The final day of May and the sun has returned. The forecast of light winds was ominous, and swinging airs as the race officer was challenging. As the fleet sailed out, they were driven by a fair sea breeze from the West which held, if somewhat shifty, throughout the afternoon.

In the Celebrity Glass Pursuit, Mik started first and led the way for almost half the race before being passed by Mike/Eric in their GP. Despite an excellent start by Banter in his RS100, a broken halyard forced him to capsize to undertake a makeshift repair (or was it so he could cool off swimming in the lake?). Tog was on form again, but unable to break through finishing just over a minute behind Mike. The conditions didn’t suit the strong fleet of F15s, and they all finished in a bunch led by Neil/Rory.

Celebrity Glass Trophy latest

The 2nd race was part of a long championship series. Mike/Kayla were keen to improve on the poor beating in the 1st race, and merrily forced Neil over the line at the start, but had to return themselves. However, Neil made up the ground winning ahead of Graham/Elaine, with Mike 3rd.

AJ/Sue were on top form taking an early lead in the GPs and holding their nerve through to the end.

Banter’s repair was secure enough to see him through the next race, earning him a win from Tog in his Vareo

Mik secured another win in the Mirrors/Toppers to take a strong lead in the Red Sails Trophy. Hazel sailed well in her Topper with a good lead on Mik until the final beat, pushing her into 2nd place. David sailed most of the beats standing on his Topper, different if not competitive!

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Sunday started bright but overcast. The light breeze appeared to be swinging around Sale Fell, but the race officer was assured by Mike That there was a southerly breeze at Shap heading our way! True enough the wind did settle from the south and racing got underway. Ian/Lezli-Ann repeated their light weather dominance, pulled out an early lead (while Mike/Kayla wallowed in a hole) and went on to win comfortably.

AJ had started the morning next to a flip chart, talking through his success of the previous afternoon, but he too wallowed long enough for the rest of the GPs, led by Dave/Lynn, to disappear into the distance!

The holes and wallowing were a result of the wind swinging through more than 90 degrees to the west – great breeze, but it meant there were no beats!

Mik and Hazel stuck close together throughout their race, and Mik won on handicap. Banter and Tog battled it out again, with Tog winning by just over 30 secs

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The westerly breeze held for the afternoon, no doubt reinforced by another sea breeze, but it meant the traditional round the lake course for the Jimmy Lancaster Memorial pennant would be in the shade if Sale Fell. The OD did reduce the extent of the frustrations by just sending the fleet down to 10, but light, swirling, winds were in play even before the boats got to Scarness. The conditions suited the GPs (apart from AJ) as they took first three positions on handicap, again led by Dave/Lyn. Tog was 4th and Mike/Kayla 5th

Final results

It might have been the sun gone to his head, but AJ vowed to hunt out, and dust off, his tennis racket…

Mixed weather from sunshine through rain seems to be the order of the day, and the wind almost as variable!

Half a dozen Toppers initially led the way in Celebrity Glass Pursuit, though Dave/Lynn were the next to take the lead, Robbie Dee/Banter took advantage of the freshening winds to work their way from starting last through to the lead and winner’s horn.

The 2nd race was part of a long championship series. In the F15s Mike/Kayla took the honours with Wendy/John putting in a good performance in the blustery conditions finishing 2nd just ahead of newcomer Angus Corry.

In the Handicap fleet Robbie D/Banter secured their 2nd win of the day; Tog took 2nd in his Vareo with Mark/Emma 3rd in their Enterprise.

Andy/Katia won the Mirror/Topper fleet with Hazel 2nd. Dave/Lynn again won the GPs from Mike/Eric

Latest results Celebrity Glass MG etc

More mixed weather for Sunday – starting bright and warm with little breeze. The wind did pick up a little from the South, but as soon as the OD set a startline and course, it swung to the West, so a new line and course were set, but the wind had eased a little. Ian/Lezli-Ann took an early unassailable lead, and managed to keep track of where they were on the Olympic style course, taking the winning horn ahead of Mike/Kayla.

AJ/Sue mastered the start squeezing Dave/Lynn and Mike/Eric out of the start giving themselves a 30 sec advantage, but it was Joan/Jack that were in the lead at the windward mark and had to fend off Paul/Vicky through to the finish.

Scumper/Zefer had a flying start in their RS400 but the light conditions were more suited to Robbie D/Erin who won on handicap in a RS200.

Mik Chappell won the Mirror/Topper race with Hazel 2nd

The wind faded over lunchtime and didn’t return, so racing was eventually abandoned for the day.

