Tuesday 9th September

The second race of the Ancient Mariner series.  Named after Douglas Young, who owned Galatea when he passed on.

Thad Burr is a pilot with United and pays us a visit when a visit to Glasgow coincides with a race.  He rearranged United’s schedule to make that happen this evening.

The forecast was not encouraging, little wind like the first race of the series.  As it turned out, this night was much better (unless you are Circe, that is).  Race Officer Peter Proctor sent us to Clynder and back.  Thad took the helm of Catriona.  Reaching up to the favouired shore end of the line on port tack, he was obliged to duck the starboard tack Circe, which gave the advantage to Thalia.  As these two set off to Clynder, Thalia had the advantage but Catriona was slowly making to windward.  When the time came to tack up the Clynder shore, Thalia was obliged to duck and her challenge over.  Hermes, meanwhile, had made hay on the Shandon shore.  A favourite trick of hers.  Catriona could not cross, tacked below her and was then unable to make enough to windward to be able to tack around the mark in the lead.  Ashore, Thad listened politely to the detailed explanation, from Hermes’ crew, of where he had gone wrong.  Anyway, Hermes’ joy was short-lived.  Catriona went better under spinnaker and started the next round ahead.  Ceres, meanwhile, was winning the battle with Circe.

Hermes again went up the loch on the Shandon shore.  She closed on Catriona a little, but with Thalia out of view, she was always covered.

1 Catriona, 2 Hermes, 3 Thalia, 4 Ceres, 5 Circe.