The Bala Gala again brought racing and non-racing sailors together in the beautiful lake setting. After the Saturday and Sunday racing, the fleet had  a long beat back through the building chop to be ready for the Monday Fun Races, run from the beach and grassy areas at Pant-yr-Onnen campsite

As the name suggests the fun racing was greatly enjoyed, but equally-often was emphatically contested, including calls for water and 360' turns.

Stuart Ede, not content with organising the whole Bala event between two different organisations, stepped forward to be Race Officer and Beach Master, setting the rules and handicaps, and starting the races, meeting the traditional Catapult failure to fully grasp the fun race rules.

  For the relay race, three teams raced three short legs from a running start, two reaches and a beat back to the transfer of the rubber ball baton. The SW breeze was brisk enough for fast racing and Stuart  ruled that head-to-head baton exchange was too risky at high closing speed.

 Alastair was away well for Yellow but George Evans closed, and Chris Upton showed fast reaching speed with the TI rig. A smooth handover from Syd Gage's leg gave the Yellows a lead but Alastair could not hold off George Evans, and the Blue team of George and Stan Tobin triumphed.

 The team race (totalling up the finishing scores) pitted a natural Northern team (so the White Roses) against a hybrid other team (The F1 hybrids, boom boom) with a long upwind leg and long run back before two reaches and a beat to the finish. The White Roses of Gareth Ede, Mike Gough, and Syd Gage and new member Kev Wright, had a convincing win, 15 points to 22, over George Evans, Alastair Forrest, Chris Upton, and Stan Tobin.

The Pursuit Race, successfully introduced last year, used the personal handicaps allocated by John Terry to set off groups at intervals. Stuart's initial two-minute spacings between groups seemed daunting to the back markers, but these were then eased when the first group failed to read the signals, and wasted the first of their two minutes lead before setting off. In turn, the delay then confused the next group, so it was not until the third group set off that Stuart's onshore timings were obeyed.

 George Evan's up-wind speed let him catch the front runners from four minutes back for the first, with Syd Gage and then Mike Gough from group two filling the next places. Gareth Ede came fast from six minutes back for the fourth place.

                                                              MORE TT PHOTOS

Above: the broad reach to the downwind mark: Alastair, far right, has worked out that he should go out right to avoid the wind-shadow, and slice up to the mark, and sure enough this tactic has failed. (Photo Syd Gage' on-board camera.)

Below left: George Evans covers Mike Gough upwind at speed, Race 1 (Photo John Hunter with thanks)

Below right: Paul Ellis leads George in the tight beat through the gate, Sunday.
(Photo John Hunter.)

Above: Syd Gage (camera) chases Stuart Ede and George towards the Bala SC clubhouse, Sunday.

Below left: Mike Gough appears to be about to be hit on port by Syd Gage, camera.

Below right: Stuart at speed, Race 1. (Photo John Hunter)

Above: Syd Gage pushes George at the gybe mark. Photo Rob Baker.

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