More WW1 centenary celebrations were the order of the night. What goes on at Bass stays at Bass (usually!)

Bank Holiday Monday and the rain that the rest of the country seemed to be whinging about had passed through overnight leaving a bright morning with a good Southerly breeze breaking many white horses across the lake.

Two races were sailed before lunch as dark clouds moved in and the wind eased slightly. A criss crossing course meant it was important for sailors to stay alert. One incident had Robbie D taking avoiding action to miss Ethan, and he subsequently had to do turns, that cost him several secs and the race which was won by Tog with Bean 2nd. Tog proved he hadn’t just taken advantage of the situation by winning all three races and the Isel Cup. Robbie D and Scumper ended up on equal points but Robin’s 1st gave him the advantage and 2nd overall.

In the F15s, each race was won by a different helm, Andy/Ian and Mike/Kayla finishing with 8 pts each with the tie for the Mellor Mug split on the last race in Andy’s favour.

A wind shift, meant a starboard biased start line, and some over eager starting in the GPs. With four boats over, and only two boats returning, and all four races to count, Dave and Mike had scuppered their chances in the series, so Joan/Jack won the Commodore’s Prize with Dave 2nd on equal points with Val

Mik had a clean sweep to win the Orsova Cup, with Hazel putting in some consistent sailing to finish 2nd overall.

Final results

It was a grey chilly evening but, despite this, 21 boats took to the water including 7 from the Topper fleet. With a consistent F3 ENE wind the OD set an interesting course from 0 of 4-1-3-9-0 containing 2 beats.

The start was somewhat chaotic as most boats were early reaching the line and were forced to the port end. Joan & Jack Hardie were driven onto the pin and re-rounded. But a stint of hard sailing put them back into the lead group headed by Jim Christie in the Supernova.

Jim then left 1 to port rather than starboard and dropped back after re-rounding. By the end of the first lap Joan & Jack were leading from the GPs; Alan Jones / Sue Watson being right on the transom of Mike Fairlamb / Eric Smith.

The Toppers were finished at the end of the first lap. The experienced Harry Binns had a sizeable lead and he took 7th place overall on PH. He was followed across the line by Frankie Miller and close rivals Izzy Hunter and Hazel Newport.

Although Mike & Eric finished behind Joan & Jack on the water at the end of lap 2, the positions were reversed in the FH results.

A new winner emerged on PH with Julie Tomkinson taking an excellent first place in her Radial with its striking multi coloured sail. AJ & Sue were placed second ahead of Kath Davis / Glenys Kett, the latter pair�s consistency moving them up to second overall in the series just one point behind Mike & Eric.

Latest results PH FH

Both Sunday races were for the Asymmetric Cup and the MJM trophies, Hugh Godfrey came to sail in his RS Vareo but no other Asymmetrics turned up, so no race for Hugh, he went for a blast anyway. The weather was sunny and warm, the wind however was very gusty and shifty which challenged the 5 boats in the MJM fleet. Mike and Kayla had a huge lead in the first race then lost it as they were passed by the GP of John Riley and Nigel Lewis, they then recovered and won comfortably in the end from John and Nigel, Stephen Lloyd in his Laser sailed well and finished third on corrected time.

The wind dropped slightly for the second race which tempted Graham and Elaine out in the FF, they were the only ones to spot mark A had been moved on the first beat and established a good lead, Mike and Kayla fought hard and overhauled them. However on corrected time John and Nigel won from Ethan in his Laser Radial and Alastair Richards in his Laser. The OD Mike Fairlamb discovered the birds nest in the cockpit of the Bates and the 3 chicks that had hatched despite Eric’s attempts to terrify them.

Saturday’s sailors were met with bright sunshine and a strong westerly wind for the Celebrity Glass Pursuit Race.

Mik Chappell rigged his Mirror but decided it was too windy so didn’t launch. The Topper sailors who had been to Scarness for a “Push the Boat Out” picnic in a Wayfarer and an Enterprise arrived back late so the OD delayed the start, one Topper ventured out but returned to shore before the start. This left seven boats, three F15s, three GPs and Jim Christie with his grandson in the Hartley 12. Phil Davenport, the OD, set an excellent course with 2 beats, 2 runs and a reach. Jim started first but decided to retire after the first beat as his grandson was cold. The GPs went next, Alan Jones sailing with Izzie Hunter getting the best start followed by the F15s where Chris and Julie Rolle got the better of Mike/Kayla and Graham/Elaine at the start. Mike Fairlamb and Eric capsized their GP and retired, Ken and Val went the wrong way around mark 3 and retired, Alan and Izzie found the conditions too strong and also retired. That left the three F15s, Mike won from Graham followed by Chris.

Only 2 F15s ventured out in the second race Mike/Kayla winning with Graham/Elaine in second.

Twenty four boats were tempted out on a superb evening with sun, warmth and a Force 2 westerly wind. The course was 0-A-B-4 which gave three off wind kite legs.

The line initially had some port bias but it switched to starboard at the last moment and Alan Jones / Sue Watson made a superb start. Mike Fairlamb / Eric Smith from the port end tacked only to be put about by AJ and they were trapped in the starboard m�l�e.

It was John Reekie who took the lead followed by Joan & Jack Hardie and Val & Ken Bell. This was the order at the end of lap 1 with Dave Lawson (Laser), Phil & Emma Davenport and Tog & Joan Cowan also in the mix. Kath Davis / Glenys Kett retired soon after as they were on supper duty and realised there would be more hungry sailors to cater for than they had envisaged!

Some of the Toppers were allowed to do two laps while the remainder were shortened for a single one. Frankie Millar was classified first in that fleet from Nikki Hutchman and Rosie Hogg.

Meanwhile, Mike & Eric had been hauling in Val & Ken but after some spirited tacking and covering they lost out by 6 seconds on the water.

On FH John beat Joan & Jack on corrected time by 2 seconds. But, on PH it was the Solos to the fore, Richard Broughton and Ian Hall sandwiching Joan & Jack in the podium positions.

Latest results PH FH

It’s strange how rain puts us off sailing, but the weekend’s forecast was covered in blue dots as well as a reasonable wind. As it turned out, Saturday was somewhat changeable between sunny spells and drizzle, with a limited turnout in each fleet to enjoy the breeze.

Normally racing against each other, Harry joined forces with Izzy getting to grips with a Mirror for the day. Andy/Lily took an early lead but the cool weather didn’t suit Lily and they soon retired. In the F15s Ian/Lezli-Ann fought to recover from missing the shore lift on the main beat but, despite closing the gap, finished 2nd to Tim/Ian. They did hold it together in the 2nd race in which positions were reversed. Mike/Eric in their GP had two straight wins against AJ who was busily adjusting his toestraps at the end of racing (clearly a key aspect of his performance!). Although Hugh won both handicap races from David, only 14 secs separated them in the first race.

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Sunday was more of the same ie more wind strength and more rain (than drizzle!). There were a few capsizes early on, but the wind did ease for some good racing with a stronger fleet of boats. Mik was keeping an eye on the BatesCam and was delighted at some of the shots (especially of Lezli-Ann!)

The two Ians battled it out in the F15s, with Ian/Tim taking the advantage on the final beat! It was Jim C’s turn to take the honours in the handicap fleet with Newcomer Ian Hall 2nd. After a bit of encouragement from the committee boat, David Rodger in a Topper moved closer to the start line, got the best start, and held on to be the only finisher despite a capsize just short of the finish line.

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The afternoon pennant race was held as a fleet pursuit, with David in his Topper starting first. However, the onslaught of a heavy downpour (much to the dismay of those in the committee boat without waterproof over trousers!) zapped the wind of its energy as the shower passed through, and the course down to 10 seemed to be wishful thinking with many calm patches appearing. As the last boat started, the wind came back but it meant the distance between first and last boats was much less than it was planned to be. It wasn’t too long before Dave/Lynn took a lead that wouldn’t be given up, and won them the Albert Bates Retirement Trophy. Ian/Lezli-Ann took 2nd place

Final results

On a grey evening, initially with a SW Force 2 wind, a course of (4)-0-A-4 was posted. Sixteen boats took to the water including five from the Topper Fleet.

But the wind dropped away down the beat and there was virtually nothing by the time the lead boats reached the windward mark. There was clearly only going to be a single lap. Those successful on rounding and on the return legs included David Haselden in the Solo and Jim Christie in his Supernova. . They crossed the line in the leading group to be classified in the podium positions on Fleet Handicap behind the GP of Mike Fairlamb / Eric Smith who lead that series.

On Personal Handicap David took first place ahead of Mike/Eric with Paul Clark in his Laser third.

The Toppers had the most demanding time as it was dead calm at zero by the time most reached it. All retired except Louise Roger who was first around the mark and determined she was going to Finish. It took her a time of fifty eight minutes to do so but she gets full credit for determination.

During another excellent meal the heavens opened. All agreed that it could have been a lot more disagreeable if they had done so earlier.

Latest results PH FH