A drizzly but mild and wild Saturday afternoon didn’t put off any of those sailors that turned up for a race. Even Jo was keen to get on the water, this time racing with Ant in a Vision, and fulfil her dream of sailing the perfect race, winning by a country mile, and sailing into the sunset. Unfortunately, her dream didn’t come true today. The blustery, and shifty, conditions caused numerous capsizes, even before the start!

Steve/Ruth in a Merlin led the fleet but couldn’t break away from Bean/Izzy, practising for Bass Week, in a 200. Hugh suffered a few capsizes in his Vareo and was relieved to be the ‘right’ side of the line when the race was shortened. Nigel/Glenys, Ant/Jo, Paul and Bob all retired after capsizing. On handicap, Bean won, with Tog 2nd, and Steve 3rd.

With so many retirements in the first race, numbers were somewhat depleted for the second start, and reduced even further when AJ/Sue had no competition in the GPs, and Tog capsized before the start then opted to head back ashore. Again Steve led in his Merlin, but raising his spinnaker was his downfall when he couldn’t avoid a capsize soon after. Bean took the lead, winning overall, with Steve 2nd and Hugh 3rd, having also capsized whilst flying his gennaker.

Leading the Handicap Dawson Trophy at present is Jo (with a little help from Ant!), with Bean/Izzy 2nd. AJ/Sue lead the GP Autumn Cup.

Latest results

Rain passed through overnight leaving clearer skies, and less blustery winds for Sunday’s racing. The GPs were a bit too keen at the start causing an individual recall, but consciences must have been running high as more boats returned than were actually on course side! Val/Ken took advantage of their clean start and led the race but were a little concerned when someone was distracted forgot to sound the horn! – oops. Mike/Eric made a good recovery after being recalled to finish 2nd with AJ/Sue 3rd.

In the Handicap fleet, Steve/Ruth again led the fleet gaining sufficient lead with the various reaches to win on handicap. Tog/Joan were in their RS200 to take 2nd from Bean/Oliver in their Mirror.

The afternoon pennant race in aid of the Jubilee Sailing Trust just took the fleet to 10. Despite the SW breeze, conditions were not quite as flukey as they often are. The lead three boats stayed relatively close together until their return to 7, when Banter/Emma were left wallowing as the others left them behind – did they go aground? Steve/Ruth won on handicap 21 secs ahead of Rory/Eleanor in their F15, with Mike/Eric 3rd.

Eleanor leads Sandra’s Salver for the best female crew.

BL etc latest results
Jubilee Sailing Trust results
Sandra’s Salver latest

An early start for the youth team racing at the Southport Junior 12 Hour race being managed by principal trainer Alex in an Enterprise that is holding together with some shackles and a bit of ‘bodging’ for a snapped shackle.

If conditions there were anything similar to the club, they will probably sleep soundly on the trip back home, as a gusty force 4 put some off, and tested a select group of sailors that all raced in the handicap fleet.

The testing conditions caused a few capsizes, and Dave Lawson to hit his head on his tiller! Dave was leading but headed to the wrong mark on a reach from 3, and he slipped back to 3rd on the water, and on handicap, behind Joe and Peter both in Laser Radials. Only five of the nine starters finished, and Dave/Lynn called it a day at that stage. The remaining four boats battled through the conditions, with Joe gaining a clear lead against Peter, which was lost after a spectacular capsize at one of the gybe marks, so Peter took the lead through to the finish, with Joe 2nd.

Well done to newcomer Jo, surviving another two races without mishap, and finishing the day with a smile on her face.

Latest results

Sunday started sunny and less windy than forecast, still no takers in the F15 fleet. With no competition in the slow handicap fleet Sandy and Douglas Simpson sailed their Mirror in the main handicap fleet securing a 1st ahead of James Moore in his Radial. 

The afternoon race was the RNLI pennant, but the course only took the fleet to mark 10, not that there weren’t any downdraughts to contend with! Banter Phil took his Skiff out in its second race, but too many capsizes had him chasing the fleet before he finally retired. Dave/Lynn generally led the fleet, though Rory/Eleanor in their F15 did get passed for a while before they had temporary gear failure. Overall it was the GPs that took the honours, with Dave 1st and Mike/Eric 2nd 

Eleanor leads Sandra’s Salver for the best female crew in the pennant races. 

BL latest results 

RNLI Pennant 

Sandra’s Salver latest

The glorious weather has returned to offer what must have been the best sailing day of the season so far, with blue skies and 20C SW winds. 18 boats raced in shifty (nothing new there), and sometimes gusty conditions.

The F15s had some good racing with Ian/Lezliann getting to grips with a new cut genoa that took a couple of laps to set correctly up the beats to get the edge over Tim/Ian and take the win. In the second race, Ian pushed his luck claiming water at mark 4 and ended up doing a couple of turns, then had to fight back to successfully take the lead and win the race.

There was mixed fortunes in the GPs with a relatively close finish in the first race, won by Val/Ken, with Mike/Eric 2nd. Not sure what happened in the second race, but the boats were considerably more spread out, with Mike winning, and Alan/Sue 2nd.

Beginner Jo was keen to get a sail, and unexpectedly ended up racing in two races with Robbie D in the handicap fleet. To her surprise, there were no bumps, capsizes, or broaches! However, she did experience a general recall in the first race, somewhat unusual in club racing. Scumper was in his RS 100 and won on the water and on handicap, though in the second race Peter Whipp in a Laser was a very close 2nd by just 5 secs. Steve/Ruth took 2nd in thd te first race.

Sunday started off with the micro climate that is Bass doing its own thing. Westerly breeze at Bothel, north easterly on the lake, when it filled in. When the course was being set, the lake was sporting a northerly, but soon after some of the fleet rounded the windward mark, but gusts started from the west, and later continued to back to the SW! With no competition in the slow handicap fleet, Bean with Oliver raced with the handicap fleet and was only just pipped to the windward mark by Scumper! The excitement proved too much for Oliver and they subsequently retired. With the beat having disappeared following the windshift, and three races to get in, a shortish race seemed appropriate with the expectation of the wind bedding in over lunch.

The SW breeze, though somewhat shifty, held for the next two races, and it was strong enough for some good close, and spinnaker, reaches. Mike and Eric took 3 wins to win the McMillan Cup in the GPs, while Ian/Lezliann used a first and a second to win the Ullock Mug, with Neil, and a guest appearance from wife Judith, won the other two races in the F15.

Wins in the handicap fleet were shared between Ian Hall, Scumper, and Zefer, with Scumper winning the Grisedale Cup and Zefer 2nd.

Final results

A sunny afternoon with good winds had 15 boats on the water across three fleets, and they all had clean starts. There were a few boats that capsized and subsequently retired, though others soldiered on and will no doubt sleep well after the day’s exertions!

Val/Ken had some good racing with Mike/Eric in the GPs, but they lost out on the final beat in the first race when they were caught port and starboard by Mike. They didn’t make the same mistake in the next race, finishing with a good lead.

Sandy/Douglas had two straight wins from Mik in the Mirrors. It was the single handers of Tony in a Solo, and Peter in a Laser that each had a win in the handicap fleet.

None of the day’s results affected the overall leaders in the series

Latest results

Sunday started much more overcast but the sun came out in the end. There were good winds again but very few takers. 

Val/Ken had some gear problems but managed to hold off Alan/Sue, while in the Handicap fleet Peter in his Laser beat Mike in a Streaker by a good margin. 

BL etc latest results 

The afternoon race was the Albert Bates Retirement pennant. However the course kept the fleet in the northern bay with the small potential for typical flukey airs as the course had one beat to mark 8 in the shade of Sale Fell. 

Rory/Eleanor won on handicap in a F15, with Alan and birthday girl Sue 2nd having been forced to tack off from Val/Ken on to a better tack!

The race counts towards Sandra’s Salver for female crews, and Eleanor’s 1st puts her into the lead

Albert Bates Memorial Trophy 

Sandra’s Salver

After a week of fantastic weather, everyone was looking forward to more of the same for the bank holiday. With the wind from the SSW, it was in two minds as to whether it would come round Sale Fell from the S or SW. There was a great fleet of nine mirrors, in the first race and it was the Smith brothers Phil�and Andy that were vying for first position, but Andy/Lily couldn’t keep up with Phil/Oliver. Meanwhile, as thunder could be heard rolling through the hills, the rain held off, and blue skies were edging towards us.

By the 2nd race the SW wind had swung back to the S, and the wind eased. Although the boats seemed to crawl around the short course, it just took 15 mins to complete the lap so the OD sent the fleet round again. However, in a matter of minutes a squall moved in, bringing heavy rain, and resulted in so many capsizes that the race was abandoned and boats headed back to shore.

Within a mad half hour, the squall had disappeared, together with the rain and wind, and the scene was set for a lovely evening during which the Hunter Family were putting on another curry night, serving over 100 meals and raising over �500�in aid of the ASHA Foundation.

Latest results

Sunday started off dry, overcast, but much cooler with a chill factor of 5C! As ever, the wind swung back and forth throughout. After lunch the skies cleared and the sun shone with the wind backing more to the west.

Neil took to the water�for the first time this season with Rory in their F15, taking three 1sts and the Mellor Mug ahead of Graham (also fresh back to the water) and Elaine.

In the GPs, the main competition was between Mike/Eric who took the first race, and Joan/Jack who are overnight leaders having won the next two races.

Joe won the first race in his Laser, but Robin/Erin took the next the next two to be overnight leader.

In the Slow Handicap fleet, it’s a bit of a family affair with the Smiths taking the top four positions, all in Mirrors, with Emma being overnight leader.

Bank holiday Monday morning started with light rain and a good SE breeze. The fleets seemed reluctant to get on the water, which gave the chance to do its worst by easing, and swinging, so the OD had to lift the start line and move it across the lake to take advantage of a slightly steadier breeze, or so it seemed. The course was set, and racing got underway, but the wind wasn’t at its best, and there were holes around the course. Although racing had only been underway about 25 mins, the race was shortened at the end of the first lap to put the sailors out of their misery (and save the committee boat having to hang around too long!). The wind promptly filled in and settled down as the fleets headed ashore for lunch…

Joan/Jack took another win in the GPs from Mike/Eric, and won the Commodore’s Prize. In the Handicap fleet, Robin/Erin beat Scumper which earned them the Isel Cup, with Scumper 2nd overall.

Although Phil won the Slow handicap race, Emma’s 2nd kept her in the lead, so he would need to sail the final race to secure the series.

After lunch the wind held, and strengthened a little, enabling the OD to set the course he had initially set for the morning race. There were only six boats that took to the water and enjoyed some good reaches and planing conditions. Scumper led the Handicap fleet but was beaten by Joe with a margin of 18 secs on handicap. This didn’t affect Scumper’s overall 2nd position, with Joe 3rd.

Phil�raced against Jonathan Bullen in the Slow handicap fleet, taking his fourth win and the Orsova Cup, with sister in law Emma a well earned 2nd.

Final results