Beauty and the Beast - 2025 Bala Long Distance Weekend

7 Wētā dinghies headed off to take on the Bala Sailing Club Long Distance Weekend Regatta.

To save you the hassle of reading the whole article it was simply as the title says - Beauty and the Beast - either beautiful with little to no wind, or roaring like a beast. Simply put, we had it all. But if you want the details read on......

Bala, Wales – This past weekend sailors converged at Bala Sailing Club as they played host to over 70 expected entries for the club’s annual Long Distance Weekend regatta. With forecast conditions that could only be described as a tale of two extremes, the event was offering sailors both serenity and a stern test of seamanship.

The format for the weekend is two long distance races - Saturday offers a 4 hour race with Sunday being slightly shorter at 3 hours. On each day the last finisher will be against the clock and needs to be over the line no more than 30 mins after the lead boat.

Saturday - 4 hour endurance race

Saturday morning started with barely a whisper of wind, but right on cue a tempting breeze filled in just as people were completing getting boats rigged. Thinking this was going to be a light wind race, and taking into account the fantastic summer temperature it was a tough choice whether to wear a spray top or not. I chose not to, but having sailed out in a building breeze with water easily spraying out from under the bow and with time to spare before the start sequence commenced I decided to reach for that spraytop afterall.

And right on cue the Race Committee had us all underway. The course was simple enough - Start Line in front of the club house, distance mark way up the lake, back down to the club end of the lake where we round two marks and sail through a gate - and repeat until you get a finish toot as you sail through the gate some time around 4 hours later.

There was a breeze for the all in start and most boats got away cleanly, although there were a few boats squeezed out at the Pin End of the line where it was a litlle congested.

The Weta fleet was spread across the line or holding back a bit to work their way through without causing to much hassle, either for ourselves or others - we're nice like that.

By the half way mark on the first windward leg there were boats spread out everywhere on the lake, all looking for the best course in a typically shifty lake breeze.

The other noticable thing.... that breeze was dropping.

Within the Weta fleet there was a nice three way battle going on between Patrick, Steve T and Kiwi. Patrick did well at holding the other two off heading towards the top mark for the first time. Steve T was finding some wonderful light wind speed up the far shoreline and was right in the mix with Kiwi picking up the odd favourable shift to hang close if either of the other two made a mistake.

Further back Steve C, John, and Daniel with his crew Chloe were mixing it up with a variety of other classes all searching for the breeze. Unfortunately our 7th Weta sailor Tim couldn't take part in what was becoming a lighter and lighter breeze.

After trading places a number of times on the return downwind leg there wasn't much between the three leading Weta. Kiwi just edged ahead of Patrick before reaching the club house marks with the ever present Steve T not far behind.

After passing through the gate to commence lap two Kiwi took the opportunity to tack away from a small cluster of boats and headed for clearer air on the far side of the lake while Patrick and Steve T stayed central or nearer to the clubhouse side along with a number of other sailors who were now searching for elusive puffs on the water.

Kiwi's gamble paid off as he found a nice little lane of breeze on the far side and as he looked over his shoulder he could see stationary boats trying to get any momentum they could. Not long after, those competitors once again were on the go. For those who were skilled or lucky enough to have lept from puff to puff to reach the half way point up the lake there was a reward of slightly steadier breeze to take us to the top mark for the second time.

However, it was quite clear that there was a distinct line across the lake. Those near the front of the fleet by the end of the first lap, who had managed to sail upwind, experienced a breeze, while those at the clubhouse end of the course were left becalmed.

Racing was gentle, tactical, and a test of patience as crews picked their way around the lake in what was now the lightest of airs.

As the leaders headed back down the lake for the last time there was a slight increase in wind strength from behind giving anyone chasing on the same leg a lovely little catchup opportunity. Those nearer the front could only watch as any gap they had on the chasers slowly reduced. Kiwi's 150 metre lead in the Weta division was shrunk as Patrick picked up some nice puffs and closed it down to all but a few boat lengths. Steve T had also managed to stay in pockets of breeze and succesfully finished before the time cutoff - many other weren't so lucky in what was now mirror like conditions on the water.

The last Weta to make it back to shore was the dynamic duo of Daniel & Chloe, who were still grinning like Cheshire cats despite their marathon day on the water. They got a tow back to the club, and a few of us eagerly met them with their trolley at the water's edge, happy to help haul their boat out.

Just as we were about to set the trolley down, Mother Nature decided to play a little prank on us. With a cheeky grin and a dash of mischief, she sent a gust of 12-15 knots our way. Suddenly, the jib started wiggling, the mainsail began flapping, and the boat itself started doing a little jig. It was like Mother Nature's way of saying, "Surprise!"

Well there's always tomorrow, right? Now what's the time? There's a BBQ to be consumed!

Sunday - 3 hour endurance race 

In stark contrast, Sunday delivered a full-on blow. The breeze had stayed up all night and the lake was looking alive with white horses (or sheep in the paddock if you're that way inclined).

A number of boats were already being packed on trailers as skippers decided not to take on what would be a challenging 3 hour race in these conditions. Just before the first boats were about to launch the race committee announce a 30min Postponement as gusts were measuring in excess fo 30 knots by the outer start mark.

Kiwi had his kit on and was ready to hoist sails but alas, the committee decided with wind gusts now charging into the mid-thirties racing for the day was to be abandoned.

Despite this there was plenty of banter in the boat park and a good sense of humor between sailors as boats were packed away for their respective journeys home..

Prizegiving

With only one race completed Saturday's results were all that mattered. It was noted that due to Saturdays conditions the Race Committee had extended the race cutoff time to 90mins (instead of 30 minutes), to allow more competitiors to finish the course. Looking at the results of the 75 entries only 36 finished within the extended time limit. That would have been reduced to around 18 if it had been left at 30mins after the first boat finished.

Weta Results -

1st/ Steve Harvey (8th Overall)

2nd/ Patrick Lyon (11th Overall)

3rd/ Steve Tonge (28th Overall)

Retired - John Hobson, Steve Conner, Daniel & Chloe Taylor

Full results can be seen below -

Beyond the racing, the weekend was rich with camaraderie. Old friends reunited, new friendships were forged, and the signature Bala BBQ once again proved to be as much of a draw as the sailing itself. Stories were swapped and memories of past regattas were traded over burgers and beers.

“We look forward to returning next year,” one sailor remarked, echoing the sentiments of many. “It’s not just about the racing—it’s the people, the place, and the spirit of the event.”

Until next time, Bala.

Weta Class UK would like to thank and recognise all the club volunteers who help make this event happen - the registration team, galley crew, race committee, on water safety crews and all those other helpers behind the scenes who aren't mentioned here. It's because of your efforts we will keep coming back.