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Catapult was back a favourite venue at
for the 2016 Nationals and the fun races making up the Bala Gala.The
south-west breeze throughout the extended weekend gave excellent
conditions for the fun races, all completed.
(Below: We’re here for the fun: Catapult hard men John P and
Paul battle a windswept lake, the day before the Bala Gala)
PAIRS RACEAs is traditional, the Bala Gala kicked off with the Pairs Race, pairing experienced helms
with helms designated as improvers (or at least carrying higher personal
handicaps) round a port-rounding triangle.
The pair of Alastair and Paul fought successfully for the pin end of a tight starboard-end start,
only to see that the first mark could be laid directly from
halfway down the line, and closer. Dermot Mangan began as he
meant to go on for the weekend, pushing hard to the front. With a good
lead, he had to look back to search for partner Stuart Ede
(photo below) only to find him miles back---Stuart had competed
so hard that he was over the start line, discovering this only when he
passed the spit again down-wind, after completing a half-lap, turning
back to repeat it alone.
This gifted chasing pair Alastair and Paul the lead, held to the end,
with Paul able to defend when Syd Gage came up fast, luffing him away on
the reach as Alastair rounded onto the final beat. The final twist was
the disacovery that the windward mark was drifting down-wind fast,
needing a new search each time as the beat got shorter and shorter.
Behind, the well-established pairing of Gareth Ede and Damien Cooney (in
their 4th Bala Gala Pairs outing) confirmed steady improvement, and
Chris Upton, shepherded by John Terry was a first swimmer for the weekend
1st Alastair Forrest
and Paul Ellis
2nd Syd Gage and
George Evans
3rd Gareth Ede and
Damien Cooney
4th Dermot Mangan and
Stuart Ede
5th Chris Upton and
John Terry
(Below: Dermot Mangan to tries to locate partner Stuart)
(Photo: Bala CC Safety Rib, with thanks.)
TEAM PURSUIT RACE
To round off the Bala Gala, the Team Pursuit Race, a new event,
used John
Terry's personal handicaps to set off three teams off at 4-minute
intervals. The second and third groups stuck together tightly, showing
the accuracy of the handicapping. The Hot Shot team of George John
T and Gareth pulled up on the team ahead (helped by riding a burst of stronger breeze on the downwind leg)
just catching the next group,
but team two of Stuart Dermot Paul and Syd largely defended
their places ahead.
In the high handicap group, Alastair
carrying the sympathetic handicap John T gives for age (both boat and
helm) was away first, chased by Chris and then Damien, and
the front two were never threatened, to take the event.
1st
Alastair Forrest (1st)
Chris Upton (2nd)
Damien Cooney (10)
13
2nd
Paul Ellis (5)
Syd Gage (7)
Dermot Mangan (4)
Stuart Ede (3) 14.25
3rd
Gareth Ede (6)
John Terry (8)
George Evans (9)
23
(Below: the triumphant Team Pursuit winners: Damien, Chris
and Alastair, anf their glittering prizes.)
RELAYModerate SW breeze on Monday, with the rain just holding off, allowed
another successful relay event, with a down-wind start
around a shortened triangle. Gareth for the Yorkshire Terriers won the
first round and with good change-overs of the water-bottle
batons, the second leg was tight until John Pepperell for the Southern
Smoothies elected to hold on to the left of the beat, finding good
breeze and a lift to make big gains for the
lead. Behind, the Terriers exchanged the baton gingerly (photo
below.)
On the final lap, John Terry for the Mixed Marauders rode a reaching breeze fast after Paul, to just catch him
at the gybe mark and hold on to give his team the win.
(Below: Chris Upton lines up for the baton change from Syd,
camera)
1st The
Mongrel Marauders: Stuart Ede
Dermot Mangan and John Terry
2nd Southern
Smoothies: Alastair Forrest, John Peperell, and Paul Ellis
3rd Yorkshire
Terriers: Gareth Ede Syd Gage and Chris Upton
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