Please select your home edition
Edition
Barton Marine Pipe Glands

Bala Long Distance Race - event 9 in the Great British Sailing Challenge

by Andy Rice 24 Jun 2019 13:05 PDT 22-23 June 2019
Bala Long Distance Race 2019 © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Light to moderate - and wildly shifty - breezes on Lake Bala played to the strengths of the RS400s who dominated the results at the Bala Long Distance, part of the Great British Sailing Challenge.

Richard Catchpole & Gary Coop led the charge of the RS400s and won the Bala Long Distance, latest event in the Great British Sailing Challenge. Recent weeks have seen a perfect Force 3 to 4 south-westerly blowing along the length of Lake Bala, set in the Snowdonia National Park. But as the windy (and rainy) weather disappeared over recent days, at least the sunshine came out for the four-hour long distance race on the opening Saturday of the regatta.

In total, 61 boats from 38 classes signed up for the weekend, with a huge array of craft lined up to race each other under the Great Lakes handicap numbers. Boats as diverse as Toppers to the International Moth, multihulls and sportsboats all came to do compete against each other on the lake. Many boats were crewed by family members, taking part in the Generation Game, the competition being encouraged within the Great British Sailing Challenge.

Principal Race Officer John Burgoine set a course that used the whole 3.5 miles of the lakes's length for the marathon race on Saturday. The breeze was so fickle, however, that discerning the wind direction at any given moment was proving difficult. What little prevailing breeze there was, found itself in a battle with local land breezes being thermally generated at the side of the lake. This meant that boats were beating towards both ends of the lake, with a mushy, swirly mess of light air in the middle.

Over the 5.2 nautical mile course, the biggest distance covered was by Dave Walker & Chris Cooke's Nacra 20 catamaran, which notched up 23 nautical miles around four laps of the course in the four hours of racing. However, the winners on handicap were Dave Exley & Nige Hall, proven champions of the long distance format having raced their RS400 to victory four times at the legendary Lord Birkett Trophy which takes place on Ullswater Reservoir every summer. Behind Exley & Hall were five other RS400s who seemed to be in their element, able to fly the gennaker on some of the close reaches and able to tack their way effectively through the ever-shifting breeze.

Behind the RS400 armada, two Javelins finished in seventh and eighth, the only trapeze boats to make the top ten. First cat was Paul and Jude Allen's Nacra 18 in 19th place. For families who wanted to follow the action, they took the steam train that runs alongside the lake and which offered a grandstand view of the racing.

The Saturday evening's BBQ was a welcome opportunity to relax and replenish after the rigours of the four-hour race, and when local band Face Value turned up later in the evening, everyone hit the dance floor. The summery weather couldn't have been more perfect for an evening of fun, food and entertainment.

On Sunday, the sunshine had gone but at least the breeze showed up for three back-to-back average lap races. With the breeze blowing Force 2 to 3 but with some occasional Force 4 gusts, the sailors were kept on their toes and again the random conditions suited the relatively stable RS400s. However, Colin & Oly Murray's Norfolk Punt came good for the final race, taking the win ahead of the 400s.

In terms of overall scores though, the RS400s won the day, with Catchpole & Coop joined on the podium by Chris Pickles & Mark Lunn and Jon Heissig & Nicky Griffin.

However frustrating the lack of breeze on the Saturday, the rain never materialised until the sailors were driving out of Bala after the prize-giving. It had been a challenging but rewarding weekend of fun competition and a great social event too.

The next two events of the GBSC take place in August at Plymouth and Ullswater. Find out more and get your entry in at www.sailingchallenge.org

Related Articles

Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais day 4
All on the line Sunday as American Magic Quantum Racing seek to close out eighth world title After three spectacular races today on Cascais, Portugal's showcase high winds arena, Doug DeVos' seven times world title winners American Magic Quantum Racing lead into the final day of the 2025 Rolex TP52 Worlds with a hard earned five points buffer. Posted on 5 Jul
Registration open for Annapolis to Bermuda Race
A2B covers 753 nm from the heart of the Chesapeake Bay to the island paradise of Bermuda The organizing committee of the Annapolis to Bermuda Ocean Race (A2B) is pleased to announce that registration for the 2026 edition of this iconic offshore sailing event sponsored by Mustang Survival is officially open! Posted on 5 Jul
North launches new Wingfoil Race Collection
Pinch even higher and reach even deeper at pace Pinch even higher and reach even deeper at pace. Engineered with a VMG-optimised partial double skin for improved aerodynamic efficiency, lower drag and precise manoeuvres at higher speeds. Posted on 5 Jul
AEGEAN 600 Attica Warm-Up Race
5th edition sets sail with strong winds and signature Greek hospitality Under perfect sunny skies and brisk northerly winds, the 5th edition of the annual AEGEAN 600 kicked off with a flawless start both on and off the water. Posted on 4 Jul
GKSS Match Cup Sweden & Nordea Women's Trophy D5
Stage set for Finals showdown in Marstrand With just one day to go at the 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy, the stage is set for a thrilling finale in both the Open and Women's classes. Posted on 4 Jul
Sam Goodchild in the Course des Caps
The final phase is full of potential pitfalls Sam Goodchild, the British skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance who has been dominating the IMOCA round Britain and Ireland race since the start of the third day, says the goal now is to focus on the complex finishing section. Posted on 4 Jul
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 2
Light breeze, boat park buzz and big wins off the water >Day 2 brought lighter winds to Lake Garda, but the energy around the event stayed sky-high. Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais day 3
French tour de force gives Paprec world championship lead As the Rolex TP52 World Championship passed its midway point today in Cascais, Portugal it is the French underdogs on Paprec, led by ocean racing legend Loïck Peyron, which has taken the overall lead. Posted on 4 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC One preview
Beyond the French legends there is plenty of international talent with podium potential With 17 editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race to his name, including five class victories along the way and an outright victory in 2015, could anyone bet against Géry Trentesaux doing it again? Posted on 4 Jul
International Moth Worlds begin this weekend
Pre-Worlds are under way at Malcesine From 6 to 13 July 2025, the 2025 Moth World Championship officially gets under way, hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine and preceded by the Pre-Worlds on 4 and 5 July. The event marks the culmination of three weeks entirely dedicated to foiling. Posted on 4 Jul
PredictWind - Offshore App 728x90 BOTTOMDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_cruise BOTTOMV-DRY-X