A small but select group of sailors took to the water on Sunday morning to take part in the Blencathra Trophy long series for Flying Fifteens. The wind was still strong and gusty predominately from a Westerly direction. Mike & Kayla won from Tim and Ian with Alan and Sue in 3rd. As Dave and Lynn were the only GP14 they joined Peter Whipp in his Laser and Alex and Olivia in a RS 200 in the handicap fleet, an excellent battle ensued with less than a minute separating all 3 on corrected time, Dave and Lynn won from Alex and Olivia. The younger members did not take their Toppers out as they were assisting with training recruits from last weeks Open Weekend.
The afternoon race was the Calvert Trust Pennant which was postponed from last week. Dave and Lynn won from Mike/Kayla followed by Tim/Ian, Alan/Sue and Jim and Poppy. This race was also the second round of Sandra’s Salver which is for the best female crew in a series of 7 pennant races. Poppy still leads the series by one point.
The day started with Neil, Mike & Jim teaching some �of our younger and keener members in Mirrors and Toppers. �It was great to see those who had come along for “Push the Boat Out” last weekend returning to learn and take part.
The wind was blowing from the West at speeds of 20-30mph shifting up to 90 degrees which made sailing interesting. The Club sailors on the veranda, sheltered by the clubhouse, couldn’t make their minds up whether to sail or not. The younger ones were keen to go.
We had a Scratch Race Management Crew as the Official Starter and his Apprentice had gone AWOL, Herb at a wedding and William up the Khyber (Fjords), the OD �having previously �won the Fastnet Race, equivalent to winning a pursuit race at Bass Week!!, was ready.
The first race started with the Flying Fifteens who were led by Mike & Kayla from start to finish. The committee boat tried its best to confuse competitors by drifting towards the shore but a rapid response from the crew rectified the situation. Dave & Lynn in their GP joined Hugh in his Vareo to make up the handicap fleet, positions changed throughout but Dave and Lynn won on the water and handicap. �The Toppers were joined by Jim and James in his Hartley 12, the Topper sailors decided to reduce to 4.2 sail size due to the conditions only to find Mike Fairlamb and Steve Hunt, both well over 40.2 had rigged fully sails and came out to take on the kids. We also had 2 new members Sol & Seb White who just joined last weekend taking part.
They all had a great race with many capsizes and stories to tell. Hazel sailed a fantastic race finishing just behind Steve and winning on handicap, Izzie capsized just before the finishing line and persevered �in howling winds despite a number of further dunkings to finish. Jamie showed great skill in finding the finishing line despite the committee boat moving position. They all did fantastically well.
Race 2 saw a reduced number of competitors. 3 Flying Fifteens took part, Mike & Kayla saw their Jib fall down just before the start and retired, Alan and Sue made a fantastic Port on Port start only to later retire leaving Tim and Ian to win the race. The Toppers were the only others to take part, 4 started and Hazel was the only one to finish making it 2 out of 2. �More wind forecast tomorrow!
Thursday was another great evening for racing. A brisk but constant easterly wind gave a start upwind of zero and a course of 4-3-1-0.
With 19 boats bunching on a short line a general recall was just avoided although Ethan was squeezed over. At the end of the first beat the RS200 of Alex & Olivia had a slight lead from Mike & Eric in their GP which they gradually extended. Next was Dave Lawson giving Izzie yet more crewing practice. They were followed by the Laser of Tony King, Jim�s Supernovaand the GP of Val & Ken who were side by side crossing the line at the end of lap 1.
The completion of Lap 2 was even closer with five boats crossing the line within 10 seconds. Gary & Kayla pulled out of the race at this point as they were the evening�s chefs.Slightly further down the fleet the Laser 2000 of Julie Tomkinson & Joe O�Donnell were duelling with AJ, and Richard Broughton in his Soloand Jon Anson�s Laser were in close company.
A gap appeared which allowed the L2000 of Steve Peck & Simon Smith to be finished on 2 laps.They were followed by David Roger putting in a stunning performance to easily finish as the leading Topper. Finishing on 3 laps it was Alex & Olivia from Jim,followed bya virtual dead heat between Mike & Eric and Tony.
FH Results showed Mike & Eric first from Alex & Olivia with Dave & Izzie third. On PH Tony came out on top with Julie & Joe second and David Roger third. In the PH Series Julie is now closing in on AJ and Sue who are currently leading from Mike & Eric.
An exciting opportunity to sail on a coast to coast 260 mile passage on James Cook in July from Inverness through the Caledonian Canal and down the West coast to Whitehaven.
There are only 8 places so if you are interested then don�t delay and contact us on either�[email protected]�or�0191 257 1212
Just to let you all know what the plan is for the next bank holiday!
Saturday 23rd�May – Wild West BBQ, we will be providing the food (some meat, breads and salads – veggie option too) for �7 per head. If you fancy joining in please let Claire know via Facebook, email or phone so I can get an idea of numbers. Come dressed in your checked shirts and Stetsons!
Sunday 24th�May – rounders (by popular demand!) followed by an Irish raffle.
The Calvert Trust Pennant & second event in Sandra’s Salver were abandoned last weekend due to strong winds, we have rescheduled them to this Sunday 17th May in place of BL4 etc.
This weekend was the start of the RYA’s week long Push The Boat Out campaign to get more people on the water. Despite the damp start on Saturday there have been more than 100 visitors taking up the opportunity to get on to the water on wide ranging ways including rowing boats, kayaks, coracle, dinghies and catamaran.
Some enjoyed it so much they’ll be back tomorrow with their friends!
Club racing continued to demonstrate what we’re all about, not that the weather conditions were particularly appropriate. The wind was light, and shifting, but with the risk of it fading altogether the OD opted to try and get at least one race in. The race started in light conditions and soon shifted making the beat very one sided, but the next leg became a beat! After 15 mins the wind began to fill in from the west, enabling a second lap to be sailed.
The course was altered for the 2nd race to suit the strengthening westerly, and the fleets enjoyed some good racing for the best part of an hour. Zefer sailed with Stephen in Scumper’s 400, but they went for a brief swim so struggled to pull away from Joan/Jack who sailed in the handicap fleet as other GPs were away at the Inlands. A collision between Neil and Tim resulted in a hole in Tim’s transom. Jonathan Anson practiced his capsize skills three times before retiring.
Neil/Toggle took two wins in the F15s, while Jim/James did the same in the slow handicap fleet. Ian Hall and Joan/Jack each had a win in the fast handicap fleet.
Sunday started with white horses across the bay, but the wind eased, and then gustspassed through from time to time. There was a lack of takers for club racing so it was postponed just in case anyone was interested in the afternoon pennant.
Meanwhile, visitors interested in the Push the Boat Out campaign continued to turn up and take to the water. Conditions deteriorated so some visitors endured unplanned capsizes (no, Alastair wasn’t helming!) – hopefully it didn’t mar�their experience too much!
[lg_slideshow folder=”album/15sundry/push the boat out/” display=”slide”]
With the wind increasing, the sailing boats were brought ashore and fun continued in rowing boats kayaks, etc., and club racing was abandoned for the day, though the pennant race will be sailed in the near future.
Thank you to everyone that helped tirelessly throughout the weekend to let over�180�visitors feel welcome and experience our sport.
What a superb evening to be on the Lake! Night Jar 2 was held on a glorious evening with a constant Force 2 wind from the South West. Seventeen boats from all fleets took to the water. The Race Officer selected a course of 0-9-A with the line slightly up wind of the last mark and it worked well.
Toggle & Joan encountered kite problems on their 200 prior to the race and they were some 5 minutes late when they eventually crossed the starting line.
Mike & Eric in the GP had an excellent start as did Olivia & Alex in their 200. But the latter crew�s race was a short one as they had a dispute over mark room at 9 with Val & Ken which led to their retirement and also dropped the Bell�s GP back some boat lengths.
Shenanigans amongst the opposition allowed Mike & Eric to build up an early lead which they progressively increased throughout the race. Next on the water were Gary & Kayla in the FF in close company with the GP of AJ & Sue. Not far astern Hazel�s in her Radial was duelling with the 2000 of Julie Tomkinson & Joe O�Donnell. Then came Mike Hunter and Jon Anson in Lasers in close company with Richard Broughton in his Solo.
Lap times were around 11 to 15 minutes and virtually all competitors completed 4 laps. On the final oneVal & Ken caught and passed AJ & Sue and they finished third on the water behind the FF. As if on cue, the wind died completely as Lottie Winfindale completed the race and she was towed home by a safety boat to link up with her family who were the evening�s chefs.
Results showed that Mike & Eric had taken a resounding win on Fleet handicap with Val & Ken in second place. On PH Gary and Kayla took a superb first place and what is believed to be Gary�s first ever win.
A busy bank holiday weekend with the Tera Northerns and Catapult Open running alongside club racing �On Saturday the weather was blustery, cold, and drizzly but it didn’t put off many of the visiting Teras or Catapults from venturing out.
There were various capsizes throughout the afternoon in Teras and club boats, because not many opted to continue on after getting upright.
Sunday started with the tail end of a wet stormy night,�and despite the stronger, gustier winds, the Teras were back on the water for their 4th race. Numerous capsizes later, they came ashore for lunch before returning to the water for the final two races, by which time the rain had stopped and the wind abated.
At the end of the championship it was the Rastrick brothers from Ripon that took the honours in both fleets – Henry winning the Pro fleet, and Jamie the Sport fleet.
After a problematic and aborted start in the morning, club and Catapult racing followed in the afternoon. The wind continued to ease, and swing around Sale Fell, which cast various shadows on the course for the 1st race. For the 2nd race, the wind had swung to the SW, but there were major shifts for the sailors to contend with affecting leads dramatically.
After some close, competitive racing the overnight leaders are Simon/Jon in the F15s, Phil/Naomi in the fast handicap, Dave/Lynn in the GPs, and Hazel in the slow handicap fleet.
Bank Holiday Monday was pleasantly bright, dry and milder, but there was still a good wind to offer thrills and spills to competitors and spectators alike.
The Catapults had one final race which determined the overall winner as John Terry from Gareth Ede from Yorkshire Dales after splitting the tie on points by the position in the final race.
Catapult winner John Terry receiving prizes from Kirstie Somerville
In club racing there were a couple of notable capsizes in the Mirrors – Rob Smith leapt to save niece Lily from falling out of the boat causing them to�capsize, whereas Mik’s capsize and subsequent retirement was enough to win him the Peel Pot series.
In the F15s, Simon/Jon successfully held Neil/Rory at bay in the last race to win the Jak Pot. Phil/Naomi continued to master the fast handicap fleet, with three 1sts and a 2nd to Scumper in the last race, winning the May Holiday Trophy. Dave/Lynn took all four�1sts in the GPs to win the Lyne Tankard with Mike/Eric 2nd
[lg_slideshow folder=”album/15sundry/May bank hol/” display=”slide”]
They may seem like a distant memory at present, but the Thursday evening Night Jar series started last night.�
It was forecast to be light�and mainly�northerly. �Well,�the forecasters�were right on the first count but, for an hour or more before the 1915 hour start time, the wind was swinging through all points of the compass. �At least there were clear skies.
The Race Officer decided to go out and try and set a line. �And yes, it was a northerly beat. �By bringing A�south�of, and near to�B and�by�laying the start line between them, B-3-A seemed to be the best bet. �But then�the wind went west and the nine competing boats had a beam reach followed by a run.�
Mike Fairlamb led the fleet in his Streaker with Alan Jones second in the GP. �It was flat at 3�but most boats struggled round onto another reach as the wind went back to the north . The exception was Louise Roger in her Topper who had dropped behind after a slow first leg. �Julie Tomkinson�/ Melanie Clapham�in the Laser�4000 also struggled with the rounding. � With the wind holding �at that point it was decided to send most boats around for a second lap, the exceptions being Tasha Todhunter in her Laser and visitor Nathan Pickles in his Tera.
With the wind dropping and gradually veering south, the fleet approached the final mark. �Mike thought it had gone completely when he came to a complete halt but he soon realised that he had fouled the Bates� anchor warp and he continued after raising his board. �This allowed AJ and Sue to catch up but they were still astern�crossing the line.��
As it was becoming chilly and the dusk�was setting in, all returned to the Club and tucked in to a meal�previously�prepared by Sue and AJ. �Results showed �that Mike Fairlamb had beaten the chefs on FH but that AJ / Sue were the winners on PH with the Laser of Peter Winfindale second. �
