Bart's Bash at Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club
by Dave Baxter 23 Sep 2014 08:15 BST
21 September 2014
Bart's Bash event at Yorkshire Dales © Jane Lister
Bart's Bash didn't disappoint in the Yorkshire Dales with a superb turnout of 63 boats and with sunshine and light winds gusting up to Force 3, it was great weather for beginners and novices to experience the thrill of racing for the first time. A big turnout to practice during the morning racing meant the galley and clubhouse were bursting at the seams as the 1 O'clock deadline arrived and Commodore Phil Whitehead opened the Global Event with a speech before everyone prepared to go onto the water.
The mood on the start line was best described as "lightly competitive" as the combined fleet comprising a National 12 Open meeting and everything from Toppers to a Nacra 17 all drifted gently up to the line for a clean getaway as the flag came down.
And off they went, spreading out enough on the first leg to make the windward mark a friendly place to meet as they headed away around a complex course that tried to give something to everyone. Polite tactical racing and banter continued around the reservoir, broken only by the occasional call of "starboard" and one "Up! Up! Up!" (sorry Alan) as the Yorkshire Dales fleets became part of a cast of thousands headed for the history books in the first of many annual Bashes to come.
All that remains is the tense wait for the results... hanging eagerly over the keyboard... hitting refresh...
Good luck everyone!
www.bartsbash.co.uk