Weta class at the Bala Sailing Club Long Distance Weekend

Sunday morning mirror - Bala Long Distance Weekend © Steve Harvey

Weta rigging and waiting - Bala Long Distance Weekend © Steve Harvey

Light Air, Long Miles

A testing June weekend on Llyn Tegid asked sailors for patience, concentration and clean boat-handling as members of the UK Weta fleet joined a wide range of dinghies and multihulls for two days of long-distance racing.

Patience, pressure and keeping the boat moving

The 2026 Bala Sailing Club Long Distance Weekend had all the ingredients that make the event such a favourite: a spectacular lake, a variety of fleets taking part, plenty of distance to cover and enough tactical uncertainty to keep every helm and crew absorbed from start to finish. What it did not have, at least in any consistent supply, was breeze. Across both days the wind stayed light, patchy and sometimes reluctant, turning the weekend into a contest of patience as much as speed.

For the Weta dinghies that took part, the conditions created a particular challenge. The boat is lively, responsive and capable of covering ground quickly when there is pressure in the sails, but in the softer patches every movement mattered. Crews had to sit still, steer gently, keep the sails breathing and search constantly for darker water. The weekend rewarded the sailors who could resist the temptation to over-work the boat and instead let the Weta slip forward whenever a faint line of breeze appeared.

Saturday: a 20-mile tour of the lake

Saturday's race was the big one: for those who got sent around for three laps it was around 20 miles sailed using most of the length of the lake. On paper, a long-distance course gives faster boats room to stretch their legs. In practice, with the breeze light and uneven, it became a moving puzzle. Every boat had to link together small gains, avoid holes in the wind, and make the most of every shift as the course worked its way along Llyn Tegid.

The 5 Weta in attendance for the weekend were well suited to the spirit of the race. The trimaran layout gives them a distinctive presence on the water, and even in light airs they offered plenty for sailors to think about. Downwind legs were about keeping the apparent wind alive without sailing unnecessary distance. Upwind, it was about finding clear lanes, tacking only when it paid, and keeping momentum through the quieter sections. In the lightest spells, the difference between a boat that kept moving and one that stopped could be measured not in seconds but in whole groups of places.

With 68 boats on the start line finding clear air right from the start was going to be crucial, and with the light air this wasn't going to be easy.

For the first half of the race, Weta sailors Kiwi and Patrick were always within striking distance of each other, even if they were positioned on opposite sides of the lake.

Patrick sailed a tactical race picking off puffs here and there, showed some fantastic light air downwind speed and simply pounced as Kiwi found himself in a wind hole that was swinging around and not giving any indication of a way out.

As the four hour time limit approached Race Control started finishing boats as they came through the line and after 3hr32min Steve C was the first Weta to hear the finishing horn, followed by John H with a time of 3hr50min and Dan/Seb next to finish at 4hr06mins. After registering two laps they were ashore and relaxing while the other two Weta were still racing having been sent around for a third lap. Patrick came through the line on 4hr40mins with Kiwi struggling in a dying breeze to sneak through the line on 4hr49mins.

Beers were earned and gratefully consumed with the Bala SC BBQ to end what was an epic light wind day on the lake.

Saturday Results:

Patrick - 1st Weta / 28th overall
Kiwi - 2nd Weta / 33rd overall
Steve C - 3rd Weta / 44th overall
John H - 4th Weta / 47th overall
Dan & Seb - 5th Weta / 50th overall

Upwind-downwind crossover with gennakers flying - Weta class at the Bala Long Distance Weekend - photo © Steve Harvey

The Weta story

Weta participation at the Long Distance Weekend has become a firm fixture on the UK Weta calendar. That made Bala more than just another open meeting: it was a chance for Weta sailors to compare technique, enjoy the social side of the class and test themselves over a race format that places a premium on consistency.

In stronger conditions the Weta's acceleration and stability can make for fast, exciting sailing. This weekend gave us all the opportunity to test our skills in a different way. Light winds put the emphasis on finesse: tidy tacks, smooth gybes, careful weight placement and a sharp eye for the next usable patch of wind. It was not a weekend for spectacular spray or heavy-weather heroics, but it was a very good test of how well sailors could keep the boat efficient when nature turned the volume down.

There was also a pleasing sense that the Wetas belonged in the mix. Among the broader fleet of monohulls, dinghies and multihulls, they added colour and variety. Their compact trimaran shape, sailing style and ability to keep looking for speed made them a natural talking point ashore and afloat. At this point it's worth mentioning just how much more comfortable sailing a Weta is than being hunched up in the centre of a dinghy and in the light airs on offer the ability to stretch out made things just a little more bearable.

Sunday: shorter course, same concentration

Sunday began with a beautiful Welsh morning and picture-perfect conditions for mirror-like views of Llyn Tegid. The big question was whether racing would get under way at all.

As if by magic a few puffs appeared, then something a little more like breeze, and then wind, well kind of - it was suitable enough to get racing under way as it filled in from the town end of the lake. This allowed Sunday's scheduled shorter race to take place, around 10 miles for those completing three laps, but it was not necessarily easier. With the wind still light, the race again demanded focus from the start. A shorter distance can sharpen the pressure because there is less time to recover from a slow tack, a missed shift or a stop in a windless patch.

For the Weta, Sunday's format rewarded clean lap-by-lap sailing. The shorter circuit allowed sailors to learn from each pass of the course: which side looked favoured, where the breeze was filling, and where the fleet was compressing. The boats that protected clear air and avoided unnecessary manoeuvres were able to build small advantages, while others found themselves parked and watching hard-earned distance disappear. According to Kiwi it was possible to be sailing on the exact same bearing as a boat 100 metres directly ahead but be on opposite tacks. Unfortunately, as the race was drawing to a close and the front half of the fleet struggled to round the final buoys a small number of boats ran out of wind and got caught down the course. Despite their best efforts and everyone willing them on they succumbed to being towed back after it was obvious the breeze had gone for the day.

Sunday Results:

Kiwi - 1st Weta / 14th overall
Steve C - 2nd Weta / 28th overall
Dan & Seb - 3rd Weta / 30th overall
John H - DNF
Patrick - DNS

A weekend won in the details

What stood out across the two days was that Bala's Long-Distance Weekend does not need big breeze to be memorable. In fact, the light wind made the event more subtle. Sailors had to think further ahead, make fewer mistakes and accept that the lake would not give the same answer twice. The boats at the front of the fleet mastered the conditions and while the Weta dinghies weren't up there this year they captured that challenge: quick enough to reward every good decision, but sensitive enough to punish impatience.

The 20-mile Saturday followed by a 10-mile Sunday made for a proper weekend of racing, even if the conditions were gentle rather than dramatic. The distances mattered, but so did the style of sailing required to complete them well. The Weta sailors left with the satisfaction of having worked hard for every metre, and the wider fleet had another reminder of why Bala remains such a popular venue for long-distance dinghy racing.

By the end of the weekend, the story was not simply one of results or elapsed times. It was about a fleet making the best of light airs, a lake that offered beauty and frustration in equal measure, and simply getting Weta together that added energy to an already well-loved event. Bala 2026 may not be remembered as a windy classic, but for those who kept their boats moving across both days, it will be remembered as a proper test.

Roll on the 2027 edition - what's it going to give us?

Extracted Overall Results:

Midfleet search for breeze - Weta class at the Bala Long Distance Weekend - photo © Steve Harvey