North West Junior & Youth Travellers Trophy & Topper NW Area Championship at Bassenthwaite SC

Mathew Sommerville during the North West Junior & Youth Travellers Trophy event at Bassenthwaite © Alastair Duncan

North West Junior & Youth Travellers Trophy event at Bassenthwaite © William Carruthers

An impressive fleet of 50 boats took to the water to sail the North West Junior and Youth Traveller Series & Topper NW Areas Championships at Bassenthwaite Sailing club with helm and crew under 19.

As racing was about to get under way at 1200 hrs the light breeze faded and started to swing through 180 degrees... With hopes of a sea breeze moving in to settle things down, it was noticed that wind was filling in from the SE again, so the course was reset and racing got under way.

Half an hour into the race the wind swung to the SE, and a shadow was cast over mark 1, so the race was shortened, and Tom Brindleg from Redesmere took his first of four wins of the day in the NWJTT, with Emily Page from Budworth 1st Topper.

The course was reset again, and the wind freshened for a short while, but then swung more to the NW, and back to the SW again. A sign of things to come? Will Burbridge from Chester was 1st Topper.

After a break, the clearly hadn't settled as the OD set a windward mark, moved to position the leeward mark only to find the wind was blowing from the opposite direction! Fortunately, the SW wind took control again and race 3 was started. As with the previous race, the wind swung between the NW and SW. This time Tom Bates from Ripon was 1st Topper.

Mathew Somerville (Pictured) from Dalston sailed into 21st position overall and was the 1st Terror Sport and 1st under 11.

A sterling performance from Charlie Rowell, Katter Smith and Erin Dawson from Bassenthwaite Sailing Club.

After a slight adjustment of the beat, race 4 was under way, but the wind soon eased for the back half of the fleet. With various zephyrs passing through the fleet continued on for another lap after which the race was shortened, before the wind faded altogether. George Colquitt from WKSC was 1st Topper. Tom Brindleg was overnight leader for NWJTT and Emily Page led the Toppers.

Strong winds were forecast for Sunday, but the Bass micro-climate resulted in windy, but sailable, conditions which put off some less experienced sailors.

Unlike Saturday, the stronger winds were more settled in direction so the course just had to be set once! There were numerous capsizes, some notable (an Oppie nosediving), but there were some very determined sailors that tried their best and carried on racing even after various capsizes.

Report from Mik Chappell

These two events held as a combined fleet took place on Bassenthwaite Lake over the weekend. There were a total of 50 entrants representing in excess of 20 clubs. There were 23 Toppers and a mix of Lasers, RS200s, Teras, Optimists and the occasional interloper within the Traveller fleet.

Saturday's weather was a continuation of the warm and sunny conditions which have been a feature of the last week but, with the forecast that these would not continue throughout the weekend, four of the six scheduled races were held on the first day.

North West Junior & Youth Travellers Trophy event at Bassenthwaite - photo © William Carruthers

This created havoc for the OD as the light wind was continually swinging through 90 degrees and sometimes more necessitating frequent resets to the line. Race 1 was shortened when the wind swung to the extent that one of the marks was in a wind shadow. Tom Brindley (Laser) from Redesmere took the first of four wins during the day in the NWJTT with Budsworth's Emily Page the leading Topper.

In the following two races the first Toppers were Will Burbridge from Chester and Tom Bates from Ripon. By race 4 the wind was fading so this one was also shortened, George Colquitt from West Kirby taking the Topper win.

Brindley was overnight leader in NWJTT and Page led the Toppers.

True to forecast Sunday was a much windier day and a fair number of crews decided not to take to the water. There were numerous capsizes some of which were quite spectacular but the hardy sailors were, in the main, unaffected and carried on to finish the races.

Bates won race 5 in his Topper with Brindley's Laser finishing second. Bates won again in the race 6 giving him second place overall and the Topper NW Area Championship.

Although he only finished in seventh place in the final race, Brindley was the overall series winner and the lead finisher in NWJTT.

North West Junior & Youth Travellers Trophy Results:

Topper NW Area Championship Results: