Guest report from Hermes
On-the-water Race Officer Peter Proctor selected an upwind downwind course to Silvers with the variant of a start line between the Y and Z buoys giving a better start line (Editor: a Boinard Start after its inventor?). As it was a long start line helms could select a position clear of other boats. The promised fair wind failed to materialise and in the flukey winds eddies were cruel. Thalia eventually took a course across the loch which took her up the loch and away from the windward mark but benefited on tacking to arrive first at the mark. Teal had suffered in a hole at the start but eventually started and tacked and tacked as winds shifted. Thia and Ceres had appeared at the start to be making good progress but on tacking across the loch found themselves behind the others. Hermes had found a hole on the start line but recovered sooner than Teal.
Spinnakers were flown on the return with Thalia and Hermes reaching the down wind course together. Thalia having had an overlap Hermes had warning to give her mark room but was rounding the mark to find Thalia tacking across her bows. It did not pay and on striking the mark Thalia then had to pay the penalty which not only let Hermes pass but also Teal.
Thereafter the next round saw the combatants stretched out across the loch and while Teal attempted to make inroads on Hermes’ lead the order did not change (although Ceres, having had enough of the changeable winds, retired at B).
1 Hermes, 2 Teal, 3 Thalia, 4 Thia, DNF Ceres.
President: