Mirror Easter Open at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club
by Bass Press 23 Apr 00:49 NZST
19-21 April 2025
The Mirror Easter Open at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club was far more than just a sailing event. Held over a fun-packed Easter weekend, alongside tight racing on the water, the shoreside schedule boasted a hike up a proper Wainwright fell, a Manchester-themed party, enough ice cream to sink a Mirror, and egg-related antics ranging from hunts to high-stakes dumps. Throw in fish and chips, disco bingo, and some very questionable toffee vodka fuelled dance moves, and you've got yourself a regatta to remember.
On the water, a strong fleet of eighteen Mirrors turned out, featuring a few world champions sailing with their children and several junior helms who kept things lively at the front of the fleet in the light and often shifty conditions.
The six scheduled races across three days were sailed in a wide range of weather. Saturday brought a biting easterly breeze funnelling off Skiddaw, keeping sailors on their toes. Sunday dawned bright, with a katabatic southerly wind cascading down the fells, enabling the race officer to set a long and testing first beat.
Monday's final race was, thankfully, less damp than expected, with a mix of westerly and south-westerly gusts throwing in some extra shifts courtesy of Sale Fell.
After six races with four to count, locals Phil and Lucy Smith sealed victory with a race to spare, counting just five points. Remarkably, second through fourth places were all tied on ten points! Once Sailwave crunched the numbers, second place went to Ian and Ted Dobson — who made the 350-mile trek from Hayling Island Sailing Club — clinching the spot with a final race win.
Will and Isabelle Crocker from North Lincs SC completed the podium in third, just edging out Mathew and Albie McGovern in fourth. Poppy Armstrong, crewed by her mum Tasha, had a standout event — winning the first race and finishing seventh overall as the top junior helm. Oliver Smith and Rory Davenport came sixteenth and second junior helm.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 71013 | Bean | Lucy Smith | Bassenthwaite SC | ‑3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑11 | 2 | 5 |
| 2nd | 71053 | Ian Dobson | Ted Dobson | HISC | ‑4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | ‑7 | 1 | 10 |
| 3rd | 70573 | Will Crocker | Isabelle Crocker | North Lincs SC | ‑6 | ‑10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 4th | 71042 | Mathew McGovern | Albie McGovern | South Staffs | 2 | 2 | ‑3 | 3 | 3 | ‑4 | 10 |
| 5th | 71059 | Adam McGovern | Betsy McGovern | Hollingworth Lake SC | 8 | 4 | ‑11 | 5 | 2 | ‑10 | 19 |
| 6th | 70650 | Angus Armstrong | Isla Armstrong | Budworth SC | 5 | 7 | 5 | ‑10 | 4 | ‑9 | 21 |
| 7th | 70499 | Poppy Armstrong | Tasha Armstrong | Budworth SC | 1 | 8 | 8 | ‑14 | ‑16 | 6 | 23 |
| 8th | 70893 | Becky Priest | Ella Saunders | Staunton Harold SC | ‑7 | 6 | 6 | ‑8 | 5 | 7 | 24 |
| 9th | 71035 | Alex Leonard | Phoebe Leonard | Bassenthwaite Sailing Club | ‑12 | 5 | 7 | ‑9 | 8 | 8 | 28 |
| 10th | 70668 | Andy Tunnicliffe | Isabelle Tunnicliffe | Bassenthwaite Sailing Club | 9 | 9 | ‑10 | ‑13 | 9 | 5 | 32 |
| 11th | 7101 | Naomi Smith | TBA | Bassenthwaite SC | 10 | ‑14 | 9 | 7 | 10 | ‑11 | 36 |
| 12th | 58171 | Fiona Rigg | Duncan Rigg | East Lothian YC | ‑15 | 12 | 12 | ‑15 | 6 | 12 | 42 |
| 13th | NED7 | Matt Bromley | Georgina/Sebastian Bromley | Redesmere YC | 11 | 11 | ‑13 | 12 | 13 | ‑16 | 47 |
| 14th | 33376 | Chris Kameen | Charlotte Kameen | WKSC | 13 | 13 | ‑14 | 11 | 12 | (DNC) | 49 |
| 15th | 70608 | Tim Smith | Phoebe/Zack Smith | Bassenthwaite SC | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | 6 | 14 | 13 | 52 |
| 16th | 69663 | Oliver Smith | Rory Davenport | Bassenthwaite SC | (DNC) | (DNC) | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 60 |
| 17th | 70748 | Ian Smith | Paige/Toby Smith | Bassenthwaite SC | 14 | (DNC) | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 15 | 67 |
| 18th | 70201 | Michelle Tunnicliffe | Isabelle/Olivia Tunnicliffe | Bassenthwaite SC | (DNC) | (DNC) | 16 | DNC | DNC | DNC | 73 |