Sunny but Chilly Weekend

Sixteen boats took part in the final weekend series of our curtailed season.

They were greeted by a lovely sunny day with a variable chilly easterly wind. The novice Bates driver managed to wrap the anchor warp around the prop which meant a short postponement was required. This was rectified by three fat men standing on the bow and a Scottish engineer untangling things at the rear.

Race one saw Mark in his RS100 lead the fast handicap fleet from the start but take the wrong course, he realised his mistake and was first on the water and on handicap.

Ant and Pen had some Spinnaker difficulties just before the final mark which let Paul and Neil past. The GPs has some exciting close racing with numerous leaders, Andy and Phil won in the end. Much amusement was had when Alan and Sue tried to round the final mark to port, it should have been starboard, causing a brief period of chaos and losing a place to Val and Ken. Mik in his Mirror was first on the water and on adjusted time in the slow handicap from Matthew and Katya in Teras.

Race 2 saw the OD set a shorter course with two beats, Mark again led from start to finish in the fast handicap fleet but was beaten for first by Neil in a radial on handicap. The GPs again had close racing early on but Andy and Phil pulled out a comfortable lead from Dave and Lynn. Nigel and Glenys capsized on the reach to 9, struggled to empty and retired.

Matthew and Katia had a great race in the Teras, both beating Mik�s Mirror on the water who was just in the lead rounding the final wing mark in R2 but touched it and had to re-round.

With everything to play for, Sunday dawned cloudless and rather chilly. 16 crews launched for the final three races in the series with half the fleet being in GPs. The wind varied between NE and NW but was seldom stronger than F2.

In the first two races it was Mark and Phil / Izzy taking a Handicap Fleet win each on the water with single handers Neil Currie and Mike Fairlamb next up. In the GPs Andy / Phil and David / Lynn took a win each.

After a short break the final race was held in dying and varying winds. �Only�nine�of the crews thought it worth contesting with�five�being GPs.�It resulted in Mark�taking a 10 minute lead which should net him the Handicap Fleet? �

Similarly Dave & Lynn took the GP race by 8 minutes. Alan & Sue had caused some consternation at the start being over the line and ducking back in which dropped him to the rear of his fleet. James & Jenny took the second place from Paul & Vicky and Val & Ken.

Celebrity Glass Trophy

19 September, 2020

Racing No Comments

Blue skies with a cool gusting NE wind seemed to be a bit challenging at first but 16 boats raced in the weekend’s Celebrity Glass Trophy series. Not surprisingly, the wind was swinging throughout the afternoon, and it did ease at times throughout the first race, but bedded in for the second race.

There was some good reaching conditions at times, and the occasional capsize, including Tog/Joanie in a RS200, Barbara in a Laser Radial, and Dave/Lynn in their GP after they finished! However, generally there was some close, and consistent, racing. Steve/Ruth led both races, but they could not break away from Dave/Lynn sufficiently in either race to beat them on handicap.

Poppy persevered in her Topper, avoided capsizing, and completed both races!

The final results had the GPs taking the first three positions – Dave/Lynn, John/Jack then Val/Ken.

Sunday’s start may have been put back to 1130 but the Lake was just as flat then as at 1100. It remained that way until Andy abandoned at c1230.

Windy Weekend

12 September, 2020

Championship Racing No Comments

Strong gusty winds in the morning eased sufficiently for racing in the weekend series with a turnout of 16 boats. There were various capsizes, some challenging variable conditions around 9, and opportunities for some spectacular reaches, especially by Scumper in his RS100.

At one stage, AJ seemed to have a new take on an age old rule re mark rounding…

In the handicap fleet there were mixed fortunes with the shifty conditions, and the asymmetrics were able to take advantage of the gusts on the long runs to the leeward marks. Scumper had a 1st and a 3rd, Robin/Erin in a RS200 two 2nds, while John in a Solo had a 3rd and a 1st to take overnight lead.

There was more consistency in the GPs with Andy/Phil in overnight lead with two 1sts while John/Jack had two 2nds.

Paul leads the slow handicap fleet after both Poppy and Katia retired.

Sunday morning was bright and dry but with a strong SW breeze that wasn’t tempting anyone to even take covers off their boats. Perhaps the occasional sunny spells highlighted too many white wave crests?!

After a while Andy/Phil and John/Jack decided to give it a go, and three handicap boats followed suit.

Conditions were such that the Bates wasn’t holding its anchor, even second time around, so it resulted in a lot of port bias (probably so much that boats couldn’t cross the line on starboard tack!). There were numerous capsizes, hard beats, and some good reaches to make up for all the hard work.

Despite a strong lead, Scumper had one, or two, capsizes too many and ended up finishing behind John on the water. In the GPs, Andy/Phil led throughout the race with John/Jack 2nd.

Coming ashore after the first race there was no appetite for any more races, so that brought the series to an end, with no change to the overnight leader results.

Autumn on the way?

5 September, 2020

Tinker Trophy final results

Racing No Comments

Saturday started bright and windy, but as the fleet headed to the start the heavens opened, and hardly eased for the rest of the afternoon. The gusty winds caused a few capsizes even before racing started but everyone made the race. During the second lap the wind started to swing, and ease to almost drifting conditions by the time all boats had finished.

With the wind having swung through 180 degrees, it wasn’t looking promising for a second race, but the original westerly quickly returned, though slightly lighter, so the line was quickly reset, and another short race got underway (there’s only so much rain the committee boat team can cope with!)

Ethan led both races in his RS100, and by taking advantage of the better winds he secured two wins. John/Jack in their GP took 2nd in the first race, but fearing the wind had gone headed straight ashore. Dave in a Laser Radial had a 3rd and a 2nd, so is 2nd overall overnight.

Those that returned on Sunday found it was raining as much as Saturday (perhaps its had rained all night?), and the wind had disappeared. However, this did not totally dampen everyone’s enthusiasm as there was an interest in racing if possible. By 11.30 there was a hint that the rain was passing through, with some wind appearing from the SE, so the OD opted to test the sailor’s mettle, and arranged for the rescue boats to be launched before heading out to set a start. With the wind failing to settle from a given direction, it was after 1pm before racing got underway for five contenders, despite it being in the lightest of conditions, and a reaching start.

The wind filled in from the forecast NW direction, AJ/Sue reached the windward mark first ahead of Ethan in his RS100, and things looked promising. In fact they were sailing so well the race continued into the 2nd lap, only for the wind to ease yet again, so the race was shortened at the next mark. There would be no more racing, but at least it was a sunny afternoon, such a change from the morning.

Although AJ beat Ethan on handicap by a matter of seconds, Ethan won the Tinker Trophy series overall, with AJ 2nd, and Nigel/Glenys 3rd

August Holiday Weekend 2020

2 September, 2020

The majority of members hadn�t sailed since the end of last season and were desperate to get onto the Lake and involved in competition. So, by the Holiday Weekend, nearly forty crews were ready to take to the water. Some were encouraged by the very light winds while others were put off by the conditions.

On Saturday there was a two race series for the Paul Carruthers Memorial Trophy. Scumper won the first while �training man� Reekie got the second. Overall it was Phil & Naomi from Mark. Dave & Caroline Exley in a RS400 were third ahead of Robbie D.

A five race class series on the following days was held in light to non-existent winds which drifted in from virtually every point on the compass. There were no FFs so the Fast Handicap Fleet led the way. Bean in the RS200 crewed this time by young Oliver took the series with three bullets. Shunty & Ruth were second in their Merlin, and Neil third in his aged Solo.

The nine strong GP fleet was won on last race by Telf with Jack crewing, from a high performing Mike Fairlamb who had �Sally Sailor� as crew. The Ginger Boats entry of Andy & Phil could only manage a series third.

Mik took the MT Slow Handicap win by a whisker from Matty in his Tera Pro. Stephen and son in their Mirror were third.

Sunday 23 August

23 August, 2020

Championship Racing No Comments

Persistent drizzle/light showers seemed to flatten the lake and give the impression of fickle winds, but once on the water there was enough wind to keep the boats moving, and after the first lap, it freshened resulting in a few capsizes, and a few near misses.

Paul Gannon moved in to a Laser in the lighter airs, and sailed well to take the lead, lost quote a bit of the lead after hitting the penultimate mark, finishing 3rd behind Rory and Neil in their Solos.

Toggle was getting ‘excited’ while explaining to Joanie what had to be done in some of the gybes as gusts kicked in. Despite Tog/Joanie leading in the Pink RS200 most of the second race, on handicap the finished 4th, with the honours going to Ant in a Vision, and Rory in a Solo 2nd. Neil Currie finished 3rd and won his second series of the weekend, the Skiddaw Trophy

With Val OD, Mike Fairlamb took the opportunity to nab Ken as a crew and sail his GP for the first time this season, winning both races from AJ/Sue. Perhaps their umbrella was too much of a hindrance? However, AJ’s results were sufficient to win the GP Autumn Cup.

Bean/Oliver in their Mirror won the first slow handicap race ahead of Katia in a Topper, but both boats retired in the next race. The MT Bates series was won by Bean.

Saturday 22 August

22 August, 2020

Recent high winds and heavy showers may have put many sailors off, but it proved to be sailable for the three boats that took to the water, perhaps to Sue�s frustration as she had her heart on going out for afternoon tea!

Both the single handers had capsizes throughout the afternoon, but AJ/Sue stayed upright, then quit while they were ahead after the first race.

The wind freshened during the second race, and a few white horses appeared, but the two single handers battled on, despite capsizing, with Paul in a Pico first through the finish line ahead of Hugh in his Vareo.

The racing was the last of the series, but did not affect the overall results with Neil Currie winning the Barf Trophy handicap series, Pail/Vicky the GP Spring Cup, and Paul Gannon the MT Red Sails trophy for slow handicap.

Another Shifty Sunday

16 August, 2020

The wind was a reluctant participant, but it did start to appear around the northern buoys, so the OD went out to set a course. While waiting for the fleets to join in, a breeze in the southern end started to fill the lake, so the proposed start area was relocated and racing got underway.

During the first half of the race, despite occasional light patches, the two beats were maintained, and then the inexplicable shifts, and some opposing winds moved in. Phil/Izzy in a RS400 kept in the wind to win on handicap from Neil Garrison in his Laser. By the end of the race, the long run in to the leeward mark became a beat… That proved to be the final straw for some, and they called it a day. AJ/Sue had solid races to to takes wins, with Nigel/Glenys 2nd in each race.

The wind quickly reverted to the south, the next race sequence was started, and most boats started on a reach or run! An easterly bedded in, resulting in an alternate beat, and lasted throughout the rest of the race. Despite a ‘casual’ start by Neil Currie in his Solo, he pulled back to finish 2nd to Neil Garrison who currently leads the series. As for the rain showers that the rest of the country/county were enduring, the worst we suffered was some light drizzle. The Bass micro climate continues.

Sultry Saturday

15 August, 2020