Ginger Boats Bass Week 2025 at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club - Overall

by Bass Press 10 Aug 22:17 PDT 2-10 August 2025

Ginger Boats Bass Week 2025 will be remembered as a true test of skill, stamina, and spirit. The week was dominated by fresh West-South-West winds, delivering a steady stream of lively, challenging, and often exhilarating sailing conditions across Bassenthwaite Lake.

From spray-swept beats to airborne downwind legs, competitors were pushed to their limits and rewarded with some of the most exciting racing Bass Week has seen in years.

Off the water, the atmosphere was just as electric. Spectators enjoyed thrilling vantage points along the shore, soaking up the action in the sunny afternoons which prevailed almost every day. Evenings came alive with live music, themed celebrations, and the now-legendary disco hosted by DJ Enterprise, ensuring that the energy of Bass Week carried well into the night.

Wednesday's three race Nat West Cup, sponsored by Ginger boats was a fine day's sailing, with medium airs welcomed throughout the 10 fleets. Wednesday's results can be found here. ITV Border TV spent the day capturing some sailing and interviewing members and visitors. See the brilliant feature below.

Although Storm Floris had passed, Thursday remained breezy. Morning racing, sponsored by Underscar Vinery, was followed by the RNLI pursuit, backed by Ginger Boats. The Martini Challenge Trophy results can be found here. The afternoon pursuit drew a bigger fleet than Tuesday's blustery edition, which had kept many ashore. After 90 minutes, two world-class Mirror helms sailing with their daughters were leading the pack. Phil & Lucy Smith took 1st, finishing about a minute ahead of Andy & Isabelle Tunnicliffe. In a Kestrel, the consistent Sam McKay and James Vyse claimed 3rd. Full RNLI pursuit results can be viewed here.

Friday's forecast promised fresh winds and wall-to-wall sunshine. The morning Embleton Spa race was followed by the Juniors and Seniors event, sponsored by Bassenthwaite Lake Train and Café. The afternoon's Juniors and Seniors race was a lively one, with spectacular reaches and blustery gusts, one knocking the Vice Commodore overboard during an unplanned gybe. Prize giving caught up on three days' worth of trophies before the evening's entertainment of sumo wrestling and live music. Friday's John Peel Tankard results can be viewed here and The Herb Telford Junior Race and 60+ results can be viewed here.

The final weekend's Cutty Sark Challenge welcomed the Phantoms for their Northern Championship. Generously sponsored by Navigators and General, the prizes on offer included whisky. The programme featured three races on Saturday and a last showdown on Sunday. Saturday's blustery conditions brought gusts up to Force 5, while Sunday's single race enjoyed pleasant winds and sunshine. Cutty Sark results can be viewed here. In the Phantom Northern Championship, Wayne Fletcher (Scaling Dam and Bass!) dominated, winning four races and even discarding a 1st place.

Moving on to the special prizes: the Miner's Trophy for Best FF15 went to Rob Mountain, while the Ovington Trophy for Best Fast Handicap was claimed by Paul and Jude Allen. The Endeavour Trophy was awarded to Isabelle Tunnicliffe, with the Caroline Storey Trophy going to Lucy Smith. Rounding off the honours, the HiJinx Trophy for Best U18 was presented to James Reekie.

This year's Bass Week marks the 32nd anniversary of Red Seal Rescue's vital partnership with Bassenthwaite SC in providing first-class rescue support. In the challenging conditions of the past nine days, this brilliant team of volunteers—working alongside the Bass rescue crew—has carried out more than a hundred rescues. With so many boats on the water, events at volunteer-run clubs like Bassenthwaite rely heavily on support from organisations like Red Seal Rescue, who continue to be absolute superstars of safety and skill.

At the final prize-giving, Commodore Joe Roberts thanked everyone whose hard work and enthusiasm had brought Bass Week to life. As the last trophies were presented and sails were packed away, a week of racing, camaraderie, and shared memories drew to a close — until Bass Week 2026, from 1-9 August. www.bassweek.org.uk