Event Date: 22 & 23 May 2021 | Report by Ben Schooling
The Daffodil Regatta at Ullswater Yacht Club played host to the second event in the Musto Skiff UK circuit, and round two of the 2021 UK Hyde Sails Series, sponsored by Hyde Sails.
Saturday saw 22 skiffs take to the water with some boats travelling from as far as the South coast for the allure of the beautiful Lake District. Along with 20 Wazps and 10 VXOne’s, the fleet wafted down to the start line in a light northerly, which soon evaporated. With the feintest of breezes returning, the race committee quickly went into sequence and managed to get the fleet away for what ended up being the only race of the day.
Danny Boatman and Ben Schooling were first to the windward mark, at which point the wind shifted 180 degrees. With the mid fleet hoisting kites to lay the windward, the front runners were beating back to the finish. Schooling managed to squeeze past Boatman for the bullet, with Tim Rogers in 3rd.
With little hope of the wind returning, the race officer pulled up the abandonment flag so the fleet headed back in for an early bath. Sure enough, as is the way, the breeze then filled in so a few keen Musto’s and Wazps stayed out for some training in the evening sun.
The club provided some excellent catering and bar facilities, whilst adhering to Covid-19 restrictions, and everyone enjoyed catching up for the first time since the UK Nationals, making the most of the fine Northern hospitality – some more than others!
Sunday morning could not have been more different than the tranquil Saturday evening…. The field of campers were rudely awoken by a wind squall that tore a yacht off its mooring and left the Patterdale hills white with hail!
Undeterred the hardy Musto fleet headed out into the maelstrom for what was to be a day to tell the grandchildren about! With the wind tumbling down the fellside the conditions were extremely challenging with massive gusts and 30 degree wind shifts.
Local hero, Jono Shelley, showed the fleet how it was done with awesome pace all day, taking an easy 3 bullets. Jamie Hilton, Paul Molesworth, Josh Moran, along with Schooling and Boatman filled the remaining podium places, with Ian Turnbull also in the mix, but no one could get close to Shelley.
What a superb way to get back out attending sailing events and meeting up with friends. A huge thank you to Ullswater Yacht Club and the race team for getting the races completed in such tricky conditions. Another huge thank you goes to Hyde Sails UK for sponsoring the event with bottles of Champagne for the podium positions, their support is much appreciated by all within the class.
I look forward to seeing everyone at Largs SC in a few weeks for the next round of the 2021 UK Hyde Sails Series, which I’m sure will be another fantastic weekend!
Overall Results for the Musto Skiff Class
Ullswater Yacht Club Results: Daffodil Regatta Musto Skiff Fleet 2021
Photos by © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk
View the full Ullswater Daffodil Regatta 2021 photo gallery here.
