Race Officer Jim Findlay was obliged to select a course beginning with a leg downwind. In sunshine and a pleasant breeze, most made an effective start and set their spinnakers for the run to D, north of Clynder. Catriona edged the lead from Teal. Her crew likes to think from superior skill handling the spinnaker but probably she was in a slightly better line of air. The lead increased on the windward leg back across the loch to Shandon. Dione established herself in third from Thalia.
Catriona ventured into the Shandon shore too early and was undone by contrary wind. She sat almost motionless as Teal found a streak of pressure further out, rounded the mark and was away. A late running Piper caused Catriona further frustration.
There was time for a second, shorter, round but the Gareloch had not finished with us. On a broad reach up the Clynder shore, wind faded. Teal got the best of it, Catriona fell back, the rest of the fleet more so. Hermes read it correctly and went home after the first round. No places changed after that, Thalia said she almost had Dione at the finish.
1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Dione, 4 Thalia, 5 Thia, 6 Halcyone (if she made the time limit), Hermes DNF.
President: