Foxy Tales 2008
Contents
Commodore's Message
Expressions from the Editor
2007 AGM — A lively Affair!
Learning to drive…..a powerboat!
Bass SC Youth Squad
Mirror Matters
How It All Began
My First Sail
A
Trustee’s Nostalgic Ramblings
The 2008 Sailing Season
What A Year!!!
A Classic Fleet
Training 2008
The Social Section
New Club Clothing for 2008
The
Winter Walk
Hello. Welcome to the 2008 sailing season.
It promises to be the busiest season for many years with open meetings galore, the Enterprise Inlands and, of course, Bass Week. It will be nice to see the Martin 16 ‘s back again. All these events will stretch the club resources to the limit and maybe beyond .
The Council have been very busy in the winter months with the general running of the club and also the problems we are experiencing regarding camping and the Lake District National Park Authority. Rest assured our ‘legal eagle’ is on the job; some people will receive letters from him asking for statements and this will form part of our case along with other documents being put together by Dave, Pauline, Graham and Judith. Everyone involved has put in a great deal of time to give us the best chance of a favorable outcome.
In late January a meeting held at the club saw a big turnout of junior members and their families. Many suggestions were put forward as to how we can enhance junior sailing and I hope to see these carried through with more boats on the water from our newly formed Youth section led by Rhonwen.
Roy and I have put together the OD duty list. Please note when your duties are and ensure that you do them .
The source of the leak forming the gents “swimming pool “ has been traced and hopefully this can be sorted before the season starts. Sue has been working hard to keep the clubhouse in tip top condition and has been running first aid courses (RYA accredited ). Nigel is running a dinghy instructors’ course in the winter months .
Toddy has been a busy boy (building a car this time) and evidence of this has been spotted on ‘YouTube’.
Other things under discussion at the moment are the front gate barrier which should improve security and keep the picnickers out. We are also looking into the possibility of another rescue boat and also recruiting someone to replace Josh who left us in November to join the Royal Marines.
If your boat is kept at the Club don’t forget to check it from time to time .
The first sailing is over the Easter weekend with the first race being on Saturday afternoon. I look forward to seeing you all on the water this season.
Best wishes
Steve Hunt and Family
Well, this is something new. Too much copy - and no room for a lengthy piece from me. “Great!” Who said that?! So - you’ve got features on a variety of topics related to the coming season, through anecdotes on recent happenings and back to a co-incidental pair of articles on how we started and developed as a Club. Sincere thanks to all our contributors. But I must draw your attention to these historical articles. We are very fortunate to have Members who recall the start and the early days of Bass. But, such Members who are prepared to share their recollections are few and far between. So I suggest you keep this Newsletter so that you can show your sailing grandchildren how it all started. Thanks to Pauline and Nic for getting this lot into shape. Have a good read.
Putting the mundane business of reports and elections to one side, last years AGM proved to be quite an interesting one. A proposal to change the race starting sequence from 6:3:Go to 5:4:1:Go did not appeal to the members present. However, in line with IFCA recommendations, the Bates will be moored on the starboard end of the start line—at least for the first 10 weeks of the 2008 season, as a trial. If the trial goes well the orientation of the committee boat on the starboard end of the line will become the norm.
Dave Nic
Learning to drive a powerboat definitely sounded like fun, so when we booked our Sunsail holiday to Turkey, I jumped at the opportunity. So the RYA level two powerboat was booked. The idea of going fast with practically no effort was certainly tempting. I was aware this was the closest I would get to driving for the moment, I couldn’t wait. After my initial thoughts I soon realised the certificate would be useful as well as fun. If I passed, I would be able to put it to the test at the Club, and hopefully offer some help. So early on an October day I stood on the jetty, staring at the huge rib, bobbing in the water, I would crash it for sure! But my confidence soon rose when I discovered that it wasn’t too difficult. Once out on the Mediterranean with the sun blazing, I took control and luckily didn’t damage the boat (but it was close!).
For two full days I learnt to drive, pull along side a jetty, rescue a man over board and tow a boat. Plus I studied navigation and rope work. After encountering turning, speeding and deep concentration I passed. Filled with a sense of achievement and desire to jump back on, I left turkey with not only a certificate, but an awareness I could do something my parents couldn’t!
I would definitely recommend the course, it is not only really good fun, but something useful I can use for the rest of my life.
Georgina Craig.
We are setting up a junior section within Bassenthwaite Sailing Club. At a meeting held on 26 January, it was decided that it should be called the ‘Youth Squad’. I ‘ve volunteered to be the Youth Squad Leader and there are three Youth Squad Representatives – Georgina Craig, Joe Watkins and Robin Crawley. There was a big turn out at the meeting which was very encouraging and a number of issues were discussed. Any junior member of the club can consider themselves a member of the Youth Squad and are invited to participate in any Youth Squad activity.
Training – whilst all sail training is open to junior club members, there will be sessions on Tuesdays from 5pm to 7pm specifically for the Youth Squad, although numbers will be limited. These will run from May through July. See Nigel Lewis (e-mail details elsewhere in Foxy Tales) if you want to participate. We will also do some junior race training, including how to start races, how to navigate your way round the race course and what the flags mean. Some of this will be done immediately prior to races.
Racing – we are going to set up some races specifically for the Youth Squad and also extract some junior results from normal club racing. These will all go towards a junior club championship, although I’m still finalising the finer details. This season we are hosting the NW Junior Travellers and NW Topper Area Championships on 5th and 6th of July. We hope to run a junior regatta each year. Elaine Ross extended an invite to any Bass SC junior members to attend the South West Scotland travellers events at Solway, Annandale, Loch Ryan and Wig Bay clubs and also the Solway SC Cadet Week from 19-25 July. We hope to send a team to Solway SC in September for a junior topper team racing event.
Rescue Cover – this is a perennial issue and it was most encouraging that about 10 people at the meeting expressed interest in doing some rescue boat training. If you would like to help the club and especially the Youth Squad by becoming trained in rescue boats, please see Nigel Lewis (e-mail details elsewhere in Foxy Tales).
Communication – we hope to have a Youth Squad section on the website and also on the club house notice board. Sam Hall and Georgina Craig volunteered to ensure that they are kept up to date. These will be the main way of getting information about the Youth Squad activities to club members. If you would like to be on the direct e-mailing list, please forward your e-mail address to me.
Youth Squad Social Events – We will have some socials specifically for junior members and Sue Tyson volunteered to spearhead this. If anyone has good ideas for socials please let her know. The general consensus was that we want events where we can talk to each other, not discos! Whilst we are too late to get all this information into the club handbook this season, we hope to do so in future years. We intend to prepare a leaflet this year with junior sailing and social programmes.
If anyone would like to help with the Youth Squad, please get in touch with me and let me know how you would like to help.
Rhonwen Bryce. rhonwenbryce@yahoo.co.uk.
Following my accepting the post of Mirror Fleet Captain I have concluded that what the Fleet needs is a closer link between all its members. I am not talking here of just the Mirror owners who sail often and contest the Club championship but all Club members who own a Mirror dinghy whatever it’s age and however infrequently it is sailed.
The point is that we have a common point of interest – the Mirror – and we can all learn more in the areas of how to rig it, how to tune it, how to sail it and how to race it. You may not want to contest the championship and Tuesday training or Thursday evening races may be your scene. And that’s fine. But you should be able to contact someone to get that bit of advice or help when needed.
It is often more satisfying to sail when there is someone with a similar boat to sail with - or against. Here I see us telling one another when we are, or are not, sailing on Bass. And this may not even be racing (although as you know Bass is a racing club). Some of the more experienced Members may like to share their secrets with the less experienced. And when you feel you might like to step up a level (yes, even the best Club sailors are stepping up when they go to open meetings at other clubs, then it’s worth knowing that there are prizes to be had at all levels: the personal handicap system makes it just as easy for a novice or newcomer to win a race or even an award as an old hand. And there are some awards which can be won even if only a single Mirror is racing – you just need to know which ones! So how does the Fleet move forward? Well, if your phone number, email address (if you have one), and boat details are not correctly shown in the new Handbook which will be posted at the same time as this magazine then let me know and I will make sure you are kept in the loop so to speak. If you see what looks like a newcomer with a Mirror on site do make contact with them, note down contact details, and then let me have them to add to our contacts list. My email address and home telephone number are in the new 2008 Handbook but you can also text, and sometimes contact me, on my mobile number: 077333-71798. If possible though, email me at
Enjoy your sailing this season.
Mik Chappell. (Mirror Fleet Captain).
In 1951 two brothers, solicitors in a Workington practice, their wives and families, spent a seaside holiday on the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales. They hired a 10ft rowing dinghy for the period and such was their pleasure in ‘messing about in boats’ they determined to start a sailing club on one of the lakes in West Cumberland on their return. From such domestic enjoyment Bassenthwaite Sailing Club was born.
The brothers were Ieuan and Elwyn Banner Mendus who spent their boyhood by the sea in the Welsh port of Fishguard but had settled in Cumberland to indulge their main sport of rock climbing. Their wives, Valerie and Enid, shared their enthusiasm for the Fells but the advent of children dictated a recreation which could be shared by all the family.
Returning from the holiday they decided to search for a suitable sailing boat and to visit the nearest lakes – Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite and Loweswater to asses their suitability, not only for sailing but for establishing a club, for by this time they had engaged the interest of several friends.
Ieuan Banner Mendus was to record the search for a suitable boat and the establishment of the club and the following extracts are from a manuscript in which he also documented a season’s sailing – not only on Bassenthwaite Lake but at various championships throughout the country.
At the start the project met with misgivings. “Local memory recalled for us as a sailing fatality and we were warned of dangerous winds more awful, it seemed, than any that ever pliedd our coasts with shipping. Indeed, long after the Bassenthwaite Sailing Club was established it was regarded as tempting Providence. However, we knew a flourishing yacht club had existed on Windermere since the last century and one day we went to see the superb 17-footers of the Royal Windermere Yacht Club with their 300 sq.ft. of sail, racing in a heavy blow, and were confirmed that Bassenthwaite Lake would make an admirable sailing water, accessible from Carlisle and the West Cumberland towns.”
Starting a club meant that members should have the same type of boat if they wanted competitive racing and it must be suitable fro conditions on the Lake. Contact had been made with a boat owner already sailing on Bassenthwaite – Noel Beggs, who had built a 12ft sailing dinghy and who was to become the Club’s Commodore.
Ieuan writes: “We knew from observation that squalls could be heavy and vicious so we reluctantly abandoned the idea of International 14’s, Wildcats and others. Expenses, too, came into it, obviously the cheaper, within limits, the better”.
“Then in the autumn, my wife and I visited the South Bank Exhibition, introduced ourselves to the boat section there, explained our ignorance and asked advice. We were recommended to the Yachting World General Purpose 14ft sailing dinghy, newly designed by Jack Holt, designer of the enormously successful Cadet”.
“It seemed just what we wanted, not too dear, hull £115, sails £17 and the original specification of the Yachting World in commissioning the design had stipulated for a stable boat able to carry four adults, with a good racing performance. Built of bonded plywood with a hard chine, drawing only 7ins of water or 3ft with the centreboard right down, this boat in the course of a few years has leapt into popularity for both inland and sea sailing and as I write 750 of them have been registered with the Class Association. Commonly known now as the “G.P.”, the name is deplorably prosaic and it is a pity that no inspired midwife was standing by at its birth to give it a brilliantly imaginative name such as was given to the Firefly Class, but G.P. it is and will, I have no doubt, remain”.
“Back in Cumberland we reported on what we had been told, and then we learned the Royal Windermere Yacht Club, encouraging the development of a dinghy section, had a number of newly designed 14-footers so Noel Beggs arranged for us to inspect them. The demonstrator was C.H.D. Acland, soon to become a close friend and next year to be the first G.P. Champion with his aptly named boat Pointer”.
“Sure enough, the Windermere boats were G.P.’s and after a sail in Pointer, Noel Beggs, David Hatrick (who had been, with his family, a member of the original seaside holiday party), my brother and myself, returned convinced she was the boat for us and aware also of the advantage of using the same boat as Windermere”.
“The next problem was to find a suitable beaching ground near to the Lake. Although the G.P. is designed to ride at anchor, Noel Beggs’ experience of damage done by skiffs coming alongside to inspect made it imperative for that reason, if no other, that our boats must be hauled out. I know just the right place to provide us with temporary headquarters until we could find our own, the private beach of the Armathwaite Hall Hotel. This is one of the most superbly situated Hotels in the English Lake District, facing due south and looking the length of the Lake, with extensive beautifully wooded grounds running right to the Lake itself. I had some acquaintance with the proprietor, Mr. Alec Wivell, a third generation hotelier, and a deputation of us visited him. Welcoming the advent of sailing boats to the Lake, he kindly gave us permission to share his beach and the use of a large hut fitted with changing cubicles for the convenience of his guests when bathing”.
“We are still on that beach although with the increase in our fleet we have almost outgrown it. Determined efforts have failed to provide us with another site and we are in the curious position of owning a large sectionalised pavilion with nowhere to put it. So little of the Lakeside shore is suitable for headquarters. A vast area of land drains through Bassenthwaite valley with the results that the Lake has what is reputed to be the highest rise and fall any of the Lakes, ten feet. Last summer for example, we scarcely saw our jetty and the water rose even to the floor of the hut, this summer the jetty was equally useless for there was not sufficient draught of water alongside. Add to those extremes, the extremes of the shore itself which tends either to be so low as to flood or too steep to pull boats up, and the advisability of keeping to the more open northern end, and there is only one suitable site left. That would be ideal, free of trees, near the road, near a sewer, with electricity and water supply within reasonable distance, but the owners refuse to sell. The problem is becoming acute but we do not give up hope”.
Without Mr. Wivell’s assistance then the Club might never have been formed, but we were fortunate too, having the close co-operation of the owner of the Lake< Mr. John Wyndham of Petworth whi had just succeeded to the estates of his uncle, Lord Leconfield. He became our Patron and he and his agent, Mr. H.C. Pinkney, have always sought to calm our waters”.
“Having completed our arrangements we turned ourselves into salesmen. Our friends must have found us fearsome bores obsessed with the fanaticism of enthusiasm. Doubtless we could have talked on other subjects, in fact we seldom did and on the 27th March, 1952 the Bassenthwaite Sailing Club was formally founded, unhappily without my brother who conception it had been more than mine, but he will, I hope, be remembered for some time yet in the Club’s principal competition which is for the Elwyn Banner Mendus Cup”.
“At the end of that first season we had five boats (we rigidly encouraged the G.P. realising the necessity of establishing a homogeneous fleet if we were to enjoy good racing); the next year was us with 12, the third with 16 and now we have 18 G.P’s with 3 cadets (we shall soon have more as our children grow up), a National 12 and a Heron.”
To complete the story – the search for a permanent home went on and in 1956 persistence and negotiation secured the site Ieuan refers to and is the one the Club now occupies. Even after the purchase of the land at Dubwath there were further difficulties when local residents objected to the establishment of the Club. There was a planning inquiry at which Ieuan put on his solicitor’s hat, represented the Club and won the appeal.
Ieuan Banner Mendus became the first secretary of the newly-established Bassenthwaite Sailing Club and went on to become President of the G.P. Class Association in 1958. It was in that year, while taking part in a Club race on Bassenthwaite with his wife as crew, approaching the Ouse Bridge buoy he suffered a fatal heart attack as he rounded it first. His last words to the closely following second boat were “I’m clear ahead”.
Valerie M. Rickerby (formally Valerie Banner Mendus)
I'm going to tell you about the first time I went racing at Bass sailing club. It was in my dad’s old GP14 on one of the Saturday or Sunday afternoons about 4 years ago in really light winds. We didn't do very well and finished at the back of the race. I still really enjoyed it all the same as it was just great to be out and sailing and in the end we probably did very well on handicap though I can't quite remember exactly where. However we could see if were getting closer to everyone else. To me it didn't matter where we finished, we were still out competing and having fun.
After that I was hooked and have been sailing ever since. I now have my own boat which I sail as often as possible.
Joe Watkins
The club used to be on the lake shore in the grounds of Armathwaite Hall and moved to the present site in the late 50’s. A few members clubbed together to buy the present site but this caused a rift in the club with several members resigning in protest. At £1000 for over 6 acres it was money well spent, I’d say.
The first clubhouse on the present site was a simple wooden hut roughly where the present clubhouse is. There was also a wooden race office where the tree is behind the race office. When the present race office was built we moved the old hut down to where the boat house is for the Cadet Fleet to use. Inside some wooden staging used for socials was daubed with the words ‘I love Claire’! I’m definitely not guilty but there were many who could have been! There were fewer racing marks back then and they used to have names rather than numbers. 1 - Dubwath, 2 - Armathwaite, 3 - Castle, 4 - Bass, 5 - Beckfoot, 6 - Piano, 7 - Scarness, 8 - Dubwath (used to be where 9 is now), 9 - Church (now 10), 10—Skiddaw (now 11) and 11- Swan (now 12).
Piano got its name when we sank the first club piano there. One evening, completely paralytic after many pints, we put the broken piano on a raft with Alec Twiname tickling the ivories tinkling ‘Show me the way to go home’ and tipped them both in the lake to moor what is now mark 6. Alec survived but the piano didn’t! It’s still there. And you can hear it tinkling in an easterly wind – I think not!
In the old days, when there were proper winters, the lake used to freeze over. In the winter of 1962/3 the ice on the lake was so thick we used to rig skis on GP14s and race them on the ice. It was so thick we also raced Minivans on the ice. Minivans were cool and great for towing boats to open meetings. With an inflatable mattress in the back the world was your oyster!
When the club hosted the RYA Team Racing Finals the police and Prince Philip’s royal protection squad used the Cadet hut as their H.Q. They looked totally out of place when they tried to mingle with the crowds and stuck out like a sore thumb beside the well dressed sailing fraternity! Prince Philip arrived for the event in a helicopter of the Queen’s Flight. There was a practice run a couple of days before the event with the Police, Ambulance and Fire Services in attendance. Over the weekend we also had scuba divers in the water when H.R.H. took to the water in one of the committee boats. He was good fun, understood what was going on with the racing and also appreciated the amount of work involved in organising such an event. He was, after all, a Flying Fifteen sailor! It was the press and photographers who were a pain in the ‘you know what’.
The next clubhouse was built of brick and was simply male and female changing rooms with an open veranda at the front. The changing rooms had windows opening onto the veranda. You can still see the bricked up windows in the men’s changing room.
In about January 1961 the roof of the clubhouse blew off entirely landing behind the clubhouse where the trees are now. The roof was put back on and secured with long metal holding down straps which you can still see inside the changing rooms.
At this time the clubhouse was being extended by adding a bar room, now the family room and enclosing the veranda with doors & windows. The bar was a semi-circle
affair in the corner where we usually put the TV and stack the chairs. The kitchen was in part of what are now the gents. Heating was by ceiling mounted fan heaters with 4 immersion heaters for the water. Often the showers were cold after racing when the heaters had not been switched on. In the early 70’s the present clubhouse was built although a bar store at the back was added in the 80’s. There used to be three jetties rather than just the one we have now. Two were in front of the club house and one was where Dubwath Beck enters the lake. The main jetty was roughly where the floating jetty is and literally was five or six times longer. It went out much further than the current jetty then turned left to run northeast for the same distance again. It was made of angle iron with wood decking that often floated away. The original access from the road into the grounds was at the bend in the road behind the steel containers. It was closed off in 1972 when the present clubhouse was being built. The Flying Fifteens used to be kept on moorings with about 30 mooring in the area to the left of the jetty and another 20 or so mooring off the old jetty next to Dubwath beck. In the 80’s there were about 45 Flying Fifteens of which about 20 raced regularly. It was one of the biggest fleets in the UK. How things can change! In the early 70’s Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw called in briefly at the club. They had visited the Lake District and came to Bass to view some furniture at the antique shop at Dubwath junction. This is now the little cottage which faces you after you have left the A66 and are bearing right at the traffic island for the club. In 1982 Ken Dodd and Harry Secombe did some filming by the lake in the club grounds. Sir Harry had to move on to another venue but Ken Dodd joined us in the clubhouse for a pint and kept everyone amused with his tickling stick, his fantastic quick wit and never ending stories for well over an hour. The Oak Tree on the bank where the caravans are sited is the last of a long line of Oak Trees running down from Higham Hall. The old station at Dubwath junction was on the Cockermouth to Keswick railway line and you can still see the old station and platform on the southwest side of the A66. Across the road there used to be three or four railway sidings. For many years British Rail parked old sleeping carriages there which they let out for camping holidays. They were often booked by people coming for Bass Week but they disappeared in about 1965.
The large sandstone slabs in front of the clubhouse were from the original platform to Keswick Railway Station. I suppose we can thank Dr Beeching for being able to get hold of these. This paving was once the set for a Bass Week club musical ‘Singing in the Rain’ where several garden sprayers were mounted on the clubhouse roof to simulate rain and an authentic street light was erected outside.
The esteemed cast of inebriated club members danced around outside enthralling the audience of visiting sailors viewing the spectacle from inside. It was the highlight of the clubs attempt to provide in house Bass Week entertainment, just narrowly beating the singing drag act, which came along the following year! Until about 1990 races were started using cannons, which will shortly be on display behind the bar. They fired blank 12 bore cartridges and the noise could be heard all around the lake. Albert Bates was once cleaning them out at the end of the jetty one Bass Week and accidentally left in a cleaning stick. In a last minute dash from
the jetty one Bass week and accidentally left a cleaning stick. In a last minute dash from the bar to fire a gun for a race winner Albert shot the one off with the stick and it went through a Mirrors sail! The lads Dad gave Albert a right good rollicking! Albert, a wily old sailor after all, liked a pint. As he got older he relied on one of us for transport. At the end of a days racing when Albert fell off his bar stool we knew it was time to take him home. In the old days drinking was more prevalent because the bar had a ‘tick book’ and drink driving laws had not been invented. Also with us living over the road from the club meant it was within crawling distance for those who could not make it home! A certain ‘very young Dentist’ once keeled over with a pint in his hand and didn’t spill a drop. We were so impressed! If we could have audibly spoken we would have offered him another! Honest!
During Bass Week it was not unusual for miscellaneous items to be found strung up on the flagstaff after the night before. Items could range from knickers, string vests, a commodore’s tie, a family room seat, the odd beer mug or two, a well worn steamer, a child’s bike and a cuddly toy! We think the culprit once swapped number plates from a past Commodore’s brand new Mercedes onto a rather elderly but much loved Renault 14. Without mentioning names didn’t she do well! More ramblings, if you like, next time!
Graham Kirkpatrick
As you will see from the Sailing Programme the season starts early this year, with racing getting underway for the Starters’ Prize at 1430 on Saturday March 22, which is of course Easter Saturday. So, as our Lenten observance is well advanced, I am putting finger to keyboard to alert you to a few changes which are in prospect for the season ahead.
It is, of course, axiomatic that change is there to be resisted but I am cautiously hopeful that the changes planned for this year will both improve the variety of racing on offer and increase the enjoyment of the sailors.
This year we will be hosting an increased number of major events, as a result of our ongoing efforts to promote Bass SC as a venue capable of staging and managing events at the highest level. We hope that this is a trend which will continue, especially in consideration of the fact that, as a club, we derive much of our income from hosting Open events.
It is, therefore, my hope that we should gradually bring the sailing and Race Management at Bass into line with accepted best practice nationally and indeed internationally, and the changes being introduced this year have this in mind.
This year will see the inclusion of the RYA Arbitration Procedure into the Sailing Instructions.
The Arbitration Procedure offers a quicker, less daunting and less confrontational way to resolve disputes on the water. It is particularly suitable for resolving less complex incidents and as an educational tool for sailors who are not as fully conversant with the Rules as they might be.
This procedure is an extra option offered in addition to full Protest Hearings and can only be entered into with the agreement of all parties to the dispute. It is not mandatory and does not replace full Protest Hearings. At any point either party may insist on going to a full hearing.
However, if a Rule has been broken, a party to an Arbitration Hearing may accept an Exoneration Penalty rather than retiring. The Exoneration Penalty will be a 20% Scoring Penalty.
This system is designed to INCREASE the number of hearings and thereby improve knowledge of, and adherence to, the Rules, which will in turn make sailing more enjoyable for all.
I include with this mailing a full explanation of the RYA Arbitration Procedure. This will also be displayed on the Club notice board, in accordance with the Sailing Instructions.
Please take a moment to read through the information provided for a complete understanding of the way in which Arbitration works. I do believe that it can help to improve our knowledge of the Rules and thereby increase our enjoyment of our sport.
The system is obviously dependent on a designated Arbitrator being available. For the moment Andy Smith and myself are the designated Arbitrators. If anyone would be interested in becoming an Arbitrator, please let me know.
The next change to the Sailing Instructions, to which I would like to alert you, is significant for all sailors and all ODs.
Bass SC has (for arcane reasons to do with not killing competitors by the random firing of cannons) traditionally moored the committee boat at the port end of a starboard biased start line and the boat has been moored ‘stern to’.
From this season onwards we will be falling into line with the Race Management best practice guidelines of both ISAF and the RYA and mooring the committee boat at the starboard end of a port biased start line, ‘head to wind’.
It is accepted world wide that the most equitable start for the greatest number of boats is achieved by starting to windward on a line with a slight port bias. It is important if we are to continue to host top class events that we put this right.
In addition we are preparing our younger sailors to go and compete at higher levels at other venues. It is sensible to give them the best ‘start’ we can by giving them experience of the conditions that they are likely to encounter.
The Racing Rules are designed to cope with any eventuality, but those governing the start are predicated on an assumption that most starts will be to windward on a port biased line, and they work best under those circumstances.
The port bias on the line should of course protect the committee boat at the starboard end of the line, but Bass is notoriously fickle. The inner distance mark (carrying International Code Flag Y) will therefore still be set, as it is now, to offer the committee boat further protection. For those prophesying doom and disaster I would mention that our Official Starter, Herb, has been advocating a port biased line for years. Last season the committee boat was hit on at least three occasions under the present system, so hopefully if we organise our starts in the approved manner, things might actually improve. If any OD feels unsure of the implications of the above, or of what is required of them, please let me know.
At the AGM at the end of the 2006 season I promised to undertake a review of the sailing programme and, if necessary, introduce such changes as would provide the sort of sailing that members wanted. Following a meeting of an extended Sailing Committee, and other consultations, some changes have been introduced. This season will see the institution of a new trophy, ‘The Asymmetric Cup’. As the name might imply the 12 race series will be open only to boats that are configured within their Class Rules to carry an asymmetric spinnaker, and will be sailed on dedicated windward – leeward courses. It will run concurrently with the MJM Trophy, so that all boats that are configured within their Class Rules to carry an Asymmetric spinnaker will sail for the Asymmetric Cup and all other boats will sail for the MJM Trophy. The course for the Asymmetric Cup will be displayed on the upper line on the course board and will be the windward - leeward leg only of the course to be sailed by competitors for the MJM Trophy, which will be displayed on the lower line of the course board.
There will be two separate starts: the first for The Asymmetric Cup, the second for the MJM Trophy.
The Class Flag for the Non – Asymmetric Handicap Fleet will be International Code Numeral 8.
The Class Flag for the Asymmetric Handicap Fleet will be International Code Numeral 9.
The other change this year is that the October Series will be sailed for two separate trophies. There will still be a Personal Handicap Trophy as previously, but results will also be calculated on a fleet handicap basis for a new October Series Fleet Handicap Trophy.
Lastly, several members have suggested that if you are a Saturdays only, or Sundays only sailor, then there are no series in which you can be competitive. To address this you will notice that the MJM/Asymmetric Cup will be sailed on Sundays only and the Celebrity Glass Pursuit Race Series will be sailed on Saturdays only.
All of these changes are designed to reflect the views that have been expressed to me over the year and to increase your enjoyment of club racing, so if there are things you would like to change for next year then let me know.
Until then – Good Sailing!
Roy Blackburn
Sailing Secretary
2007 was a busy year for me. My main focus was the North West Junior Traveller series. The car can pretty much find its own way down the M6 now, (I cringe in the back trying to ignore the parents singing along to sounds of the sixties on the radio) The traveller is a youth/junior series around the North West sailing clubs with 3 races at each of the ten events and prizes for the top 3. Other prizes are awarded for things like furthest distance travelled or biggest team. My first success was at Ullswater with a 3rd overall and 1st Under 14. I didn’t sail too well at Budworth and I did it with style at Leigh and Lowton falling out of the boat on the first beat ( scored 7.5 for the back flip ) The traveller series is a great event, I’ve made loads of new friends, become a connoisseur of bacon butties, won loads of prizes and my sailing has really improved by doing the traveller series and I absolutely recommend it to all junior sailors.
For the first week of the summer holidays I went down to Plymouth as part of the Cumbria Team for the National Schools Sailing Association Regatta. It was a complete contrast to last year’s regatta, sailing on the sea and not having the great weather we enjoyed last year. We heard lots of good comments and compliments about Bass such as “Best ever NSSA regatta” It is a 5 day regatta for Toppers, Lasers, Radials and Slow and Fast Handicap fleets. I sailed in the Radial fleet, it was my first time sailing on the sea in Big Winds ( scary ) with massive swell and waves all done amidst Brittany ferries, Navy Frigates and SBS gun boats ( double scary ) not to mention the odd submarine popping up here and there .
The highlight of the week for me was being selected to compete for Cumbria in the Mount Haes Challenge Trophy. It’s the main part of the regatta and is hotly contested between all of the teams. It is raced in heats, semi final and a final in Topper Xenon’s. I was crewing with Chris Tooley ( South Windermere ) It was held on the Wednesday and we woke up to force 5 winds gusting up to 6. The powers that be decided to postpone until the afternoon, with no change in the conditions we had to race in the harbour on short courses without spinnakers. We were in the first heat and won. Chris and I were delighted we had sailed so well together for the first time. The semi-final was more stressful as we were over the line at the start and only just scraped through by Chris’ excellent helming with a 3rd. Then came the final, we were off to a great start getting off the line perfectly and having a fairly perfect beat. The Kent team crashed into us as we were approaching the mark in first position. They then capsized causing havoc for the rest of the fleet. We extended our lead throughout the last two laps and after a tense final run down to the finish, won. We saw the rest of the team cheering and running down the slipway to us. After having copious amounts of champagne thrown in our faces we posed for photographs for 5 or 10 minutes, and then went back to the campsite to spend the rest of the evening celebrating. If you ever get half drowned in champagne, wash your kit properly because take it from me it stinks after sitting in a bag for 2 days.
Another brilliant experience for me was sailing in the West Lancs 24hr race with South Windermere. Having arrived late after doing the Traveller at Elton SC, I wolfed down a pizza and went down for my first shift with Chris Tooley at 22.00 it was great sailing with Chris again and we had a great laugh. Off the water at 23.30 and grabbed an hours sleep before heading out again at 1.00. Turbocharged with Redbull I sailed with Simon Balshaw for the next hour and a half. Sailing in the dark is a bit different but you just sort of get used to it after a while, especially when someone just T-Boned you. I got off the water again at about 2.00 in the morning and then mooched around chatting to a few people until 4.00 when I was out again with Chris. I got off the water at 6.00 for the final time, then pigged out at a café with a full English. Completely exhausted after travelling and sailing for the best part of 2 days, with the wind getting up we didn’t stick around for the prize giving, I just collapsed in the back of the car and was asleep before we got out of Southport. We finished 52nd overall, we were all pleased with that position as it was an improvement on last year and we all had an absolutely brilliant time.
I also competed at the South Windermere Junior Regatta and won the Junior Plate.
Back at the club I won the Hi Jinks trophy at Bass Week, The Laser Club Championship and The 1972 trophy; down on last year but I missed a few club races because of the travellers.
So 2007 was a great year for me, it was my first year sailing away from Bass. I’ve had a great time and would tell everyone else to have a go and really get stuck into sailing. I also need to say a massive thank you to my parents John and Jane for taking me to all of the various venues and competitions, without them there would be no way I could have achieved what I did.
I can’t wait to get the boat out of next doors’ garage ( Thanks Tim and Claire ) for the start of the new season. I’m certainly looking forward to it and can’t wait to get sailing again. See you all soon and good luck to everyone for 2008.
Sam Hall
I’ve long hankered to sail a classic flying fifteen and wanted to start a classic fleet at Bass. Alan Smith & I have just bought FF2372, an old Wyche & Coppock 'Sundance' to share and race occasionally. Ian Preston has also acquired FF1991, a Copland composite 'Barley Wine' which is the one referred to on the Club website. These are all in the same vintage as Keith Thomas's FF2504 Wyche & Coppock 'Fake Emerald' and Johns Prestidge’s FF1901 Wyche & Coppock 'Piper'. We plan to sail more regularly to promote a resurgence in the Fifteen Fleet and also to encourage others to buy old classics that are gently withering away. Boats I mean! If anyone is interested in rescuing an old classic FF to race at Bass then they could chat to any one of us. I know of a few classic boats that could probably be bought quite cheaply.
Graham Kirkpatrick
Hello everyone, I thought you might want to know what’s planned for this season & how to get on the courses. Currently the plan is to follow a similar programme of training both in-house and using external sources as last year.
1. Tuesday nights training will continue as before. Briefings start in May & continue for about 12 weeks, depending on the weather. There will be a choice of:
Junior Section from 17.00 –19.00 hrs – this is for any youngster (tentatively 16) in the club & will include Bass School. This is for beginners & improvers
Adults Beginners & Improvers 19.00 – 21.00 hrs - RYA levels 1 & 2 for beginners – this is start sailing & takes you up to a level where you can manage a dinghy in moderate winds. Plus we will attempt RYA level 3 depending on numbers which is boat-handling skills (stopping, going backwards, coming alongside, picking up a person overboard etc. all good stuff to increase both your abilities & confidence) See the Sailing Programme in the handbook or on the web site for the dates. There’s no cost for these courses for club members. Joining Instructions will be posted on the Training Page on the website.
YOU WILL HAVE TO BOOK ONTO EITHER COURSE – E-MAIL ME. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. NUMBERS WILL BE LIMITED ESPECIALLY ON THE ADULTS COURSE DUE TO NUMBERS OF BOATS!! NO E-MAIL - NO ATTENDANCE!
2. There will be 3 separate full weekend training sessions for RYA Level 1 & 2 and Seamanship. These will run from a.m. Saturday morning to p.m. Sunday & will give you everything plus lots of hours on the water.
Again, see the Sailing Programme for the dates. There is no cost for this course.
3. Race Officer training will be run over a few Saturday mornings - dates to be decided – courtesy of some of the more experienced club members. Please let me know if you want this training.
I advise all of you who are nominated as ODs & who are inexperienced in the starting & running of races to go on it. There is no cost for this course.
4. Power boat training to RYA level 2 will again be conducted with Annandale SC. Please let me know if you want this training. I advise all of you who are nominated on Safety Boat duties to go on it. There is a cost for this course which is fully certificated, but if you register an interest I will confirm costs nearer the time – the club pays 50%, so it is very good value.
5. Safety boat training at Bass – this is for Level 2 powerboat holders only. There is a cost for this course depending on numbers so register your interest to see if it will be viable.
6. Dinghy Instructors Training Course
We will be able to run the course at Bass in May for a week – actual date to be confirmed. Cost about £140 to you as a club member, which gives you a recognisable skill with which you can get a full time job. You will have to commit to training at Bass for a couple of seasons. I make a plea for anyone else in the club who would like to become an instructor to come forward – the training is interesting and there is a pleasure in teaching someone a new skill & seeing them develop on with it.
Contact me at nigel.d.lewis1@btinternet.com
Nigel Lewis
Hi Everyone.
Here ‘s a brief rundown of the Social Events happening in the first half of this year.
I expect a good attendance from you or there will be lines or detention. Notes of absence from your parents will not be accepted!
There ‘s no rigging and tuning day this year, we head straight into an Easter Weekend 22nd/24th March.
For the kids on Easter Sunday we have ‘hunt the egg’ then later, after racing, we will have our annual ‘egg dump’. Remember drinks are on the winner. (If I remember correctly Chris still owes us a drink from last year !).
On April 26th we are having a Mexican Chilli night if you want food let me know as soon as possible, dust off your sombreros and bring your own cactus, the revolution starts at 7.30pm.
Then we have the Spring Dinner on May 25th. It’s a semi formal evening. Let me know how you want your spring cooked! Places are limited so book early.
Details for the rest of the year will be on the notice board.
Hope to see you all soon.
Kayla
Social Secretary
(and harassed mother of four).
At the recent first ever “Youth Squad” meeting, many things were discussed, one of which was the idea of “badged” club clothing. In particular a hooded sweatshirt (HOODIE!) for the new Youth Squad.
Further investigations are to be made through a contact at Solway Sailing club, whose Elaine Ross was at the meeting, and who kindly brought along a “Solway club” sweatshirt for us to see.
The idea of club clothing can of course be extended to all club members and could include items such as ties, fleece gilets, buffs, baseball hats etc... depending on the demand.
Watch the club notice boards at the beginning of the season for further information.
In the meantime if you have any suggestions, email me at
Caroline Craig
20th Jan saw a host of hardy sailors set out on a winter walk on an overcast Sunday. Starting at Wythop Mill School and up the road to Old Scales Farm with Graham’s spaniel leading the way. Across the fields towards Sale Fell and then back to the club house for Michaela’s delicious soup. A good walk. Everyone up to date with the gossip and the cobwebs blown away.
Eric Smith
Last updated 18/03/2008