Bassweek Regatta at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club - Day 4

Bassweek Regatta day 4 © DE Photo

Bassweek Regatta day 4 © DE Photo

It was yet another day with light winds and with yet another postponement of the first race. The wind filled in as many competitors were looking forward to a relaxing lunch and boats were launched to compete in the Dubwath Cup. With a starboard biased start line there was considerable bunching in each fleet. But there were no general recalls and, as far as your scribe could tell, no individual ones either. Mind you, with the Regatta Organiser standing on the bows of the committee boat to watch the line, the chancers were sure to be dissuaded from being over!

The course was, as usual, a series of beats and runs across Dubwath Bay with a cross over back to the final mark which kept crews running on port on their toes but, in the light winds, few problems were encountered.

The Mirrors and Toppers had a fairly long race and were late back to the Club dreading the thought that they would be early starters in the following Nairn Pursuit Race. However, the Sailing Secretary allowed everyone just enough time for the belated refreshments before announcing a briefing.

Here, it was explained to everyone that the system of a moving finishing line trialled last year would be repeated. After seventy five minutes the race would finish and port and starboard marks would indicate the position of the first finisher. All following boats had to maintain their courses to this point but the Finish Boat would travel back down the course recording the position of each boat as it did so. This caused some head scratching amongst those who were not at the Regatta last year!

In the event, the system again worked well although it has to be said that, to a limited extent, the slower boats were still being overtaken by the speed machines prior to the Finish Boat reaching them. Of course they would have been even further back in the overall results if they had had to reach a fixed finishing line so no one complained.

Full results can be found at www.bassenthwaite-sc.org.uk . A summary of the lead positions in each class is shown below.

Dubwath Cup sponsored by Waugh & Musgrave:

Fast Handicap
1. Steve Hunt/Ruth Critchley, Merlin Rocket (Bassenthwaite SC)
2. Stuart & Zoe Bailey, Alto (Medway/ Wilsonian YC)

Flying Fifteen
1. Ian Campbell/Tony Fisher (Bass SC)
2. John Hardisty/Roger Errington (Derwent Reservoir SC)

RS200
1. Phil & Naomi Smith (Bass SC)
2. Tim Hand/C Scott (Sutton in Ashfield SC)

Laser
1. Tom Keegan (Leigh & Lowton SC)
2. Rebecca Cox (Pilkington SC)

Laser Radial
1. Ian McLaughlan (Largs SC)
2. Joe Watkins (Bass SC)

Medium Handicap
1. Tom & Charlotte Stewart (Northampton SC) National 12
2. Ed Thomas (Pilkington SC) Phantom

Enterprise
1. Karen Morris/Lisa Woods (Etherton SC)
2. Mark Ninnim/Emma Smith (Bass SC)

GP14
1. David & Lynn Lawson (Bass SC)
2. Mike Fairlamb/Eric Smith (Bass SC)

Slow handicap
1. David Ivins/Lesley Johnson (Bolton SC) Graduate
2. David Smith (Welton SC) Streaker

Mirror
1. Edward Grayson (Beaver SC)
2. Emma & Rachel Grayson (Beaver SC)

Topper
1. James Shevelan-Hobbs (Bolton SC)
2. Sam Platt (Bolton SC)

Nairn Pursuit Race sponsored by Saint & Co.:
(top ten, 98 starters)

1. Tom & Robert Stewart (Northampton SC) National 12
2. Graham & Katherine Vials (Derwent Reservoir SC) B14
3. David& Lynn Lawson (Bass SC) GP14
4. David Ivins/Lesley Johnson (Bolton SC) Graduate
5. Stuart & Zoe Bailey (Medway/Wilsonian YC) Alto
6. Andy & Rob Smith (Bass SC) GP14
7. Mark & Tom Platt (Bolton SC) RS200
8. Ian Smith (Craven SC) RS300
9. Ed Thomas (Pilkington SC) Phantom
10. Karen & Lisa Woods (Etherton SC) Enterprise