We were fortunate to get a race in the light air. There was a little more pressure than forecast.
On the water race officer Peter Proctor set a course down and then up the Shandon shore. A good choice, The winward legs were true beats and downwind it was necessary to gybe.
With a flooding tide, the back eddy near to the shore between the starting area and mark A, off the club, was attractive. There was, however, little wind in there. It was better further out in the stronger adverse tide. Catriona went out and, after starting behind several others, she eventually got ahead of Dione who was further in. After the windward mark, Dione had spinnaker trouble, which put her amongst Hermes, Thalia and Halcyone and let Catriona away. On the approach to the downwind mark, Dione was obliged to give mark room to Hermes, which set Hermes up for the beat back to the line.
There was time for a second round. Approaching the finish Catriona had stood out into the loch leaving Hermes further inshore. Wind veered so that Hermes was able to lay the finish and was travelling faster than Catriona. Excitement on Hermes was misplaced.
1 Catriona, 2 Hermes, 3 Halcyone, 4 Dione, 5 Thalia, 6 Athene. Thia DNF.