Coronation Sailing Festival, May 5-8

Published 14:14 on 10 May 2023

Ullswater Yacht Club joined in with the national Coronation Big Help Out on Monday, May 8, by holding a Charity Day in aid of the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team.
Club members raised £500 for the Team with donations from members taking part in a special race, the Coronation Chase, and with a raffle organised by UYC's thriving Youth & Junior section.
Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team has been chosen as UYC's charity for 2023 and Commodore Kathryn Hall welcomed some members of the Team to the club on Charity Day.
"We are pleased to support the volunteers who do so much for the Ullswater area that we all love," she said.
A total of 24 boats took part in the Coronation Chase, from youngsters in their single-handed RS Teras to the asymmetric Olympic flying machine, the 49er. The slowest boats started first, racing for one and a half hours on a set course. The start times for all the other boats depended on their handicap with the fastest, the 49er starting 47 minutes later. In conditions that were lighter than forecast, the Teras made good way after an initial slow, windless start but as they approached the first mark, they began to be overtaken by the faster boats. After the one and a half hours, Anne Noble and James Neilson in a VXOne were in the lead with Keith Lockey and Paul Adams in another VXOne in second place. Most Entertaining Boat prizewinners were Caleb Thornton and Tom Taylor in an ILCA 6.
On Sunday, May 7, all the club racers celebrated with a Coronation Long Distance Race. The All Class Handicap fleet were scheduled to race to the island at the southern end of the lake and back, a distance of around 14 miles. But with light winds forecast, the course was changed to Halsteads, around a mile from the club. After two laps, the winners on handicap were Keith Lockey and Paul Adams in a VXOne, with Anne Noble and Jason Bridgman, in a VXOne, second. The five-boat fleet juniors also raced a shorter course than planned because of the conditions and first on handicap was Aggie Priestley in a RS Tera. Jessica Warner, crewed by Reuben Dorey, in a RS Feva were second.
On shore, club members took part in the Coronation festivities at a barbecue on Sunday night and afternoon tea on Monday and there was a crown-making competition for the juniors.
The POETS (Push Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday) Cruiser racing group toasted the new King after their special two-race event on Friday, May 5.
The first POETS race of the 2023 season, which was due to be held on April 28, was cancelled due to lack of wind; this provided an ideal opportunity for a small two race series for a one-off Coronation Cup event as part of the main POETS series. Nine of those taking part had been youngsters at the time of the last Coronation and four were sailing on their own.
The course for race 1 was down the lake: Club-Thwaite-Lodge-Floshgate-Waterside-Club (one lap) a nice short course for the first race of year. The fleet kept close together and although there were changes of position throughout, most of the boats finished within 4 minutes of each other. First: Sue Harding and Andrew Darwent (Sonata); second: Colin Brown (Beneteau); third: Raymond Harle and John Wales (Hunter).
The second race was up the lake and was two laps: Club-Beauthorn-Bonscale-Lodge-North Bay-Club. The breeze picked up a little just after the start and Colin Brown lead the way up to Beauthorn and then set off for Ravencragg, the wrong mark, followed by two other boats! By the time he realised his error he was well behind the others and Sue Harding, the first to follow the correct course, soon built up a considerable lead which she maintained for the rest of the race, finishing over a leg in front of the others in an elapsed time of just under an hour. Sam Harding (Hunter) was second on handicap and newcomers to POETS Andy and Barbara Cutting in their Hunter Ranger were third.
The results of both races combined were: 1st Sue Harding and Andrew Darwent, 2nd Andrew and Barbara Cutting and third Raymond Harle and John Wales.

Last updated 19:16 on 15 April 2024