Another race with good wind, not as frantic Sunday. There were no breakdowns.
Race Officer Iain MacGillivray selected a course beginning with a windward leg to D on the Clynder shore and benefitting from legs downwind where spinnakers could be set comfortably. The shore end of the line favoured. Catriona got the prime spot this time from Circe and Dione.
The beat was unnerving. Some stayed towards the Shandon shore, some thought to cross the loch and beat up near the Clynder shore. It appeared the combination of wind and (flood) tide was most favourable in the middle but the further you went, the more you were headed. Those coming out from the Shandon shore must have had their spirits lifted.
Catriona led at the windward mark, from Dione and Circe who were close enough to engage with each other. There was initial, illogical reluctance to set spinnakers. The leaders managed the spinnaker gybe at the G mark (having taken a little while to locate it) and crossed the line for the start of the second round without changing order. The rest well spread, Halcyone and Thalia were within half a minute of each other and, at the back, Ceres and Athene close.
The second round took us to A, off the club, before the beat back to D. Catriona was distracted by untidied equipment of the spinnaker, failing to concentrate she let Circe by and was obliged to concentrate on Dione. Dione went for the Clynder shore with Catriona covering whilst Circe ventured up the loch. Clynder was better than might have been expected, when the leaders crossed again Catriona was in front. Briefly. Circe had the inside slot at the mark. Of the three, Dione was quickest with the spinnaker and used it to good effect to get on top of Catriona and Circe. A battle Catriona could not win, she gybed away in sufficient pressure for sailing directly downwind to work. It nearly did. Circe had the favoured shore end of the line to take the win. Dione, inshore of Catriona, was beaten by a dog’s length. Meanwhile, Halcyone had allowed Thalia to get inside at D, which irritated her. No matter, she kept the fourth place in the end. Ceres did not set a spinnaker which allowed Athene, who did, to take a place.
1 Circe, 2 Catriona, 3 Dione, 4 Halcyone, 5 Thalia, 6 Thia, 7 Hermes, 8 Athene, 9 Ceres. (Teal RO duty)
(Race reports by the inimitable Class Secretary unless otherwise stated.)
President: