The weekend started with the usual fit of enthusiasm, and by the agreed rendezvous time there were at least two boats present....…
Angela & Bruce Ryde Weller with son Steve, being old hands at this game, timed their arrival perfectly, and had their immaculate 13 HeNe polished, rigged and with its hair neatly
brushed while the rest of us untangled the main halyard from the right hand trailer wheel.
The two Scottish 13's took their standard 45 minutes to be ready to sail.
At last the small fleet felt ready to launch. All that is except the 16 El Rato of Gordon and Chris Etherington, who announced slightly sheepishly that they had "a wee
problem" involving the main halyard and the inside of the mast. A
committee was swiftly formed under the dubious guidance of John Leigh (Laser
16 Miranda), a man of great experience and wisdom, but who had omitted
the one essential for the trip - a boat. Undeterred, John set to
with a series of ever more complicated lines and splices which seemed to
be passed through every orifice in the mast. At last the offending
halyard appeared at the top of the mast once more, and we set sail on a
starboard reach in a stiff North Wester. The starboard reach lasted
around four minutes before abruptly becoming a port reach of equal intensity,
to the considerable embarrassment of all except the unflappable Bruce.
Near capsizes to windwardall round but we carried on South. Shortly afterwards, the familiar
sight of a blue and white hull signalled the first upset of the day, with
Andrew Morison and eleven year old daughter Lindsay (13-530) enjoying a
pleasant Autumnal dip in the lake. Great moral support all round
from around half a mile ensured a swift righting and our passage continued.
Five minutes later, Richard Hunter (the author) and daughter Louise were
guilty of admiring Bruce and Angela's helmsmanship to the detriment of
their own and a swift but spectacular capsize ensued in one of the many
windshifts and squalls which marked the morning. An unspoken agreement
was reached to shorten the morning trip and seek shelter for lunch - much
chattering of teeth all round.
The opportunity was taken by all to reef and an only slightly less challenging reach back to Coniston
was achieved without further alarm. The group agreed to adjourn to
land based pursuits until the evening.
The meal in the Crown in Coniston was greatly enhanced by the discovery that it was the birthday
of Christine Roy's friend Celia, which confirmed the undoubted choral talents
of the Association. Pictorial evidence was obtained by Andrew's flash
camera,
Sunday dawned brighter and with the wind reasonably steady from the North. A pleasant run down
the lake was terminated by the abrupt turning about by Bruce on the basis
that the twelve o'clock gun had sounded - only he heard it. El Rato
turned immediately and thus moved from last position to first ! The
afternoon declined into patches of calm water, but Christine Roy (13 Apothecary)
soon summoned up a stiff breeze by getting out her oars !
Another great weekend courtesy of Angela, but please could we stick to Ullswater ? More consistent
sailing and much nearer the motorway too ! For those of you who read
this and were not there, get next year's date in the diary as soon as it
is announced - we need more boats and it is really an excellent trip.
to the alarmed cry from Mike Meadows (also on El Rato) of "oh God,
I hope that wasn't
a speed camera". Meantime our two youngest members,
Louise and Lindsay retired to the Ladies and succeeded in extracting Lindsay's
loose tooth !
Richard Hunter