38 boats headed to Costa del Bassenthwaite for the 7th round of the popular North West Junior Traveller Series and the 2025 RS Tera Northern Championship.

Riding on the sun cream tales of another British heatwave, the forecast was a weekend of sunshine, high temperatures and little wind. Saturday was a splash-and-paddle-off, with zephyrs coming and going but nothing more than 2 knots ever settling for more than 10 minutes from multiple directions. Parents hid in the trees for shade, the kids enjoyed a day jumping off the jetty, paddleboarding and generally messing about on the water.

Around 3pm, PRO Andy Wilcox hoisted AP over A, announcing no racing would take place that day. Shortly after, a paddleboard relay race was organised from the slip to a buoy and back, with Bass taking line honours.

In the evening, the club BBQs kept away some of the midgies, and later a singer entertained members and visitors in the clubhouse, with several Oasis songs blasting out – around the same time the real Oasis was playing their in Manchester.

Following a small postponement, Sunday looked more promising, with a forecast of 7 mph. Eventually, a southerly breeze settled in, which slowly clocked to the east as the day progressed. This allowed the race team to run four back-to-back races, with the breeze building throughout the day some hiking out was required in the last race.

In the Fast Handicap Lilly Brown sailing an ILCA 6 took the win, narrowly beating Olivia Dembinska by one point. Zoe Goodden sailing a Splash was third. In fourth place and first double-hander was Bethany Skelding and Isla McKeown sailing an RS Feva.

In the slow Slow Handicap James Reekie counted three 1st places and took the overall win, being crowned Tera Pro Northern Champion. Oscar Davenport (Tera Pro) finished 2nd on countback from Molly Haslam (Topper). A successful weekend for the Reekie family, with Andrew finishing 6th overall and becoming Tera Sport Northern Champ.

A big thanks to Red Seal Safety Boats for supporting the event.

Photo gallery�Photo gallery 2

A grey afternoon, with lighter than forecast winds, turned wet, and then the wind freshened to F2-3 for 10 F15s and 22 GP14s.

All starts bar one, which resulted in a general recall, were clean. There was some close racing, with positions changing throughout each race, thopugh the results suggest there was more consistency. There was a couple of capsizes in the gusts, and a F15 broached, but no damage.

With a light forecast for Sunday, a fourth race was held (much to the dismay of Neil!)

In the F15s, Andy Tunnicliffe/Richard Rigg secured tthree wins and are overnight leaders, followed by Steve Goacher/Tim Harper, and Robin Dawson/Mike Cowan 3rd

In the GPs, Mark Platt/Chris Jobson and Dave/Lynn Lawson are tied on points, though Mark leads overnight on countback. Nick Brook/Rhiann Bramwell are lying 3rd.

Sunday remained dry, began F1-2 , but freshened to full F2 over the remaining two races.

The GPs had a general recall, but when the F15s had a single recall on the final race, of the five boats OCS, three failed to return so had an early exit.

The wind had some major shifts, but favoured one side of the beat, and then the other, and enabled some substantial gains for those that picked the right side.

In the F15s Tunnicliffe and Goacher each had a win, so their overnight positions remained with Tunnicliffe winning the trophy, Goacher 2nd, and Dawson 3rd.

In the GPs, Lawson had the most consistent results to secure the overall win from Platt. Similarly, Paul Bowmer/Ken Bell sailed well to finish 3rd overall.

Final results

Photo gallery (Saturday) � Photo gallery (Sunday)

Bassenthwaite hosted GNAC, sponsored by Trident UK, for a fleet of 68 boats. A dry afternoon with a cooler F3-5 ENE breeze meant there was some champagne sailing conditions that required sailors to remain alert for other boats while beating, tacking, and reaching, especially if planing! Unfortunately, not all boats managed to keep clear all of the time, so there were a few collisions, and many more crash tacks…

The first four races of the eight race series were held on Saturday. A problem with the starting horn for the first race helped keep the fleet cautious for the start with no-one OCS. They were well behaved for subsequent starts, with only a few OCS boats, so the black flag remained tucked away (for the time being!).

Several boats missed going through the start/finish line at the end of each lap hindering their chances considerably. For everyone else, there was great, close racing with Pix/Matt Sharman securing overnight lead ahead of Alistair/Tom Coates from Leigh & Lowton, and Richard/Heather Marsh from Hollingworth, all separated by just three points.

Sunday started clear sunny skies but with a wind that refused to settle, so it was to be a waiting game. As the wind bedded in from the forecast NE the OD set off with the aim of starting at 1230 (a delay of two hours). The flukiness returned, but there was a good WSW breeze south of the Scarness narrows so the course was set there, but it took the fleet an extra half hour to get there, then the wind faded as it swung back to the forecast NE!

The course was repositioned into the main bay and racing started at 1320. Consequently only two races were held to conclude the series. There were a few more boats OCS, but there was no need for the black flag during the weekend. The winds were as challenging as Saturday, possibly stronger at times, giving way to more exciting planing conditions.

Some great racing and results by Ollie Groves/Esther Parkhurst, and Alistair/Helen Norris, both in RS200s leapfrogged them into 1st and 2nd overall, with Paul/Jude Allen in their 59er 3rd.

Final results:

Photo gallery

An excellent turnout of 50 boats for the Flying 15 northern championship, after high winds over the last couple of days, were greeted with plenty of sunshine and a mirror like lake, with a forecast of F1 from the east.

At 11am the AP was raised as there was little chance of the racing starting at the scheduled start time of 12 Noon. By 11.30, there was signs of the wind filling in from the southern end of the lake, and the OD, sailing secretary John Reekie, went out to investigate. 10 mins later he returned and advised the AP would be removed at 12 Noon with a view to starting at 12.45pm.

In order to find steadier winds, the OD had to head as far south as Bowness bay, some 2 miles away from the club launch area! Although the wind was F4-5, it was from the SSW, nothing like the forecast, and the OD was concerned that it would not last too long, especially as there was a risk of the sea breeze having a dramatic effect on sailing conditions. Having the corse so far down the lake caused issues for the race management team because the lake is so much deeper, and extended warps for start marks, as well as course buoys. The depth and swell required two anchors to enable the committee boat to stay on station!

Despite the advice for sailors to get launched, it was after 1pm before everyone was in the starting area, and racing could get underway.

The fleet was given the chance of a soft, unrestricted, P flag start, only for it to be thrown away by the need for a general recall. The next start used the U flag for which four boats were disqualified due to being OCS, including several Bass boats, and race leader Andy Tunicliffe/Ian Hopwood, so no favouritism there!

The windward/leeward course did not offer any planing conditions, but the wind held, and resulted in various crash tacks/collisions.

The U flag did not curb sailors’ enthusiasm on the start line so, after another general� recall, the black flag was used for subsequent races.

Unexpectedly, the F4 last for the first two races, then eased slightly for the next race, after which various sailors convinced themselves that was the end, but the OD wanted to make best use of the available wind as Sunday’s forecast was not at all promising. A fourth race was started in F2 but, after rounding the windward mark, there was clear risk of it fading if the race was prolonged, so it was shortened at the end of the first lap.

On Sunday there was a delay until the wind filled in, after which the OD invited the fleet on to the water, aiming for a 11.10am start. A course was set up, then moved, and moved again as the wind veered towards the east. It later backed towards the forecast northerly direction, but apart from the gusts it rarely reached 5mph so by 12.30pm the fleet headed ashore as the wind faded.

At 1pm, the wind had filled in from the NE, but with little prospect of the minimum desired wind bedding in, racing was postponed for the day.

The prize giving followed with thanks to all by Commodores Ian and Andrea Preston

Final results

On Saturday there was a Laser one day, three race open. The WNW force 3 backed through the afternoon to WSW as it increased to force 4.

Visitor Tim Keighly from West Riding mastered the conditions winning all three races and the trophy. Despite the increasing winds, and hard work on the beats which resulted in a couple of capsizes, there was little opportunity for planing.

Local helm Dave Lawson finished 2nd overall with Andrew Hewett from St Mary’s Loch 3rd. Local youth category helm Archie Campbell and Cameron Somerville finished a creditable 4th and 5th respectively.

The overnight rain returned for the afternoon racing. The light and variable winds resulted in a short postponement while the OD tried to determine the likely direction, as it wasn�t the same as the forecast, and swung through almost 90 degrees within minutes!

The 60 boats were split into three starts, and got away cleanly, though the beat soon moved to the second leg as the wind backed. Club sailors Matthew Somerville and Henry Bullen in RS200 won on handicap 15 secs ahead of Clayton Parker in a Lightning, with Oscar Manning and George Jacob�s equal third.

The course was reset for the next race, but the wind eased soon after the start such that the medium and slow handicap fleets had their course shortened at the end of the first lap. Unfortunately the wind continued to ease and various boats were caught out by the 30 minute time limit. Aleks Svietek in his Tera Sport won 14 secs ahead of Oscar Davenport in a Tera Pro, with Will Taylor 3rd.

The fleets went ashore for a break, and to warm up, and waited to see if the new southerly wind would settle.

Despite the continued rain flattening the water, the OD went out to check the wind which looked promising, and then asked the fleets to launch again. While setting the course, the wind faded yet again so racing was postponed for the day.

Matthew and Henry are overnight leaders with Oscar Manning 2nd

Sunday�s forecast was much more promising, and it delivered. It stayed dry, with spells of sunshine, the WSW wind direction was fairly consistent, and there was enough wind for planing conditions, as well as numerous capsizes to keep the rescue crews busy.

Three races were held back to back, and all starts were clear (Quite a feat for an open meeting!) Matthew and Henry from Bassenthwaite maintained their overnight lead to win overall, with Ava Harris Scott from Elton 2nd, and Henry Blades from Scaling Dam 3rd

Prize winners

Final results

A sunny Saturday greeted over 40 boats across the two fleets in the GP14 Northern championship and Solo open meeting. Unusually the wind was from the NE, and, with a better strength than forecast, the OD aimed to get four races in ahead of Sunday’s light forecast.

The GP fleet were first to start, but too early, so there was a general recall. The immediate introduction of the black flag for all subsequent starts worked well to temper their eagerness.

As often typical at Bassenthwaite, the wind swung, and varied in strength throughout the afternoon, and the cause of some mixed fortunes.

After two races, the wind veered to the E/SE, faded, then filled back in again from the NE. The race was started, but the windswung again removing the beat, and, with the second beat was not looking promising, the race was abandoned. The OD waited for more than half an hour, but the wind did not settle, so racing was postponed until Sunday morning.  

Sunday had lots more sun but the wind shied away until noon when there was some unexpected flurries from the forecast direction. By 1230 there was sufficient for the OD to venture onto the water to determine if racing should resume, which it did just under three hours after the scheduled start time.

Generally, the wind held throughout the afternoon, but it proved to be very shifty again, and there was some head scratching by the OD trying to determine where the beat was likely to settle for what was to be the fourth and final race of the weekend.

As with Saturday, the wind shifts resulted in a game of snakes and ladders for some, though Thomas Gillard and Shandy from Sheffield Viking succeeded in getting to the top of the ladder in all four races and had a clean sweep of the GP silverware, to become the winners of the Northern championship.

The Solo open was not as clear cut, with the result being determined on the final race between three helms. Innes Armstrong from Burwain took the honours, with John Reekie from Bassenthwaite 2nd.

Final results