up from Kent to deliver the new fleet and give some tips and instruction to a group of the new owners.

What will be the next stage as the jetty ain’t big enough for all of them!

We are hosting an open for Tinkers this weekend alongside club racing and need an additional couple of people to help on rescue from around 12.30hrs.

If you can help please contact Mike Hunter

Watch this space for more information on what is likely to be the biggest active one design fleet in the club!

10 days and counting…

We have an open day this Saturday to encourage everyone to try sailing.

No charge.

Open to all – encourage your friends and colleagues to come along and try our sport.

Starts 10am

For those that want to take things further there will be a sailing course at the end of the month. Contact Alex for further information

The early start to the Holiday Weekend allowed a number of crews who don�t usually sail in Thursday Racing to take to the water. We had Mike & Kayla in the Fifteen and Banter Phil in the 100 to bolster numbers. And Dave Lawson was out in the Club Laser.
There was a light wind, mainly westerly, and the course was a diamond 0-9-B-A. The first beat was difficult to read and changed the normal running order a bit. After the windward mark it was Phil leading from Joan & Jack in the GP and then Dave in the Laser FR and Neil in the Radial in fairly close company. The Fifteen was moving up after a mediocre first beat.

AJ & Sue had dropped back in the second GP when they went fishing for Jack�s hat. After that AJ reckoned that the soggy garment in his kite bag was slowing them down! Phil continued to extend his lead on the water on the second lap and Joan & Jack were continuing to hold off the Fifteen.

It was decided to stop Bob Gate in his Laser and Paul Gannon in the Radial at the end of lap 2. And also John Roberts in his new colourful Radial � although why he wasn�t out in the Pico after his double victory last week only he knows? It was decided to let Tony�s Solo continue but, by his own admission, the light wind expert was having a dismal race.

In fading wind Phil took line honours from Joan & Jack. The GP crew were first on PH and have, at last, knocked Tony off top spot in the PH Series. On FH they have narrowed the gap to the series leader despite Phil winning this round. However, with better discards, Tony will still win that series on count back even if Joan & Jack take wins in the final two rounds.  

Then it was meal time, it being prepared this week by John Reekie and family. Oh, and apologies to Sarah for not mentioning that she was last week�s chef!

Latest results PH FH

Due to holidays we are short on rescue cover next weekend 27/28/29 August. If you can help out please email us.

Thanks

The wind was SE although there wasn�t too much of it. During rigging AJ was telling everyone that the OD should send them down the Lake. After a barrage of this I told him that I would set two courses with the lower one, just for him, being AJ12 (No return mark!). He concentrated on the GP after that!

We had 17 boats out but only 12 came to the line. These included Martin & Alison Overend who were late and at the wrong end so decided that some cruising was better than being last The beat was 1-A with B as the wing mark. The line had heavy port bias which Joan & Jack in the GP and Neil in his Laser picked up and these two battled to be leading boat throughout the first lap with the Laser of Terry Hall third.

Although the wind was dying, only 20 minutes had passed so most were sent for a second lap. The exceptions were the last two on the water who were asked if they wanted to finish the first time around. Bob Gate in his Radial gamely refused saying he wanted to catch the Pico, but Steve and Simon in the 2000 were shortened.

Going into B the wind disappeared and virtually all the fleet were in drift mode. Was there a flag N on the Bates the OD wondered? But then it kicked in again. Jack hoisted the kite which didn�t seem to work as Neil went zooming by � well, comparatively speaking! And Tony was working his light weather magic in the Solo with shoulders over the lee gunwale and boots out to port. He rounded the final mark a length behind and closing. But Neil held on to be first on the water by 3 seconds. 

Results showed the effect of the fleet being so bunched up. John in the Pico had taken PH from Richard�s Solo by over 3 minutes on corrected time with Hazel�s Radial third. Not only that, but the Pico�s boat handicap advantage had allowed it to finish first on FH well ahead of Tony and Joan.

Latest results PH FH

For lasting memories of the week, Ben Unwin’s photos can be found and purchased at http://www.benunwinphotography.co.uk/Bass-Week-2016

Similarly John Spittle has created a gallery site where you can purchase his photos of Bass Week and some pre Bass Week visits to the club: http://johnspittle.smugmug.com/

Not the best GoPro footage ever filmed (Ben’s words!), but you may wish to watch it. The music was unknowingly chosen by the rowdy lot who were trying to remember the lyrics at 2:00am one morning

After the frenetic activity of Bass Week, normal racing resumed on Thursday evening and Sunday. On Saturday the club hosted the Lakeland Triathlon.

On Thursday evening it was race 13 of 17 in the Nightjar series. Despite the unseasonal weather a small competitive fleet enjoyed a good race in a testing variable wind. On fleet handicap the honours went to the GP14s of Val and Ken Bell, followed by Joan and Jack Hardie, and Neil Garrison in a Laser. However on personal handicap Harry Binns in his RS Aero 5 was first, ahead of the Bells and Hardies. Overall, Tony King still leads both series.

Sunday morning brought a good light breeze for fleet racing. In the handicap fleet the RS400 of Robin Dawson, crewed by daughter Erin, led on the water but on corrected time the winner was Joe Roberts in a Laser, with Neil Garrison third, also in a Laser. The GP14 race became a tussle between the Bells and the Hardies, this time Joan and Jack Hardie finished first.

The afternoon race for the Jimmy Lancaster Memorial Trophy took the fleet half way down the lake and back. At the half way point the leading Lasers and GP14s were close together until the leading Laser rounded the mark the wrong way and had to re-round correctly, letting the GP14s of the Bells and Hardies through.

If you missed the Bass Week TV article view it here