Bass Week 2024 will run from 3rd-11th August. Note it in your diary!

After a long night on the dance floor there was a depleted fleet for the final race of the series, and regatta. There were some occasional light showers, and the wind was lighter than forecast, but brief planing opportunities remained.

The final prize giving followed, at which Commodores Ian and Andrea Preston thanked all that had contributed to prepare for and bring the week to a successful conclusion.

Following the presentation of the prizes for the Cutty Sark Challenge sponsored by The Lakes Distillery, there were some special awards for performance throughout the week

The final weekend and rain has finally moved in, hopefully just for the morning. The wind was available in abundance, so another busy day for the rescue crews!

There was a reduced turnout due to the conditions, and, of those that ventured out, several decided the gusts were of the boat bending type so retired. The changeable wind strength, and gusts, certainly proved testing, but with some great planing at times!

Three races completed, and numerous crews shattered after a challenging, exhilarating, day’s racing, sponsored by The Lakes Distillery. What more could they ask for other than a visit from the chippy, and a late night final fling disco?!

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Friday is here already! The rain has kept a low profile, and the sun been in regular attendance, but it could all be set to change for the weekend. Wind is forecast to be building up throughout the day so there could be challenging, and exciting, conditions ahead…

The windy conditions were sailable, but they ensured the rescue crews were kept busy! The morning race had one determined young sailor sailing for almost 100 minutes!

The conditions did put off many of the usual contenders for the afternoon junior/seniors race, especially as the wasn’t relenting. Although there were numerous capsizes, there weren’t too many squalls to overpower the rescue crews, but the race was kept relatively short. Surprisingly, the day passed without any rain showers! The day’s racing was sponsored by AC Yacht and Boat Surveyors.

Another prize giving followed before some live music later in the evening.

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The temperature has jumped overnight, the wind direction is perfect for sailing around the lake, but the high pressure is likely to limit the wind strength.

However, the wind direction held, and the wind strengthened sufficiently for a course around the lake for all but the two slower fleets. The race was for the Martini Challenge Trophy sponsored by Leyland Leisure Sales.

The afternoon race was the RNLI pursuit sponsored by Bassenthwaite Lakeside Lodges. It was a unique occasion in that all boats were in the same leg of the course at the same time! Well that’s what happens when the wind eases on a 2 mile beat.

The pursuit finished on the 4th leg, 2nd beat of the course, and was won by Mike Fairlamb and Jack Hardie from Bass in a Graduate, with several other boats close on their tail.

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A three race series sponsored by Ginger Boats with an early start and low winds proved challenging for the OD (and series sponsor). As the day went on the wind bedded in, though there were still plenty of shifts to gain or lose places!

The fast handicap fleet were prone to pushing the start and had two general recalls.

A late afternoon flypast from a chinook left some sailors feeling the power of its downdraught. We can’t be certain whether a subsdequent capsize was due to the downdraught or a lack of concentration due to the flypast!

The second prize giving of the week was held early evening, followed by live music till late.

The light northerly breeze was relatively steady until some of fleets had set off, and then it started to swing… Also, there were some inexplicable light patches (even though it is Bass!), but the shifts meant there were opportunities for big gains while competing for the Dubwath Cup, sponsored by Carruthers and Kent Wines.

The afternoon breeze bedded in from the west for the Nairn Pursuit sponsored by Heavenly Fish and Chips. The winds held, there were more exciting reaches and planing conditions, and some very busy mark rounding! However, the sun was in regular attendance, and everyone enjoyed their day’s racing.

Graham Vials and daughter led the pursuit finishing their 90 minute race with a very convincing 210 second lead!

Champagne style conditions were the order of the day with a westerly F3 base wind.

In the morning there was a three race mini series for novice sailors that sailed a windward leeward course in 15 min races. The wind gusts strengthened for the final race resulting in a handful of capsizes. The racing was sponsored by Luchini’s Ice Cream.

After lunch the full fleet racing for the Luffing Cup sponsored by Shake, Waffle and Roll, continued in similar conditions, so sailors were able to enjoy some good planing for the first time during the regatta. No black clouds to disrupt the wind patterns today, but there were plenty sunny intervals!

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No sign of the storms at Bassenthwaite. Sunday started with mirror like conditions, so racing was delayed by 45 minutes allowing the wind to fill in from the west.

Despite the wind bedding in, shortly after the first start it eased considerably for 5-10 minutes before returning.

The wind for the afternoon race seemed to be bolstered by a sea breeze until a black cloud moved in, and reaches turned into beats, then it continued to veer until the initial beats were runs, and the wind finally faded prolonging the race for half the fleet.

Fortunately the black cloud didn’t dump any rain…

The first prize giving of the week for the weekend series followed.

A visit from the fish and chip, and waffle, vans, should re-energise the sailors in time for the hotly contested quiz evening!

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