Report from the Secretary.
Race officer Shane Rankin, having good wind to work with, selected one of the longer courses starting with a beat to E, the northernmost mark on the Clynder shore. The starting line heavily biassed towards the shore end. A situation exacerbated by the mark at the outer end of the line being out of position, too close to the shore.
Teal was first to beat along the line to the shore end so as to secure pole. The rest were undistinguished. At the start of the beat Teal was leading comfortably. No room for relaxation though. The wind varied in strength and direction (although less so than it sometimes does) and there were light patches. The fleet split. Some going up the middle, some on the Shandon side and Circe going earliest for the Clynder shore. Catriona managed to sail out from under Teal but nearly lost it again as she was headed and Teal and Dione lifted. She tacked and had them on starboard. She tacked back to cover and it began to look bad for her again as she found light air. Teal and Dione took each other high, overstanding cost them.
Circe was a little below the mark and in the light air of the Clynder shore. The rest got close to her. The peloton was sufficiently compact for skill and effort to be needed offwind to keep air clear. A broad reach to F, off Shandon Church. A potentially awkward gybe at F from reach to reach with the mark close to the shore. Thence to the finish. There was more luffing with attempts to overtake. Teal gybed inshore, away from the melee and into second place. Catriona gave hope to the rest by hooking a buoy with her main sheet and coming to a stop. She disentangled herself in time.
1 Catriona, (& the next five so close as to require full attention from RO Shane), 2 Teal, 3 Dione, 4 Circe, 5 Thalia, 6 Ceres, 7 (needing more scrubbing) Thia
President: