Report from the Secretary.
Race Officer Stewart Gibb was unable to select a course beginning with a true leg to windward, there was some easterly in the changeable wind. We started with a fetch to A, off the club. The shore end of the line was to windward but air was lighter here and A could be fetched from the pin end. Circe got it right. Teal was severely headed on her approach and well below the line in a patch of light air at the gun.
Catriona and Circe were overlapped on the leg to A with Circe on the inside. There was a tussle to achieve mark room. Downwind to C, off Clynder, Circe (single handed) had trouble with her spinnaker and let Teal past. Catriona incompetently hit the C mark. Her penalty turn brought Teal into contention but not ahead. The fleet battled with the fickle wind on the beat back to the starting area. From being heeled with the side deck wet to upright with sails flapping in an instant.
The leaders were approaching the line at the end of the round (a different one to the starting line) half an hour from the start. They were surprised to find the course shortened to finish there. Catriona was at the pin end because she was wary of tacking in early and finding light air. Teal was late noticing the shortened course and failed to cover Halcyone who took the short route to the line, nearer the shore. Teal was unlucky with the variable wind and let Circe through too.
Thia, extremely slow in the last couple of races, had been thoroughly scrubbed and regained her pace.
1 Catriona, 2 Halcyone, 3 Circe, 4 Teal, 5 Hermes, 6 Thia, 7 Thalia, Athene DNF.
President: