Craftinsure Bass Week 2024

by Bass Press 13 Aug 08:20 NZST 3-11 August 2024

A total of 220 entries from 42 sailing clubs hit the initially cloudy and later sunny shores of Costa Del Bassenthwaite for what will be remembered as the windiest Craftinsure Bass Week in recent memory.

All the usual ingredients of great value for money mixed with Bass's legendry hospitality, and a dash of wind shifts, resulted in motorhome and caravan spaces filling up within 24 hours of bookings being open! Chase Sailing Club win the biggest visiting entry, with 16 boats travelling 188 miles north.

The Lake District gets its name from the 16 major lakes that dot the area, including Bassenthwaite, which is the only officially named lake. The other lakes have names that include "mere" or "water". It may come as no surprise that water falling from the sky is an essential ingredient in this part of the world. Early forecasts looked a little damp for the hundreds of visitors staying on site in tents. However, it never really materialised with only a few dampish days which have become synonymous with this rather random English summer. What all forecasting did agree on was medium to strong south westerly winds, and as we got closer to the event, it was looking more strong and less medium. As the week progressed, sailors became hardened to the punchy mountain gusts and airbourne 3 sail reaches. Only Friday afternoons race was cancelled. Mondays Dubwath Cup was sailed as a single fleet start (usually 9) with only 21 boats brave enough to hit the start line. A fine day for spectating with the exciting addition of 1 broken mast for the poor team leading the race!

So... onto a summary of what happened in each of the 9 fleets. Full results are available here.

First to start each race was the fast handicap, which included a mix of Phantoms, a 59er, a Laser Vortex, 2 ICONS and a handful of RS400s. Winners included Paul and Jude Allen sailing a 59er, RS400s sailed by Mark Somerville and Joe Roberts and Chris Pickles and Matt Sharman, Wayne Fletcher in a Phantom and when the breeze was blasting down all 4 miles of the lake and John Reekie sailing a Musto Skiff. 2 Melges 15s were a new addition to this year's fast handicap. Each sailed by lots of different teams interested in testing this popular American design. Chris Pickles and Matt Sharman were test pilots for Friday's John Peel Tankard, winning by a massive 5 minutes on corrected.

The popular Bass Week Flying Fifteen fleet is on the up, with entries slowly growing in numbers over the last few years, largely helped by the raucous addition of entries from Blackpool and Fleetwood YC. Over the week, locals Robin Dawson and Mike Cowan dominated most of the racing, with other winners Rob Mountain and Chris Clancy, Neil Platt and Dave Lawson and Mike Preston and Mason Walker.

It was a particularly windy week for the RS200 fleet and the parents hoping to sail with their youngsters. Chris and Evie Pickles won the first weekend. Phil Davenport dominated the windy midweek, with super strong son and crew Rory not quite being pulled through the ratchet blocks on all the 3 sail reaches. Other winners included Bryn Abendstern with Emma Robertson and Neil and Archie Campbell.

The medium handicap is always an interesting one, with different classes having their day when the wind suits. Streakers made easy work of the first weekend and some of the mid week races, with Sam Mckay and Steve Blackburn sharing podiums. Keith Escritt blasted a 1st overall in a borrowed RS Aero in Thursday's Martini Challenge Trophy. As the week progressed, experience paid, with the Wayfarer of Louise Mckeand and Nigel Hall sailing steady (and sometimes reefed) and winning races.

The slow handicap included some last minute, on the day entries, as some sailors chose to go safe in the blustery conditions. Across the week, winners included Steve Hunt and Ruth Critchley sailing an Enterprise, Elsa Minton and Matthew Somerville dropping from ILCA 6s to ILCA 4s and the GP14 of James and Jenny Macgregor. Thursdays - up the lake- Martini Challenge Trophy was won by Jack Exley and Hannah Preston sailing an RS Vision.

In total, 34 ILCAs made it to the start line, with ILCA 7s and 6s each having a start of their own, and the ILCA 4s racing in the slow handicap. In the ILCA 7s, Tim Keighley won the first weekend. During the week, Finn Watson and Bill Busby shared the top spots and the final weekend was won convincingly by the Simon flying gazebo Weatherspoon. In the ILCA 6 fleet, Elsa Minton, Matthew Somerville and Will Taylor shared victories, with the final weekend won by Henry Bullen.

The Solo fleet had 15 entries in total. Following a 4th in the Bass 2024 open, Richard Instone won the first weekend. Other winners included famous radio sailor Dave Potter and the ever consistent Richard Critchley.

It was a wild week in the Mirror, Topper, Tera and now Feva too fleet. Lots of outstanding performances by youth sailors, with bags full of determination and smiles including those of the brilliant Bass and Red Seal rescue crews tasked with keeping this lot above the water! The racing was dominated by the super star helms sailing Mirrors with their little ones. Phil and Lucy Smith dominated, with Andy and Isabelle/Olivia Tunnicliffe never too far behind and winning the Cutty Sark Challenge. Alex and Saskia Leonard were also in the mix, seriously impressive for all these little crews in strong winds. There was lots of notable performances in the fleets within the fleet, including Grace Stockdale and Charlie Rowell, Oscar Davenport, James and Andrew Reekie, Adam Oldale who crewed for Mum Karen in the RS Feva, extra mini Mirror crews Phoebe Leonard and Thea Bridden, Molly Haslam in her Topper, Lewis and Grace Gordon who often led the Feva's, Cam Somerville and Alfie Duncan, Georgina and Sebastian Bromley, Molly and Benji Hall and Grace Allen and Gracie Bullen.

The wild south westerly winds shifted favourably south east for Tuesdays Nairn and Thursday's RNLI pursuit races. This offered sailors spectacular views up the lake, particularly on Thursday when all 4 miles of the lake was used to set the windward mark. Tuesday's pursuit was won by Phil and Oliver Smith, sailing a Mirror. They led from the start and never looked like they would be seriously challenged. Thursday's pursuit looked like it was going the same way, with Phil and Oliver emerging from the misty 4 mile run in the lead. However with a few minutes to go, the blue spinnaker of the flying scotsman (John Reekie) emerged and made easy work of the leading Mirrors to claim a comfortable win and maybe the first Musto to win a Bass Week Pursuit? Thursday's 4 mile windward leg was a serious task for the Tera sailors and the Mirror crews. They started in the most breeze and a big well done fully deserved to those who kept on going!

As often is the case, some class associations use Bass Week to host regional championships. This year the Graduates joined us once again for their northern championship. Bass members Chris and Chloe Parker made easy work of the fleet of six boats, counting a string of 1st places! Guy Wheeler and Elaine Ross finished 2nd with Mike Fairlamb and Jack Hardie in 3rd. The Phantom class delivered the sun, racing for their northern champs during the final weekend. Relative Phantom newcomer Wayne Fletcher finished 1st, counting just 4 points in his first Phantom event. Class chairman and Bass member Rob Cook was 2nd finishing an equal 6 points to Richard Nurse, also on 6 points.

At the final prize-giving and the special awards, The Hijinx Trophy went to Matthew Somerville for best under 18, Endeavour Trophy awarded to Oscar Davenport, Caroline Storey Memorial Trophy for the female with dogged determination was awarded to Grace Stockdale and the Ovington Trophy for best fast handicap was awarded to Mark Somerville and Joe Roberts.

A huge thanks must go to Bass rescue and Red Seal Rescue. It was a wild week on the water and I'm guessing hundreds of capsizes with no serious incidents. Huge thanks to Red Seal for their support over the last 31 years.

Off the water, Emma organised a brilliant social programme which included a quiz night, Disco Bingo (how good was that), live music and a few DJ Enterprise raves. Michelle Tunnicliffe and Olivia Leonard kept those too little to sail entertained in the club house with craft mornings.

Bass Week is renowned for generous prizes which often go beyond the usual top 3, this is only possible thanks to our sponsors. A big thanks to Craftinsure, our title sponsors. Each race is sponsored by local businesses including Ginger Boats, Cumbrian Ales, Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Shake Waffle and Roll, Embleton Spa Hotel, Ennerdale Brewery, Luchini's Ice Cream & Gelato Shop and Heavenly Fish & Chips.

There are far too many names to mention in the organising of such an event in a volunteer run sailing club, so just one. Vice Commodore Joe Roberts who chairs the Bass Week committee, top job!

That's it. Bass Week 2025 will run from 2nd-10th August. Note it in your diary!