Flying Fifteen Team Racing at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club
by Mik Chappell 16 Oct 2017 10:23 BST
14-15 October 2017
After the extreme rainfall in the Northern Lakes in the middle of last week the water level in Bassenthwaite Lake rapidly increased by over a metre and time on Thursday and Friday was occupied by the Club's members hauling local boats tied down near the lake side to high ground adjacent to the clubhouse.
The circumstances were not ideal for the final Open Meeting of the season. But eighteen boats and crews from four different north west sailing clubs were lined up and ready to launch from the banking early on Saturday afternoon.
Three races were held back to back. In the first Simon Longstaff / Jon Denwood from Bass took an early lead but Steve Goacher / Tim Harper from Royal Windermere were soon through to take the win. In the second race Bass' Neil Currie / Rory Yardley had the best start but, again, Goacher / Harper got through to win.
By this point the wind gusts had strengthened. A number of boats were knocked flat and several crew members had to be fished out of the lake by a safety boat. Goacher / Harper this time took an immediate and commanding lead and it was Mark Somerville / Mike Cowan from the home club who were second.
So, overnight, following the top three, it was Derwent Reservoir's Terry Crumpton / John Mathie. The first of the three boats from Blackpool & Fleetwood – with the appropriate Team name of The Tower Boys - was crewed by Rob Mountain / Paul Reid.
By general consensus Sunday's winds and gusts were too extreme and the visitors dropped masts and prepared for towing. The overnight results stood with Goacher / Harper, Longstaff / Denwood and Somerville / Cowan in the podium positions.
The prizegiving saw the Team Trophy go to Best and the Worst. A less appropriate name as it included three crews in the top half of the fleet! In addition to the Event winners, it included Curry / Yardley and Mike Moore / Michaela Sheard. The Grotty Potty awarded for the most eventful antics went to Derwent Reservoir's Athol King who managed to fall out of his boat on four occasions!