Report from the Secretary.
Race Officer Paul Blackburn was faced with wind blowing from the Shandon shore so that a start to windward was not possible. With stronger wind, he selected a long course zig zagging across the loch and beginning with a run downwind to D, north of Clynder.
Catriona started promptly at the pin end of the starting line and was soon passed by several of the others who found a line of better air closer to the shore. Teal quickly established a lead which she reinforced throughout the race. The others chopped and changed. Halcyone, sailing single handed and not setting a spinnaker, was always in the mix. Finding the correct path across the loch through the variable wind was key. It is usually fickle when blowing from one of the shores. Only Teal got it right all of the time. Other boats in second place at mark roundings were Thalia, Circe and Halcyone. Some failed to make the progress they would have liked because of errors with the spinnaker.
Towards the finish, it appeared Catriona had climbed to second with Halcyone well to leeward and Circe out in the loch with a long way to go to the line. Circe found wind and approached with speed. Catriona tacked to cover the pin end and misjudged the line. Sighting along it was needed to split the three. As it turned out, Catriona’s tack allowed Halcyone, nearer the shore end, into second. Circe got to the pin first and looked from the water to have the second place but Catriona had crossed just before her.
1 Teal, 2 Halcyone, 3 Catriona, 4 Circe, 5 Thalia, 6 Thia, 7 Ceres. Hermes DNF.
President: