Bassweek Regatta at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club - Days 8 & 9
by Mik Chappell 8 Aug 2011 08:33 BST
30 July - 7 August 2011
The final weekend series on Bassenthwaite Lake was a tale of two halves. The four race series was for the Cutty Sark Trophies for each fleet which were sponsored by the Lloyd Motor Group. The plan was for the first three races in the four race series to be held on Saturday with a final race on Sunday morning. This would give time to pack up boats, tents, caravans and cars and to hold a final prizegiving while still leaving sufficient time for all competitors to leave for home at a reasonable time.
But nothing ever seems to go to plan! Saturday’s winds were as light and fickle as ever. The Race Officer only succeeded in completing two races - and even that was a major triumph. In Race 1 there was enough wind for each of the fleets to complete the first easterly beat and continue on a series of reaches and runs and for the leading boats to complete much of a second lap before the wind faded again.
Toppers, Mirrors and Slow Handicap boats were half way up the second beat at this time and it became a guessing game for them on how best to reach the windward mark in the shadow of Skiddaw where it was clear they would be finished. Many positions were won and lost but all eventually reached the finish mark and set off downwind to the clubhouse for an early lunch.
They didn’t have much breaktime though as the Race Officer was still intent on running two further races if he possibly could. With this in mind he set a short course in the middle of the bay out of any obvious wind shadows. This was, basically, a triangle with the three in line clubhouse marks in use to allow scorers in the race office to note sail numbers plus times for the Handicap Fleets.
The wind dropped as the slower fleets were approaching these marks for the first time and the faster fleets for the second. It became a drifter and then a log jam with some twenty five or more boats involved. To make matters worse the lead fleets were being finished at the race office and the slower ones at the next mark but the shortened course fleet flags which had been hoisted weren’t flying – even if you could see them around the mass of sails!
So, no one was too sure whether the finishing signals – when they eventually came - were for them or whether they should continue. All eventually finished as planned and returned to the Club to be greeted by the Sailing Secretary announcing that he and the Race Officer were putting everyone out of their misery: “There will be no more sailing today.”
That left two more races for Sunday and, for the first time in the nine days of the Regatta, it was a genuine wind. Many had forgotten how to sail in wind with gusts and there were numerous capsizes. But both remaining races were completed without major incident and that prizegiving, with prizes presented by the Sponsors, took place with little delay.
Full results for the final Saturday and Sunday can be found at www.bassenthwaite-sc.org.uk. A summary of the lead positions is shown below.
The Cutty Sark Trophy sponsored by Lloyd Motor Group
Fast Handicap:
1. Graham & Katherine Vials, B14 (Derwent Reservoir SC)
2. Stuart & Zoe Bailey, Alto (Medway/Wilsonian YC)
Flying Fifteen:
1. John Hardisty/Roger Errington (Derwent Reservoir SC)
2. Simon Longstaff/Jon Denwood (Bass SC)
RS200:
1. Alex Leonard/Olivia Storey (Bass SC)
2. Dave & Jackie Gebhard (Derwent Reservoir SC)
Laser:
1. Tom Keegan (Leigh & Lowton SC)
2. Royston Taggart (Pilkington SC)
Laser Radial:
1. Iain MacLaughlan (Largs SC)
2. Joe Watkins (Bass SC)
Medium Handicap
1. Sam Pickering, Phantom (Chase SC)
2. Mark Somerville, Vario (Bass SC)
Enterprise:
1. Peter Lawson/Gareth Balfour (Bass SC)
2. Steve Blackburn/ Bang Tidy (Pilkington SC)
GP14:
1. Andy Smith/Stephen Kirkpatrick (Bass SC)
2. David & Lynn Lawson (Bass SC)
Slow handicap:
1. David Ivins/Lesley Johnson (Bolton SC) Graduate
2. Michael Papp/Vicky Burton (Swarkestone SC) Graduate
Mirror:
1. John & Jack Telford (Bass SC)
2. Dave & Dan Coady (Derwent Reservoir SC)
Toppers:
1. Sam Platt (Bolton SC)
2. Ethan Dawson (Bass SC)