This weekend, in addition to club racing, we are holding three open meetings, so it’ll be busy, busy, busy! Fortunately the Bass micro climate beat the local forecast which was based on wall to wall rain but very little wind. A drizzly morning dried up and a light breeze filled the bay tempting the OD to get the fleets on to the water. The wind continued to seem promising until the line was set, at which stage the wind eased and swung through 45 degrees…
Race 1 got underway in very light airs and was shortened at the end of the first lap with sailing sec Joe Roberts leading, and winning, the Lasers with Toby Hubbard from Killington 2nd.
By the time the rest of the fleet had finished, the wind had filled in again but swung another 20 degrees, so the line and course was reset, and race 2 started. Hazel demonstrated one of her party tricks of getting caught on the inner distance mark anchor warp – not recommended! There was various changes of position throughout the race, including the leaders, but Joe took the honours again, securing the series. Andrew Hewell from St Mary’s Loch finished 2nd, but Toby’s 4th place resulted in him being 2nd overall.
In the Toppers, Leigh and Lowton are leading overnight with the top three places, Lorcan Knowles in the lead with a 1st and 2nd, and Brandon Banner next with a 2nd and 3rd.
With the wind fading again, racing was abandoned for the rest of the day. Time for a prize giving then rounders, but the rain put paid to that!..
Sunday was brighter, warmer, and started with an early morning southern breeze which faded to nothing. As the Solo fleet had not got to race�at Windermere on Saturday, they were keen to get on the water at any cost (almost!), so when there was a hint of a breeze from the NE, the OD took to the water, laid a line and the hint of wind promptly veered to the SE, backing to the E. The race sequence started, the wind shifted, and racing was underway, albeit starting on a fetch! With the light airs picking up to occasional planing conditions, and continuing to shift, sailors did not get the best that Bass had to offer, but it was a race, and places were there for the taking, with our Tog pulling through from last to 5th in the Solo fleet, with the race being won by Innes Armstrong from Burwain.
The course was reset for the 2nd race, and conditions were somewhat better, and slightly more consistent, with Innes taking another win and securing the series trophy.
While there was some wind, it was decided to hold the final race of the day, but the wind was in a devilish mood. swinging though 360 degrees! Commitment to progress the racing resulted in a reaching start, but it did mean there was a beat instead of a run on the third leg of the course! The wind continued to swing, and vary in strength, but sailors were generally satisfied to have been on the water, however frustrating that may have been.
In the Toppers, Lorcan mastered the conditions taking another three wins and the NW Championship. Some bunching at marks led to Toppers and Solos vying for position, and it was good to note the Toppers standing their ground and threatening to protest Solos for barging into spaces which there were not entitled to be.
We have just learned of the sudden and unexpected death, albeit after a long fight with cancer, of former member Bob Pitt who was a keen and active member in the 1980s, sailing in the GP fleet with his wife Helen, and they regularly toured on the GP circuit.
