‘Winds will be cyclonic’ – and how!
A quieter, damp, evening resulted a smaller fleet of only 11 boats this week. As the wind came and went Race Officer Steve Sharpe had his work cut out guessing which direction it would materialise from next. In the event it appeared at all points of the compass at some time during the race. This allowed Steve the rare privellege of being able to set a course on which boats were able to fly spinnakers on all legs, as well as beat on most of them too.The wind finally kicked in with a decent planing gust, blowing straight down the lake, just as the lead boats were finishing. Joe Watkins, test driving an RS 300, was finally able to appreciate just how unstable they really are.
The Street Party That Wasn’t
Due to the cold weather, the scheduled street party was held indoors, red white and Royal blue was the theme. There was again a great selection of sandwiches, nibbles and cakes to keep everyone going until the barbeque this evening!
First Bank Holiday of the Week!
What a glorious start to the bank holiday – sunshine, but cool airs. The wind tended to shift through about 90 degrees with the various gusts that came through. As the first race was a fleet handicap pursuit, the wind fading shortly after the start gave a good advantage to the chasing boats and they were well bunched early on. Ian/Lezli-Ann were unfortunate not to be blanketted by Simon/Jon (who were over but returning to the pre-start side) on the start line and were identified aspremature starters, but Mike was able to block their return to the start line for a short while. Andy/Rob Smith took an early lead and held off Scumper for a good while, but it was Robbie D/Sam Wright that worked through to the front and take the honours.
The afternoon race was a round the laker. The wind was light but swinging through almost 135 degrees! In a rush to get the fleet started before the next major shift, the fleet set off in slightly better than drifting conditions. However, within three mins, just as Ian/Lezli-Ann reached the start line(!), the wind filled in and fortunately continued to power the fleet down the the lake to 10 and back up again.
Various past Commodores with founder member Val Rickerby at the Diamond Jubilee celebration dinner
Second Bank Holiday of the Week!!
It may not have been quite as sunny as Monday, but the wind was better, and stronger than forecast.
The morning’s race was a personal handicap pursuit, followed by a fleet handicap race to complete the Diamond Jubilee series and weekend’s sailing.
The wind held for the morning race, but the dry weather faded and the drizzle came in. The groupings caused by the personal handicaps seemed challenging for some, especially Scumper who had to start with several F15s, but they had to persevere as there were no discards in the overall series. By the last lap the fleet was quite closely grouped, but Alastair/Claire kept their nerve, made no mistakes on the final beat, and won by a minute with Andy/Rob 2nd.
During lunch the wind eased, but there was sufficient to send the fleet down to mark 11 for the final race of the long weekend.
The weekend ended with a prizegiving, and a special thank you for Andrea, the very sociable social secretary, for her organisation over the weekend.
 |
 |
 |
|
Scumper for the Diamond Jubilee series |
the Topper Challenge team | Jon treasuring his broken tiller prize (as he dumps it in the bin!) |
Diamond Jubilee Celebrations
(Photo Gallery)
The long weekend started on Friday evening with nibbles and drinks followed by a quick Queenie quiz. The winners celebrated by eating their prize of a bar of chocolate….
Saturday morning saw a brief visit by a King(fisher), but the light airs were blown away by the incoming breeze which would give those that ventured out great sailing conditions, albeit hard work! Meanwhile the morning was spent decorating the clubhouse and grounds with bunting and all things Royal in preparation for the various parties and celebration being held over the next few evenings.
Saturday’s racing comprised fleet handicap and personal handicap races, both counting towards the weekend’s Diamond Jubilee Trophy.
The wind was not as harsh as expected, and 22 boats made the start line, though through various capsizes and other mishaps not all finished! Scumper had an excellent first race despite complaining about most offwind legs being too tight for the spinnaker and took 1st place from Dave/Lynn.
Mark/Emma had a very keen start in the 2nd race but lost the advantage when they had to do some turns. Alex/Olivia scuppered their chances by forgetting to round 9 on all but the last lap. John Reekie/Joe Watkins sailed well in his Merlin in the second race taking 1st place overall from Andy/Keith Thomas
The overnight leader was Mike/Kayla, 1pt ahead of Scumper.
`
| In the evening there was a 50’s themed fancy dress with bring and eat buffet in which there was a wide array of foods and puddings from that era. But did they have Gaviscon available in those days?…. |  |
| Sunday started with the Topper challenge. They say one volunteer is worth 12 pressed men, and it certainly seemed that there were more people being coerced into sailing than volunteering! That said there were enough people for 7 teams. Little did they know what they were letting themselves in for.The race started with a Le Mans start, and shortly up the first beat the rescue boat crews, led by the Commodore, started to ensure the racing was even by jumping on lead boats and capsizing them, or towing the tail enders up the beat! Not many boats escaped some form of skulduggery, especially when it was time to change crews as boats were set upon by rival teams.Even when ashore, the ground crews inhibited the progress of helms getting to the finish. |
|
Sam made the finishing post
|
But not without a chase by Lynn
|
|
Andy T tried to escape…
|
…but was caught!
|
|
The Commodore paid the price and was pushed into the lake at the end! |
Group photo of those that could stand the cold!
From the Ridiculous to the Sublime
After there being too much wind last weekend, today seems looks like it will be the opposite. There has been a slight breeze, but as the start time approaches, the wind has disappeared!…
It was to be the sea breeze that helped save the day. The first race in the celebrity glass pursuit that hadn’t been cancelled was actually sailed. Despite the light winds, the handicaps resulted in some close finishes. It was the lasers that stole the show led by Scumper.
The breeze settled slightly for the second race. Robbie D led the fleet (shame he didn’t have a crew). It took William and Elaine a lap to catch him, but he broke away again on the next beat. John and Janis couldn’t be shaken off either, and passed William on the final lap. We’re not certain whether John was being protective of his handicap but a dodgy tack on the final beat let William through to finish first. On handicap it was Scumper that finished first from Alan Nicholson and Julian Cruickshank
F15 Open Sponsored by Waples Wine
Eleven visitors joined five boats from the home club to contest the Waples Wine Flying Fifteen Open at Basssenthwaite SC on the weekend of May 26/27. The forecast ‘champagne conditions’ materialised with unbroken sunshine being complemented by a strong, warm breeze from the SE. Some were daunted by the apparent strength of the breeze prior to launching, some only after they had launched. Broaches were relatively commonplace even at the front end of the fleet, whilst becoming positively ‘de rigeur’ at the opposite end.
The Race Officer had elected to sail three races back to back on the opening day.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Steve Goacher and Phil Evans from RWYC showed a mastery of the conditions causing one spectator to comment ‘poetry in motion’. Whilst this may not have been particularly original, it was certainly most apposite. The pair hooked in to the full power of each gust and in each of the three races to extend a very considerable lead over the rest of a high class fleet, winning by a good margin. Neil Platt and Mark Somerville from the home club put in a strong, consistent performance to finish second in both of the opening races with Terry Crumpton and Roger Errington from Derwent Reservoir in third on both occasions.
The wind freshened during the course of the second race. Mike Moore and Micheala Sheard from Bass were second round the windward mark, closely followed by Commodore Steve Kirkpatrick and Keith Thomas also from Bass. The two boats had gone right up the first beat and found a great shift to take them to the front of the fleet. By the end of the race Steve and Keith managed to get past Mike and Michaela but by this time, unfortunately, they had both suffered various vicissitudes and were the last two boats to finish, in 11th and 12th respectively.
For the final race of the day, the squally wind had passed through, but there were still good gusts aplenty. Unusually, on the 2nd lap, Steve Goacher and Phil Evans headed for the wrong mark. They realised in time to take their spinnaker down and reach back, but they had lost most of their lead over Neil Platt/Mark Somerville, who stayed very close to his transom for the rest of the race. Terry Crumpton and Roger Errington from Derwent Reservoir finished in third.
The sailors were grateful, after their exertions to relax and enjoy half an hour of wine tasting, courtesy of the series sponsor, Waples Wines.
Conditions on Sunday were, as expected, less demanding, allowing some different sailors to prosper. Race 4 started to time at 11:30 and the race began in a pleasant F2-3 breeze from the SSE. However, during the course of a long first beat the wind slackened and became more ‘localised’. The ability to spot bands of wind on different parts of the course paid dividends – if you were able to reach them before they evaporated. It is a measure of the fickle nature of the breeze that Steve Goacher failed to round the windward mark first, although he had led half way up the leg. In the end Steve rounded 4th and appeared to lose several places by failing to bear away onto the reach. There was, of course, method in his madness and he had spotted more breeze arriving further across the course. When he reached the new breeze he bore away and eventually rounded the next mark in the lead. Steve and Phil went on to win the race with John Hardisty and John Mathie, who found the lighter conditions to their liking, in second. Simon Longstaff and John Denwood from the home club recorded a third, their best result of the weekend.
In the final race Steve Goacher and Phil Evans again showed that they are in a different class, winning the race and taking the title with a perfect score line of 5 first places. John Hardisty and Roger Errington were second, which secured second place overall. Graham Massey and Russel Clark saved their best ’til last, finishing in third place. Terry Crumpton and John Mathie sailed a very consistent series to finish third overall. Fourth overall and best Bass boat was Neil Platt and Mark Somerville, who revelled in the stronger breezes but found the lighter winds on the second day more challenging.
At the prize giving Steve Goacher said, on behalf of all the visitors, that the organisation of the whole event both on and off the water, and the quality of the sailing, demonstrated exactly why visitors always returned to Bass SC.
 |
 |
| Sponsor Justin Waples collecting his prize with crew Louise Jackson | Winner Steve Goacher thanking the club |
As for the Club Racing…
Although there were no takers for Saturday’s club racing, the fairer weather tempted out a small fleet of Handicap boats, and GPs.
With Scumper crewing for Neil Platt in the F15s in the morning, Toggle had free reign in the handicap fleet winning the race from Jim Christie, with Ethan valiantly completing the course in his dad’s Vareo, despite one or two capsizes. Toggle was doing well in the afternoon too until he rounded 0 the wrong way, losing the lead to Scumper (and Matthew), and three places, in a matter of seconds. Scumper went on to win the race, with Alastair Duncan 2nd and Paul Clark 3rd.
Andy Smith continued his winning ways in the GP, with wife Emma crewing, in the morning race with Hugh/Rachael 2nd and Alistair/Claire 3rd, while in the afternoon there was some close racing between Alan/Sue and Hugh/Rachael, but Hugh took the honours.
Thomas is Twittering Again
|
|
|
|
Kirky the commodore and his merry men help as Ken Bell mole ploughs the new electric cable in to the back field. |
|
|
|
|
|
Robbie D must have been to spec savers as he seems to have found the grass without too much problem. |
Toggle should have gone to spec savers Grass doesn’t seem to be too long where Toggle is cutting ! |
|
|
|
|
Even Banter Phil has found the grass that needed cutting |
Ken Bell, Scumper and Andy T putting in base for FF15 winch in readiness for their old age |
|
|
|
|
Toggle and Alan secure the latest piece of modern artwork, more commonly known as the F15 winch |
The mermaid, Scumper and a Bass rare species – Toggle! |
|
|
|
|
Newest F15 fleet members, Martin and Stacy, test their new purchase. |
Is Pat a bag lady, collecting rubbish, or just dumping rubbish around her feet? |
Weekend of Two Halves
Earlier on in the week it seemed that sailing could be blown off by too much wind. Then it changed to too much wind on Saturday, but not enough for Sunday. However, by Saturday, the forecast winds had eased, and although squalls passed through in the morning, there was some good sailing to be had for the sunny afternoon, though there was a small turnout in two fleets.
Scumper took a good lead in the first race, won on handicap with Jim Christie 2nd, and Tim/Ian in a F15 3rd. In the second race Tim/Ian mastered the beats taking a good lead on Scumper, but when the handicaps were worked out Scumper had another win under his belt, 30 secs ahead of Tim.
In the GPs, Dave/Lynn had another two 1sts from Mike/Nigel.
Sunday morning was beautiful, but with very little wind. In fact it was so nice Rachael opted to cycle to the club from Dalston! Fortunately the wind did fill in sufficiently to start racing just a few minutes late, though by the first start there were two different winds on the start line. Roy took advantage of the westerly at the port end and had a great start, although Robin in his Vareo soon took the lead. Scumper may have had a better start if he had rigged his gennaker properly, but he would have probably still been late (perhaps it was due to the wrong type of lager?). After half an hour the wind faded, and various positions changed as the zephyrs came from several directions. The race was shortened a short while later and, of course, the wind filled in. But what would happen for the afternoon pennant race? Would a sea breeze come, and, if so, would it fight the existing wind leaving nothing?!
As it turned out, the wind held from the north, a line and course was set, and while waiting for the fleet to reach the start line the wind died. 3/4 hour later there was still no wind, so racing was abandoned for the day. Hey ho (At least Rachael would not have been too exhausted from the day’s racing for her cycle home).
Thursday Evening
Anyone passing the lake during Thursday afternoon might have been forgiven for assuming racing in the fourth round of the Night Jar would be a test of resolve and endurance. The wind was cold and blustery; the water grey and choppy. However, the reality was that the race was more a test of patience than anything else, as the wind had all but evaporated. Eleven boats took to the water, under the watchful eye of Captain Macpherson. Neil/Judith Currie led the fleet home, but were second to Joan/Jack Hardie on both fleet and personal handicap. Third, on PH were Alan and Sue – while John Crosbie was third on FH.
Sunny Saturday
After a wet week, and a cold start to the season, it was a pleasant surprise to have a good westerly breeze with sunshine helping everyone at least feel a little warmer.
There was a good turnout of 17 boats spread across three fleets. The good breeze made some of the legs challenging, even if they weren’t all to Toggle’s liking, and there were a few capsizes. A nervous Claire Duncan wasn’t keen to venture out, but she did; a lack of communication (or change of mind) about gybing resulted in a capsize, which she coped with well until she had to try to get out of the way of a passing Wayfarer! An ice pack now adorns her knee….
Scumper revelled in the conditions, winning both races by more than a minute on handicap from Steve Hunt sailing his Solo. Banter Phil had an excellent 2nd race giving Toggle a run for his money, though he lost out at the final mark.
In the GPs, Tim/Martin broke through to the lead for a while, but Dave/Lynn soon worked back to their normal position, winning both races, and strengthening their lead in the series.
With just two F15s, racing was relatively close, such that Tim/Ian and Ian/Lezli-Ann had a win each, Though Ian’s win gives him the lead in the series.
Sunday started off a beautiful morning, but the forecast was dire – strong winds with rain moving in! Although windy, the conditions were dry, and sailable, but there were only four takers – two in the handicap fleet and two F15s. Both Jo Watkins and Steve Hunt capsized, and they tended to be cautious at the gybe mark by wearing round, but in the end Steve’s lead in the Solo gave him pole position.
Graham/Kayla had a good race against Tim/Ian, and kept closing the gap, Graham even coming back after doing turns, but heading up the left hand side of the final beat was the wrong tactic for Graham, and Tim won.
Despite Kayla’s best efforts to get another boat to sail the afternoon pennant race, there were no takers, so racing was cancelled for the rest of the day. At least sailors will be able to pack their boats away in the dry weather!
A miserably wet day on Thursday resulted in only four boats racing. Perhaps the balmy Summer evenings are just around the corner?!
Watch Out, another F15 will be taking to the water.
Following quite a bit of liquid refreshment & ‘should we or shouldn’t we’, amidst great cheering in the clubhouse, Stacey & Martin Rowell won the bidding on eBay on Sunday evening for F15 ‘Floating Pound’. They’re picking the boat up from Kendal next Saturday and hope to have it on the water next weekend.
It’s brought the age profile of Fifteen owners at the club down quite a lot!
Graham (F15 Fleet Captain’s Father in law)