An evening of good, if changeable wind. A large audience from the Flying Fifteen Nationals watched the start. The shore end of the line was favoured. Teal led in but was early and hence going slowly. Catriona approached with more speed and luffed Teal over. Thalia was also heading for the shore end but was too far below the line to be dangerous.
The first leg was a beat to D, north of Clynder. Wind backed and lightened on the approach to the shore. There was an element of chance in selecting the best tactic. Athene was leading at times, but slipped back a little. Catriona rounded first with Teal close behind. The next leg offwind to G off Shandon, the wind a little too fine on the bow for spinnakers. The Pipers showed us the mark. The leg back to the finish was downwind. Teal took the lead with superior handling of the spinnaker. Athene was battling with Thalia and benefitted from better handling of the third sail by crew Miriam Sutter. On a similar second round, Thalia was able to blanket Athene on the final leg and took the place. Ceres, also in the fray, delayed herself with a luff on Thalia.
After a good, competitive race, it was pointed out that we had rounded a wrong mark. The Pipers had taken us to the more northerly mark F, instead of G. They realised their error and left G on the correct hand. We did not, except for Hermes. The only Gareloch to get it right.
1 Hermes. Teal, Catriona, Thalia, Athene, Ceres and Thia RAF.
President: