The first of the Ancient Mariner Series, named after Douglas Young, whose nickname that was. He owned the Gareloch Galatea when he passed on. We start an hour earlier, on account of the darker evenings.
On the water Race Officer Shane Rankin selected one of the shorter courses to B, off Silvers and back. Wind lightened towards the start with the result that Carol Rowe, on the helm of Catriona, got away unchallenged. The rest held back too much. The fleet set off down the Shandon shore with Dione, a little further out than Catriona, making ground to take first place. When Catriona tacked out on port, she was obliged to duck. That was the last of the competition for Catriona, however. She played the shifts in the wind to reach the windward mark comfortably first. Halcyone had tacked out into the loch early and was comfortably second. Ceres was going well. She was later into the water this year and probably has more effective anti fouling.
There was theoretically time for a second round, but the race officer finished us after one. He saw that Dione and Thia had found a distinct lull at B.
1 Catriona, 2 Halcyone, 3 Ceres, 4 Dione, 5 Thia
President: