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2011
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2011
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Sailing
Catapult
Tactics and Rules
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Catapult returned to
Bassenthwaite Sailing Club’s beautiful setting, to meet strong easterlies,
turning SE and gusting up to force 6-7. The fleet looked at the gusting wind
on Saturday and concluded that racing could be held over to the next two
days. Sunday revealed the easterly back with a vengeance, whitecaps across
the lake and dark gusts up to 49mph, keeping everyone ashore.
The Club continued their support and cooperation by arranging three
back-to-back races for the final Monday session. The day began with the SE
breeze down (and fluctuating and swinging) gradually increasing as racing
progressed until by race 3 the fleet was competing vigorously in the
conditions they had agreed would be madness the day before.
The boats were at the edge, with several final capsizes, but the same
disasters demonstrated the boats ability to be righted again and continue.
Below: Paul
Ellis nicely settled chasing out towards Skiddaw.
(All photos by BSC Rescue Boat)
(More pictures)

For Race 1 the club set a
straightforward starboard triangle. The windward mark was in the lee of
Skiddaw, and choosing the right approach in the patchy conditions proved
critical.
Early leader John Terry tacked
across towards the shore too soon, while Paul Ellis and Alastair Forrest
gauged it right, arriving first side by side. They gained a large lead
over the rest of the fleet who stayed in mid-lake too long, and
increased this steadily over the next two laps, with Paul gradually
stretching ahead of Alastair.
Paul gained up the next beat and
run, to have a comfortable lead. Out of the group following, Gareth Ede
had recovered from getting stuck at the start and then emerged to
threaten but not take Alastair’s second place, with Justin Evans behind.
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Race 2 with the wind freshening was
around a complex inverted P, with the arm well down the lake
under Skiddaw.
The
strong port bias to the start was well picked by John Terry who
then stalled in a shift just as he took the advantage. Stuart
Ede went right up the beat to lead at the windward mark.
A close reach up the lake into the wind shadow of Skiddaw then
spread the fleet, and the last arrivals found the “gate” of the
light shifting breeze slammed shut, separating the leading four
from the chasing pack.
By the second and final lap Stuart had a quarter mile lead over
his son Gareth Ede, with Paul Ellis and John Terry in pursuit, but
he threw it away when he couldn’t find a mark. Gareth took over
first, with Paul and John taking second and third places.
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(Above: Gareth Ede on the way to a
win in the Northern Championships)
Race 3 around a port triangle began in the mounting easterly.
Stuart Ede tacked in front of the fleet to win the start, and
headed away up the right-hand side, in the lead at the top mark.
Alastair pulled up to be second ahead of Paul but repair to an
outhaul failure put him to the back of fleet.
With the wind piping still further, Stuart confidently built a good lead.
and he was 200m ahead approaching the leeward mark only to
pitch-pole in one of the huge gusts that were now reaching 40
mph (captured on a rescue boat camera, picture right.)
The second set of reaches began claiming more capsize victims with Chris
Phillips having a good second place plucked from him. |
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Gareth Ede again benefited from his father’s misfortune.
He clung on (literally!) as many of the rest of the fleet pitch-poled in
his wake (with eventually four of eight starters going over) to take
first. Alastair pulled up steadily through lap 2 and 3, through
the rapidly diminishing fleet ahead, to take second just ahead of John
Terry
Gareth’s second win gave him the
2011 Northern Championship ahead of Paul Ellis with a first and a second
to count and Alastair Forrest’s two seconds.
Results:
Sailed: 3, Discards: 1, To count: 2, Entries: 12
Rank |
SailNo |
HelmName |
Club |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
Total |
Nett |
1st |
91 |
Gareth Ede |
Filey SC |
(3.0) |
1.0 |
1.0 |
5.0 |
2.0 |
2nd |
507 |
Paul Ellis |
Marconi SC |
1.0 |
2.0 |
(6.0) |
9.0 |
3.0 |
3rd |
524 |
Alastair Forrest |
Catapult Assoc |
2.0 |
(5.0) |
2.0 |
9.0 |
4.0 |
4th |
533 |
John Terry |
Rutland SC |
(6.0) |
3.0 |
3.0 |
12.0 |
6.0 |
5th |
531 |
Stuart Ede |
Filey SC |
(5.0) |
4.0 |
4.0 |
13.0 |
8.0 |
6th |
518 |
Justin Evans |
Catapult Assoc |
4.0 |
(7.0) |
5.0 |
16.0 |
9.0 |
7th |
510 |
George Evans` |
Bala Catamaran Club |
7.0 |
6.0 |
(DNF) |
26.0 |
13.0 |
(Below: Stuart Ede chases at speed.)
(More pictures here)
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