Catapult was back to Bala Sailing Club for the 2018 Nationals, again sharing the event with the Tinker Tramps Inland Championships (two long-established sailing classes, with inflatable technology for lightness and convenience, and close racing.) Well-organized racing let the two contrasting fleets (and the club fleet  on  Sunday) share the starting line and first short beat, then taking different courses.

  The high pressure clamped over the UK gave consistent bright sunshine and (unusually for Bala) an easterly breeze, staying light, and twisted coming down the Dee Valley to ENE-NE. Off the land at the top of the lake, the breeze fluctuated wildly as the day went on, strengthening but still having lulls and gusts. It swung 20’-30’ at times, (usually too unpredictably allow tacking with the shifts) and places could change abruptly, a stern test of character.

 The club helpfully agreed to port-rounding triangles suiting the boats, with two reaches and a beat. An on-wind start meant a very short beat to the top mark, with the tactical challenge of trying to lay the mark in one starboard board from the line, risking being stuck in a lull close to shore.

                                                       NATIONALS RESULTS 

HANDICAP RESULTS

                                  (Back to top)                       Home Page                                    Cruising