Sailing Club Trip to Bala
Go To: Sailing - Site News
Posted on 27 May 2008 18:07
Our sailing club just returned from the first of this year's trips to Bala, which was quite eventful...
"Here comes a hoolie, let's have us some of that!"
Words which came to be regretted, as our 2008 Bala Sailing Trip (the first of two) came to an end. From Friday to Bank Holiday Monday, a good number of us upped and moved to tented accomodation on the shores of lake Bala for a camping sailing weekend.
A fair amount of alcohol and food later, everyone had a cracking good time. We didn't get in as much sailing as we'd hoped, due in no small part to their being too much wind (painful for a club that frequently experiences too little wind). We sailed Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the weakest wind probably being around the Force 4, then on Saturday, Force 7 gusting to Force 9. Pretty much gear breaking wind. That being said, the experience of sailing in strong winds can't be underestimated - you can't even begin to imagine the forces involved until you experience it first hand.
That being said, it was fairly uneventful. We performed a few rescues on a recently qualified sailor, and also a kayaker, and the wayfarer and toppers stood up well, even Becky and Richards' Laser 2 experienced no pain. The same could not be said about Colin and his Prindle 15 catamaran however. On a particularly quick reach across the lake at speeds approaching 25 knots, the infamous "hoolie" came sweeping down the lake, which resulted in a rather rapid and spectacular capsize, a wet crew member (Richard), and Colin nursing a broken rib. That didn't stop him doing one more run with another crew however, which ended up in the main block shearing under the tremendous winds during a capsize which saw the young (rather light) crew member launched 10 feet off the boat during a fast pitchpole capsize.
Sunday was rather quieter boat wise, since the weather let us down slightly and rained, but that didn't stop a few Wayfarer trips, and Richard and Simon taking the Laser 2 for a spin into rather choppy waters the other side of the lake, and planing the Laser 2 so hard the bow wave was under the shroud plates. Damn good fun!
Add to that a birthday meal, and a few nights gathered together in a large tent, and a good time was had by all. Roll on September, with a mended catamaran and a 420!
Who knows - maybe this time next year we'll have the first Caution Water sailing trip!