Ullswater Regatta at Ullswater Yacht Club

Close racing from the 59ers at the Ullswater Regatta © Lois Robson

With an entry of more than 60 boats, Ullswater Regatta on Saturday and Sunday, August 6 and 7, was a sailaway success.

Sailors from all over the North joined members at Ullswater Yacht Club for two days of exciting and close competition over five demanding races in light to moderate north westerly winds.

It was also the Northern area championships of the Tempest class with a total of 13 boats competing for the title. The Tempests sailed five races and the championship was not decided until the very end of the final race of the day.

Club members, David Giles, crewed by David Lyons in the oldest boat in the fleet went into the final race as leaders with two firsts. After many place changes in the shifting winds, Mike Adams of Ullswater, crewed by his son Paul, crossed the line in first place. But David Giles managed to work his way through the fleet to gain a second and win the championships by one point. Third place in the Tempest event went to visitors from Carsington SC, Jim Hart and Jon Gill.

The biggest fleet of the weekend, a total of 27, was the asymmetric class with a wide range of high performance boats taking part. At the front of the fleet in every race were the 49ers, but it was a Vortex Asymmetric sailed by Keith Escritt of Yorkshire Dales SC that took first place overall on handicap with a consistent set of results, never being placed out of the top three.

Ullswater sailors David and Julie Sykes in an RS400 mastered the tricky conditions on Sunday, chalking up two firsts on handicap, putting them into second place overall. In third place was another Laser Vortex, raced in Phil Whitehead also of Yorkshire Dales SC.

There were 16 boats in the symmetric class which was dominated by Lasers. But Solo sailor Brian Allison of Burwain SC showed them all the way round the lake by notching up two firsts and winning overall. The biggest cheer of the prizegiving went to teenage Laser Radial sailor Callum Findlay of UYC whose first on handicap in the final race gave him second place overall. He was also the winner of the trophy for the first youth. Third overall was another club Laser sailor, Steven King.

In the cruiser class, King of the Etaps, Robin Barratt, crewed by Nigel Hampson and Robin Stanley won three out of the five races on handicap to take the overall prize. Second was another Etap sailed by Peter and Paul Lewis and Bill Alexander.

The racing on the water and the fun off the water continues all this week at Ullswater Week which ends on Friday, August 12.

Overall Results:

Tempest Northern Championships
1 David Giles and David Lyons, UYC
2 Mike and Paul Adams, UYC
3 Jim Hart and John Gill, Carsington SC

Asymmetric Fleet
1 Keith Escritt, Laser Vortex, Yorkshire Dales SC
2 David and Julie Sykes, RS 400, UYC
3 Phil Whitehead, Laser Vortex, Yorkshire Dales SC

Symmetric Fleet
1 Brian Allison, Solo, Burwain SC
2 Callum Findlay, Laser Radial, UYC
3 Steven King, Laser, UYC

Cruisers
1 Robin Barratt, Nigel Hampson, Robin Stanley, Etap
2 Peter and Paul Lewis and Bill Alexander