The day got off to a flying start with two Gold, and one Silver, medals for GBR in the sailing.
The first race scheduled for 11am was delayed waiting for the wind to bed in, and eventually got underway at 12.45. As soon as the sequence started the wind wavered as the initially expected westerly appeared. Fortunately, the wind came back quickly and the race continued.
After a lunch break the Nairn Pursuit was held in strengthening winds. Graham Vials sailing a Mirror with son Sebastian, took advantage of clear airs to take an early lead, which no other boat was able to overcome.
In the evening, after another fish supper, sailors and families will, no doubt, prove that Bass HAS got talent which is open to all comers.
The midweek racing started today with just one afternoon race to give new arrivals an opportunity to travel and set up their boats.
Although often sailed around the lake, the westerly breeze would have ensured frustrations as the downdraughts from Sale Fell came down vertically and spread in all directions!
Sailing in the northern bay proved to be the best option as the wind increased to F2-3 with the help of a sea breeze.
Of course there were shifts, but nothing to what would have been at the southern end of the lake! To top it off the sun broke through for some mediterranean-esque sailing conditions and a cloudless evening.
After racing the pizza van had a regular stream of customers to please kids and sailors alike.
Sunday started drier and brighter with the possibility of a strengthening breeze from the NE.
Although the general direction remained true, the were some major shifts, and lulls, for the fleets to contend with. Starting on time at the favoured port end wasn’t necessarily the best way forward, as one Flying 15 proved, struggling to cross the line due to the wind dropping, it was a minute late, started at the starboard end, took a shift and was first to the windward mark. Many others suffered similar snakes and ladders lottery shifts.
The wish for the wind to bed in, and be steadier, for the afternoon racing was optimistic unfortunately! Again it swung excessively, and was somewhat light at times, though there were occasional planing conditions
The first prize giving of the week is being held today.
This evening the annual quiz night will bring out the competitive instinct one more time.
Let the fun begin. Overnight showers have passed through, and will stay away for a while, hopefully! The breeze should pick up to F2-F3 through the day for the two scheduled races, but Bass does benefit from its own microclimate, so anything may happen…
The wind was light at the start, but increased as forecast albeit in fits and starts, and threw in some major shifts to challenge the fleets.
In the first race, there were a few premature starters, and all but one returned. The wind continued to freshen for the second race, and resulted in some planing opportunities occasionally. The Flying 15s caused the first general recall of the regatta, so had to wait for the remaining 8 fleets started before they had their second chance to get away.
After racing the sailors were queuing for their fish suppers at the mobile chippy, before going to meet the commodore at the welcome reception, with some live music to follow.
Many thanks for your patience and understanding over recent months with regard to the planning and decisions around hosting Bass Week 2021. As you will all appreciate it has and remains a very difficult and testing time for anyone trying to organise any events.
We are delighted to inform you that we will be hosting Bass Week 2021 this year and we look forward to welcoming you to Bassenthwaite Sailing Club.
However, as many of you would expect the week will have some differences to “normal times” in an effort to keep us all safe and healthy. We will be providing all entrants with a welcome pack via email before the event which will contain full information about the event, but just to highlight a few of the changes to expect this year…
We will be hosting all entertainment outside in an open marquee. The finish times will therefore be earlier than usual and we have amended the previously advertised social programme. The new social programme will be distributed within the welcome pack.
The bar will be open and access into the clubhouse, bar, family room and toilets will be available to all to use. However, we expect everyone to wear face coverings whilst indoors, except whilst seated.
Changing rooms and showers will be available for use by those staying on site only. We expect those staying offsite to arrive changed and ready to sail. Showering and changing after sailing to be done within your offsite accommodation. Face coverings are expected to be worn within the changing rooms.
We expect all those who enter the club site to perform regular lateral flow testing prior to and throughout the event.
We hope that everyone will appreciate and respect the changes we have made, which are in the best interests of all those attending.
Entries have now closed and the event is at full capacity for those who wish to stay on site. Further sailing only entries maybe accepted at the discretion of the organisers.
Despite the above we do hope that Bass Week 2021 will be a thoroughly enjoyable and successful event. We are very much looking forward to welcoming old friends back to Bass and greeting new ones within the usual Bass SC friendly atmosphere.
If you have any questions around the week, please contact The Bass Week Team via [email protected]
Planning for Bass Week 2021 has been underway for some months now and we are all ready and good to go. However, as you will all appreciate the viability and scope of Bass Week 2021 depends upon the ‘Covid roadmap out of lockdown’ and any restrictions that maybe in place.
We had hoped to be able to open entries in the coming weeks, but given the recent changes and the possibility that Step 4 of the roadmap maybe delayed beyond June 21st as originally indicated, we have made the decision to delay opening entry until the picture becomes clearer.
Please rest assured that if it is feasible and appropriate for Bassenthwaite SC to host Bass Week 2021, then we will do so.
We thank you all for your patience in, what we hope you will understand, is a very changeable and challenging situation.
Following the latest government proposals to ease lockdown, reluctantly, the club council have decided it will not be possible to maintain appropriate social distancing to run our beloved Bass Week this year even if current restrictions on the use of changing facilities are lifted later in July. Therefore, sadly, Bass Week 2020 will not be held.
While you have your diaries out crossing out yet another event, please be sure to set aside 31st July – 8th August in 2021 for Bass Week 2021. It’s certain to be a cracker with so much catching up to do!
The recent heavy rainfall continued to fill the lake overnight (over 1m in 24 hours) to the extent that numerous tents and caravans had to be repositioned to avoid the flood waters.
As a result of having to move boats from the foreshore the race committee opted to cancel the final race of the regatta.
An early prize giving brought the week to a close.
Commodore Naomi Smith thanked the huge team of helpers that prepared, and delivered another successful week, before presenting prizes to the weekend’s prize winners.
Special awards for individual’s performance over the whole week were made to the Matthew Somerville, Charlie Exley, Mike Moore and Kayla Sheard, Mark Somerville and Joe Roberts.
Nigel O’Donnell kindly gave a vote of thanks to the club for another fantastic regatta that surpassed the standards of so many other events that he had been to this season.
With the whole of the country at the mercy of a cyclone weather system, could the forecast be any worse? However, the Bass micro climate gave us showers, blustery, but great sailing conditions. A lot of people had been put off by the heavy overnight rain, and drizzly conditions in the morning, so there were reduced numbers sailing.
The ODs put together three varied courses to challenge, and offer some great three sail reaches. After the first race there was an extended break while numerous people helped relocate Red Seal crew’s tents which were in the flood zone.
A Wild West themed disco followed, though the planned bucking bronco was scared off by the rain
A wet and windy night for campers was forecast to ease in time for racing to get underway as scheduled.
The rain faded to a drizzle by the time racing started, and the clouds finally cleared to offer sunshine filled skies! Was this really the same day?
As for the sailing, the OD checked the ESE wind was true up the lake, and opted to send the faster fleets all the way to 12 and back again, with the slower fleets staying in the northern bay. Just as the fast handicap fleet started the wind veered to the SW, but it was expected the wind would remain true down the lake as the wind curved around Sale Fell. The start line was quickly repositioned for the slower fleets and their beat altered to suit the new direction, then their race started, and had almost finished before the faster fleets reappeared!
Stranded fleet around mark 11
Unfortunately, rather than curve around Sale Fell, the wind was blocked by it, and put the southern end of the lake in shadow!
The OD took to the water to shorten five fleets which were surprisingly well bunched, and frustratingly for the finish team, 15 boats, aided with a tail wind, finished within one minute of each other!
The afternoon race for U18s, ladies, and over 60s started off in the dry weather, but would the rain hold off a while longer? Well, in short, no!
The showery interludes continued so the prize giving was held indoors.
More wind and rain for Saturday? You can never tell with the Bass micro climate.
With lighter winds forecast Thursday, sailors were pleased to be resting their muscles somewhat. Fortunately the rain showers stayed away, and the sun broke through for a glorious afternoon.
With the RNLI pursuit being held this afternoon, the local branch of the RNLI held a table top sale in support of their charity.
Generally there was a light breeze all day, with various lulls, and some big swings in direction. The changeable conditions continued through the prolonged start for the RNLI pursuit, perhaps to the benefit of the early starters. After the allotted 100 mins a Wanderer had a clear lead from two Mirrors and a GP. The crew promptly celebrated by jumping overboard!
The sunny weather was great for the children’s party games, which was followed by an evening of Bass has got talent as demonstrated by the stars of our GP fleet!