On the water Race Officer Shane Rankin sent us on one of the shorter courses up and down the Shandon shore. There was an instruction to finish after one round. It seemed a short race but as we made our way back to the moorings, wind lightened so that a second round might have put us into the twilight.
The starting line was square to the wind, being fixed that is unusual. Tide was against us for the windward leg so that a decision was required. Start at the outer end, in stronger adverse tide with the hope of more wind or start inshore in less tide and wind. Catriona and Halcyone opted for the shore, the rest for the outer end. The shore paid and the two benefitted from an initial lift before being headed with the rest as we all went out into the loch. Catriona was the first to tack back towards the shore and she crossed only a little ahead of Thalia who had recovered well from a start at the pin end, struggling against the tide to make the mark. Thalia and Halcyone stood on into the loch and adverse tide, which was their undoing. Ceres was next, comfortably ahead of Luna (who had to fight to keep Thia at bay) but not able to challenge for the podium.
The downwind leg was straightforward and with the tide. The only gybe needed was to round the mark. The order did not change.
1 Catriona, 2 Thalia, 3 Halcyone, 4 Ceres, 5 Luna, 6 Thia.
President: