Tuesday 25th April
The long, long winter months (when all you can do is talk to your wife) are over.
The format of the points series has changed. There are now three Tuesday evening series and three Sunday series. The idea was to encourage more boats into the water. Those who are late still sail in four series. Anyway, four Garelochs were at the first start, Zoe is to join then later in the week. We hope to have nine later in the year. No Pipers afloat yet but several are almost ready to go.
The Gareloch did its best to dampen our high spirits. Shifting winds at their worst, gusts which seemed to take you nowhere and lots of holes. It paid not to announce that you were tacking lest the wind heard and followed you round through 90 degrees.
Catriona won the start with a cheeky port tack start at the pin. The rest, led by Iris, trying to beat along the line on starboard and being headed all the way. In the middle of the loch, Iris looked out of it with Catriona, Thalia and Hermes quite close. Iris found a line of wind which brought her to the C mark (off Clynder) first. Catriona was left in a hole at C, Thalia and Hermes more so. By G (it should have been a spinnaker leg, but it wasn’t) the two leaders were together again and Hermes was leading Thalia.
A large gap opened again at the front with Catriona leading. She fell into some light air near Gully Bridge fine reaching to the finish with Iris in another of those streaks of wind. The pressure came to Catriona just in time. She had picked those six matching numbers. Iris, with five and the bonus ball, crossed the line a few seconds later. Thalia won the battle with Hermes.
Sunday 30th April
Only four Garelochs lined up at the start, Iris’ skipper was calling for water on the Forth Clyde canal.
Light airs before the start meant a short course. A first leg to B, off Silvers, seemed to give a good beat. As it turned out, the wind filled in a little and held steady for the race.
With a strong pin end bias, Zoe was early at the line. With no one below, she was able to bear away. Catriona was about 5 secs early too, Zoe was well placed to make sure she was OCS and had to go back. Thalia led away on the first beat. Zoe was caught by Catriona and tacked away into the Loch. A move which looked poor to start with. When the boats came together again at B though, she was in the fray again. Catriona got there first but made a mess of playing the headers on the approach so that Thalia got close with Zoe just behind. Spinnaker drill was rusty. On the reach to C, off Clynder, Zoe set hers when it was too fine and treated us to an entertaining display. Zoe passed Thalia going to B for the second time. There was a significant drop in temperature and only the leader, Catriona, and Thalia with Roger Kinns at the helm completed the third round.
1 Catriona, 2 Thalia. Hermes and Zoe, DNF.
Tuesday 2nd May
A wet, blustery night. We all went out to the moorings and put sails up.
It was Peter Proctor on Thalia who had the sense to realise the gusts were too strong for us. Catriona and Zoe left the moorings, but it was too much when we were on the wind so we came back again.
Race abandoned.
Sunday 7th May
Very light air at the start. Catriona, Thalia and Hermes came to the line. Zoe’s skipper was alone and may well have thought (with justification) that the race would not be worth the effort.
Thoughts on the course were fluid as the wind shifted through 100 degrees or so. A beat up the Loch to G, off Croy, was finally chosen.
Thalia was able to keep her momentum approaching the line on port. She avoided the two starboard tackers and got the best start by far. In a controlling position going up the Shandon shore she foolishly tacked out in search of better wind and found a hole of spectacular depth. By the time Catriona and Hermes had reached G, the wind had filled in nicely but had veered another sixty degrees or so. The course up and down the loch became a soldier’s one. Thalia’s crew spotted two dolphins and tried to amuse them with their spinnaker drill.
1 Catriona, 2 Hermes, 3 Thalia.
Tuesday 9th May
A good breeze all day which, perhaps uncharacteristically, continued into the evening. Race Officer Carol Rowe set a course to A, off the club, C off Clynder and a beat back to the line. Zoe (skipper Reay Mackay had new crew Karl Seager) got the best start and kept her lead on the fine reach to A with Catriona close behind. Teal and Thalia were in contention.
Catriona alone set a spinnaker to C and made the mistake of going to windward of Zoe. Boats were close to maximum speed in the strength of wind so that there was only a small advantage. Catriona was always going to be vulnerable to the luff. It ended and a flapping spinnaker sheet clipping itself to Zoe’s shroud. Teal, of course, took full advantage.
It was not Catriona’s night. Just in front of Zoe coming into the mark at the end of the first round, she cut it too fine, heeled over and touched. The 360 put her back to third. Teal quietly stayed out of trouble to take the win. Back on the moorings, Thalia’s crew, who had been the object of ridicule regarding their spinnaker drill on Sunday, made some hurtful remarks.
1 Teal, 2 Zoe, 3 Catriona, 4 Thalia.
Sunday 14th May
Iris was back in the fray after her skipper returned from holiday. Hermes and Catriona were there as usual. Ufo and Mirriam Sutter took Teal, their first time in ‘sole charge’ of a Gareloch.
Race officer, Gordon Mucklow, was able to set one of the longer courses in a good, steady breeze. Beat to A, off the club, long spinnaker leg to D, between Clynder and Rahane, and a beat back to the line.
The inshore end was favoured for the start and Iris got the best slot with Catriona close behind. It was the familiar story of Iris pointing higher and Catriona going faster. Speed won the day with Catriona first at A and slowly increasing her lead thereafter.
Mirriam and Ufo were feeling their way on Teal and did not set the kite for the first run. Neither did Hermes in a comfortable third place. Teal did use her spinnaker on the second round (initially upside down, but we all do that from time to time) and took a bite out of the margin to Hermes. Teal did better on the final beat as well. Hermes just kept her place, but was thankful there was no third round.
1 Catriona, 2 Iris, 3 Hermes, 4 Teal.
Tuesday 16th May
The skipper of Thalia, Peter Proctor, was Race Officer, so that only five Garelochs came to the start. They were joined by 3 Sonars and 2 Pipers.
The starting line, for a beat to B, off Silvers, had a strong pin end bias. Teal got it just right, Hermes made a clean start below. Zoe would have been squeezed out but was able to slow and tuck in behind. Catriona was squeezed out. Iris tried it on and hit the mark.
The fleet tacked across the loch straight away. Catriona stood on to clear her air and found not so much a hole but an area of lighter wind which set her back. Half way across, she was comfortably last. Finding the better wind was to be the key to the evening.
Teal and Zoe were first at the weather mark. Hermes had stood on to the Clynder shore and prospered. Iris found an area of lighter wind and had to slot in behind Catriona.
On the offwind leg to G, off Croy, each boat had their moment of optimism before looking round to see others going faster. Zoe passed Teal. Iris crossed ahead of Catriona but became overlapped outside at the mark. Hermes slowed after the mark and never fully recovered. There followed reaches to C and back to the line, where no places were likely to change.
On the second beat to B, Teal sailed a good tactical leg and found some good pressure to take her past Zoe. Catriona tried to repeat Hermes’ beneficial tack along the Clynder shore but the Gareloch is fickle. She kept Iris covered though.
There were no more place changes although, halfway down the run, Iris was looking forward to an inside overlap.
1 Teal, 2 Zoe, 3 Catriona, 4 Iris, 5 Hermes.
Pipers, 1 Suilven, 2 Pompous. Sonars, 1 Nona, 2 Charlotte, 3 Prelude.
Sunday 21st May
Only Catriona, Thalia and Hermes came to the start. A shame because it was a good day and the others would have enjoyed it.
Race Officer Charles Darley set one of the longer courses, fetch to A, off the club, offwind to D, between Clynder and Rahane and a beat back to the line. In steady wind (by Gareloch standards) we were able to get two rounds.
New Gareloch sailor, Karl Seager took the helm of Catriona and got a good start. Perhaps because the Race Officer confused the others by missing the 4 minute gun. Catriona was first to A, although Thalia looked threatening to windward for a while. Catriona was the only one to set a spinnaker to D, which opened up a big gap. Hermes got Thalia and was placed second until the final beat. Hermes went for the Clynder shore. Thalia braved the stronger wind (gusting 5, perhaps) down the middle. She was 3 up, so the extra weight on the weather rail helped. The middle paid, and Thalia got her place back.
On the moorings, Catriona took a dislike to Karl, flicking him into the water with her boom. And after she had won, too.
1 Catriona, 2 Thalia, 3 Hermes.
Tuesday 23rd May
The last of the Spring Points series. Seven Garelochs raced, Fraser Noble’s Juno the latest in the water.
As we watched the Sonars start, our 10 minute, there was a good, steady breeze for the beat to B, off Clynder. This is the Gareloch, though. Teal, again, got the best of the pin end bias start. Catriona was over cautious and could not prevent Zoe barging. She did squeeze out Thalia, though.
Wind on the beat became variable, big lifts and (more usually) headers. Patches of very light air. Zoe had made an unprofitable tack. Teal led with Catriona thinking of a swift spinnaker hoist to get them on the offwind leg. Iris was strong in third. After letting Teal round B, the wind died leaving a strong foul tide. Catriona was carried onto the mark and Iris, now overlapped outside, carried onto Catriona. Iris got round but Catriona slipped back and spent many miserable minutes being carried in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, streaks of wind brought Juno, Zoe and Hermes round B.
Offwind to G, at Croy, spinnakers helped some but it was curious air. The Goddess of Comedy, Thalia, had a sense of humour failure. By the time she got round B, the leaders were at G.
On the fetch back across the loch to C, off Clynder, Teal led from Juno and Iris. Catriona had passed Hermes and Zoe and was hoping that the three in front would be detained by a substantial hole at C. Iris, too, was excited by the prospect because Teal was being carried the wrong side of the mark. It was Teal’s night, though.
1 Teal, to win the series, 2 Juno, 3 Iris, 4 Catriona, 5 Zoe, 6 Hermes, 7 Thalia.
Sonars, 1 Nona, 2 Charlotte, 3 Prelude.
Sunday 28th May
It was a bit too draughty to race. Even the secretary agreed with the convenor on that.
It is proposed that, weather permitting, we should have a try at the same time tomorrow, Mon 29th. Iris and Catriona will be there.
It would be good if the points could count because, as they say on TV, this was to have been a crucial count down conundrum regarding the competition between Hermes and Thalia for second place.
Monday 29th May
There was too much wind for the Goddesses, so that the race, the last of the series, was abandoned.
That left Catriona with four wins (arch rival Iris sailed only one of the races). Second place was hotly contested between Hermes and Thalia and the final race would have been the decider.
As it is, Hermes takes second.
Tuesday 30th May
One of the better Gareloch evenings. A good wind blowing down the loch. Race officer Tim Henderson sent us on a beat up the Shandon shore to F, reach across to C at Clynder, run down the loch to A off the club and beat back. Last Tuesday, it was not Catriona’s night when she got stuck at the B mark. This night, the Loch was unkind to Iris. Just after the start, a jib sheet caught at a crucial moment putting her on the wrong side of a port/starboard with Juno.
After the 720, her skipper took a tack close in shore and grounded on a small ridge of shingle. The last time that happened, he jumped in to push her off, soaked the ‘plipper’ for his car and had to walk home. The memory fresh in his mind, he got his crew, Adam Roger to jump in. All this took some time. At the weather mark, Catriona led from Thalia, who had made some advantageous tacks out into the loch. Hermes, Juno and Teal were close, Iris wasn’t.
In the strength of wind, the reach was close to marginal for the spinnaker. Catriona and Thalia benefited, Iris got into a tangle but was too far back for the rest to see. A snappy gybe saw Catriona increase her lead. Thalia, Juno and Hermes were in a close fight.
A good enough wind for a second round of this longer course. This time, Thalia did not prosper on the beat and it was Juno chasing Catriona. At the leeward mark, Juno, Hermes and Thalia were battling hard for second place, Iris had got past Teal for a steady fifth. The three tacked out so that Iris took a flyer up the shore which paid handsomely. It was close at the line with Iris inshore (no doubt nervous of the shingle) just pinching second from Juno.
1 Catriona, 2 Iris, 3 Juno, 4 Hermes, 5 Thalia, 6 Teal.
Pipers, 1 Pompous, 2 Suilven.
Yvonne Armstrong Regatta 4th June
Seven teams entered for the Yvonne Armstrong regatta for under 21s, held on Sun 4th June.
Race officer Mike Henry was obliged to abandon the first race due to lack of wind. Crews went ashore a little earlier for lunch. There was no improvement in the weather over the break to encourage them. The decision was taken not to go back out. A shame, because within an hour, a steady breeze got up which would have given at least one good race.
That’s the Gareloch for you.
Tuesday 6th June
The Gareloch class had a whip round to buy a wet suit for Adam Roger. You will recall that he was sent over the side last Tuesday, when The Class Convenor ran Iris aground. This Tuesday, he fell in from the foredeck at the C mark when Iris gybed without The Convenor giving warning.
The rest of us enjoyed a superb evening. A good breeze and shirt sleeve sailing. There were not so much holes, but areas of lighter wind which kept catching us out. We managed 3 rounds of one of the longer courses, zig zagging across the loch. Iris and Teal got away well and led until the final windward mark of the first round. Downwind, Catriona got Teal and Iris, who had gone low, seemed to have found if not a hole, at least a depression. She found wind at the end, though, and a very late spinnaker drop saw her first on the beat to C at the start of the second round. Catriona kept Teal at bay here. Juno was a strong fourth.
At the C mark, off Clynder, for the run to B, off Silvers, Iris went high so Catriona stayed low. She found a hole and foolishly let Teal take her wind and get past. At B, Teal and Iris came together, Teal with the inside slot so that Iris gyrated. This did Catriona and Juno a power of good.
On the fetch to C during the third round, Iris was able to sneak past Juno, presumably because of variable wind. Juno later lost out to Thalia as well. Unexpected because Thalia had not one but two Naval Officers aboard, part owner Peter Proctor and Eric Thomson.
1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Iris, 4 Thalia, 5 Juno, Hermes DNF.
Pipers 1 Pompous, 2 Suilven
Sonars 1 Charlotte, Jamie DNF.
Thursday 8th June – Ladies Race
Four Garelochs came to the starting line. Race officer David du Boulay was able to send them on one of the longer courses.
Mirriam Sutter in Teal got away first and was well placed on the beat to B, off Silvers. Jennifer Darley at the helm of Catriona was fighting hard in second place. Curious wind at B did for Mirriam as it has many others. Catriona was round first and got better wind away from the mark to establish a comfortable lead on the run to G, on the Shandon shore. The wind favoured Catriona again at G, It was much lighter for Teal.
Carol Rowe in Hermes and Fiona du Boulay in Iris had a bit of argy-bargy over a late overlap coming into G. Hermes missed the mark and had to do a swift 360 to get back and round. Iris found a small hole, so that she did not gain over Hermes.
A fine reach to C, off Clynder, and a run to the finish. It should have been simple. Near the line was a hole from which nothing could escape. Teal saw the problem early and went left, so as to avoid being swept past the pin by the ebb tide. Catriona’s frustration grew. Whenever there was enough air to move the racing flag, the sails did not acknowledge it. When it seemed all was lost, there was the slightest breath from behind which allowed Catriona to move against the tide, cross the line and avoid the now magnetic mark to take first.
1 Catriona Jennifer Darley, 2 Teal Mirriam Sutter, 3 Hermes Carol Rowe, 4 Iris Fiona du Boulay.
10th to 11th June – Visit to Anglesey
The Garelochs visited the Conway and Menai Straits (Fife) One Design at the Royal Anglesey Yacht Club over the weekend. The Fifes (just two years younger than us) had raced in Garelochs in 2004 and it has been decided that a match will be held every two years.
We knew that we were up against it from the start. The sailing area, off Beaumaris, is dominated by tide so that local knowledge and experience is important. The form was two team races on Saturday morning and two on Sunday morning, when the tide was high. On Saturday afternoon, there was a points series races in which we crewed. That was a revelation. The skilled helms sail at the edges of sandbanks with only two or three inches below their keels so as to avoid tide. High water sailing is kinder to the inexperienced.
On Saturday morning, there was a fierce short chop. The boats handled it very well but in the Gareloch team, only Denis and Simon Jackson were consistently on the pace. Gareloch sailors do not get enough practice at sailing in waves. Best to draw a veil over those two results. We were not downhearted, though, as we dined in the Royal Anglesey Yacht Club. The club, originally The Beaumaris Book Society, moved to its newly built club house in 1826. A magnificent location, next to the castle, overlooking the green and the water beyond. Fortified by food and wine, we felt that we were learning and that two wins on the Sunday was not impossible.
The weather on in the morning was what we are used to and we were clearly more competitive. Both your Secretary and Convenor, however, made poor mark roundings. The former missed one and had to go back, the latter hit one. The excuse (one of them anyway) is that Fifes have a smaller rudder than Garelochs and so don’t turn as tightly.
In the final race, we were only two points adrift. Perhaps if we could have had another fortnight. The whitewash did not detract from the weekend, though.
Tuesday 13th June
Race officer duty for Catriona’s helm reduced the Gareloch turn out to five. Iris was seeking her first points series win of the season, Teal wanting to maintain her run of good form.
A steady wind blowing down the loch enabled the Race Officer to set one of the longer courses. It held for two rounds, going only a little lighter towards the end.
Iris tried a port tack start at the pin and was caught by Thalia, who tacked on top. In the way of such things, Iris climbed out from under to lead at the windward mark. A lead which was maintained to the end. Thalia gradually slipped back from her early strong position. Her two naval officer crew of Peter Proctor and Eric Thomson undiluted by Roger Kinns, who was assisting the RO. At the end of the run, Thalia had been caught by Hermes, who had been fighting hard. On the beat to start the second round, however, Hermes took an unfavourable tack out which let Thalia regain fourth place. Roger was watching the spinnaker trim on Thalia and left with ideas.
1 Iris, 2 Teal, 3 Zoe, 4 Thalia, 5 Hermes.
Pipers, 1 Suilven, 2 Pompous.
Tuesday 20th June
Too windy, no racing.
Sunday 25th June
A sunny afternoon with a good, but changeable breeze. In the absence of Gordon Mucklow, Terrence Brownrigg was at the helm of Iris.
A missing starting mark influenced the choice of course. The first leg a long run to E, near Rahane. Iris was well placed for the running start but was not sharp with the spinnaker so that Catriona, just behind, was able to profit. Hermes opted for an inshore start. It was a little nearer to E, but the wind was lighter so it didnt pay.
In getting away well, Catriona left the others in lightening airs and opened a large gap. Iris went for the Clynder shore early on. It might have worked, but it didnt. She was third at E, behind Hermes.
What started as a reach across the loch to F became a beat as the wind shifted. Iris got into a battle with Teal from which she emerged on top. Carol Rowe in Hermes was delighted to keep her second place to beat Iris again.
1 Catriona, 2 Hermes, 3 Iris, 4 Thalia, 5 Teal.
Tuesday 27th June
It was Iris’s turn to stay on the mooring on account of race officer duty. Gordon Mucklow set one of the longer courses starting with a beat to E, off Rahane. The same couse as Sunday, but then the first leg was offwind. Zoe, at the inshore end got the best of the start. Catriona went to cover and came out second. When the two tacked out, Thalia continued up the shore and looked strong. As the leg progressed, Catriona edged ahead of Zoe and Thalia faded in now lighter air on the shore.
The second leg, dead downwind, saw no drama. The leg back to the line was a fine reach. In the light breeze, spinnakers were kept up. Zoe went high and looked threatening to Catriona. Hermes and Teal had a similar battle. After about an hour of racing, Gordon shortened to make this the finish. The breeze was dying and the second round was a long one.
1 Catriona, 2 Zoe, 3 Thalia, 4 Hermes, 5 Teal.
Pipers, 1 Suilven, 2 Pompous.
Sonars, 1 The Boat, 2 Fever, 3 Charlotte, 4 Jamie.
RNCYC Open Regatta
Six Garelochs raced in the RNCYC open regatta on the east patch on Saturday. Changing wind frustrated race officer Douglas Forrester, who was obliged to abandon one race because of a large shift just after the start.
Teal, with Elizabeth Henderson at the helm, was strong at the starts. It was Iris, Zoe and Catriona who were battling at the front, though. In race 1, these three fought for the committee boat end of the line and came out in the order above. Catriona managed to sneak past Zoe during the race.
In race 2, the fleet aimed to start a little further down the line. Catriona was squeezed out by Teal and opted for a 360 so as to slot in behind. As it turned out, she started last and was being lee bowed by Hermes. Iris and Zoe were fighting it out along the line. Catriona tacked away to the right to clear her air, found favourable wind and tide and was leading by a margin at the weather mark. A lead she kept as the wind died and the heavy swell proved trying.
Catriona’s start in race 3 was poor as well, not helped by a minor gear failure. Just after the leeward mark, Catriona managed to get past to weather of Hermes to take third place, Iris and Zoe were firmly established in first and second.
Overall, it was 1 Iris, 2 Catriona, 3 Zoe, 4 Hermes, 5 Teal, 6 Thalia.
Tuesday 4th July
A running start in light changeable wind to D, north of Clynder. There was much luffing with both Teal and Thalia taking penalties. The leg required full concentration from spinnaker hands to keep the kites full. Juno was a strong first at D. Iris and Catriona had been engaged in a spot of luffing so that Teal and the rest were well up there. Catriona, having lost the luffing match, benefited from the congestion at the mark. Arriving a little later, she was able to turn inside the fleet. Half way across, she was able to tack to the left with Iris and Teal continuing their battle on port tack. Going left paid handsomely. Juno and Catriona had a substantial lead.
It was one of those Gareloch evenings, though. Coming to the line, Juno fell into a hole. Catriona opted to go right, Teal and Iris went left for the inshore end. These last two kept enough air to ghost past.
1 Iris, 2 Teal, 3 Catriona, 4 (most unjustly) Juno, 5 Thalia, 6 Hermes.
Loch Long no Picnic for Hermes – 8th/9th July
Hermes voyaged to Loch Long for the RNCYC picnic. In an unguarded moment, whilst the crew were sipping a hot coffee, she ran aground. With a strong onshore breeze and a falling tide, the position was embarrassing. Carol Rowe jumped in but was unable to push her off. The coastguard were called and an MOD Police Launch was able to pull her off. They were going back to the Gareloch and kindly kept her under tow, drying Carol in the process. Sadly, we have no photos.
Hermes was bright eyed and bushy tailed at the start line the next day, accompanied by Iris and Catriona. Race officer Carol sent us across the loch to D, north of Clynder. She got there first, as well, having read well the changeable and lightening Gareloch winds. Catriona was second at D, Iris was nowhere.
Hermes led for the rest of the round. If she had taken three or four minutes longer, the race would have finished there. As it was, there was a second round. Catriona, who was close behind, got past on the beat to B. Iris tried very hard on the reach from B to C but made no headway until the two met the very curious wind at C, where she was able to leave Hermes in a hole.
Not for the first time, the Gareloch was unkind to the boat which had led for most of the race.
1 Catriona, 2 Iris, 3 Hermes
Tuesday 11th July
The last of the summer points series and a ‘Crucial Countdown Conundrum’. Iris and Catriona were not only equal on points, but shared the same set of results.
Race officer Luke Dicken wisely selected one of the drift courses. The Gareloch wind was light and changeable.
There was a bit of argy bargy at the pin end of the start line, but in the end everyone got away without incident. Hermes was sailing high and pinning Iris and Catriona behind. Teal and Zoe started further down the line and had clearer air for the beat to A, off the club. Iris, then Catriona tacked out. Catriona seemed to be doing well and thought she might be able to tack back and get Iris on Starboard. It was not to be, the wind followed her round in the tack so that Iris was able to tack on top and give her dirty wind all the way to A.
Teal, meanwhile, had prospered and was first at A. Iris a close second, Zoe third and Catriona fourth. Hermes had been delayed by a 720 following a port/starboard with Iris. The curiosity of the Gareloch wind meant that it was a fetch to C, off Clynder. Teal and Iris maintained their positions, Zoe found a hole near C so that Catriona had the momentum to sail round the outside of her at the mark. A favourable puff put Catriona in contention with Iris, which was the main thing.
The Gareloch was its usual self, with patches of wind, holes and unpredictability. It was light coming in to the line. Iris was just in front and well placed for the shore end. In view of the still air, a shortened course was a good bet. The Gareloch was, however, kind to Catriona on her skipper’s birthday. The merest breath took her past Iris to win by half a boat length.
1 Catriona, 2 Iris, 3 Teal, 4 Zoe, 5 Hermes.
Sonars, 1 The Boat, 2 The Big Blue House, 3 Charlotte.
The Gareloch World Championship
14th to 16th July
The premier social and sporting event of the year, the Gareloch World Championship, took place over the weekend 15th to 16th July. There was tension and bluff at the lift off cocktail party on Friday evening. Iris’s skipper in particular was taking care to have no hangover for the first race. Newly rebuilt Athene was just in the water and racing for the first time in a couple of years. With new sails and crack helm Simon Jackson (son of Americas Cup spinnaker hand Denis) we all knew there was a new kid on the block.
Three races were scheduled, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. Eight boats racing. The first Saturday race was sailed in typically light and changeable Gareloch wind. Iris risked a port tack start at the favoured pin end, got away with it and prospered from then on. Other notable events were Athene and Teal on the Clynder shore well heeled travelling very fast and Catriona (defending champion) and Zoe finishing seventh and eighth thereby ending their Championship prospects.
In the second race, the first leg was a beat across the loch to B. After an average start, Catriona tacked out early and was comfortable leading the fleet. It was Iris’s day, though. Going well and getting the best from the wind shifts she established herself in front. Catriona, Teal and Athene were also in the running. Athene being sailed particularly fast. She had been over early and took some time to realise and go back. Later she was caught in a port/starboard with Juno and was obliged to take a penalty. The reach to the finish was typical Gareloch. Teal and Athene were well placed to windward of Catriona when we all gybed with no change of course, Catriona pinching third place.
At the evening barbeque, Iris’s skipper ate contentedly. He would have to finish fifth for Teal, the nearest challenger, to take the title. You could easily have got a hundred to one on that happening.
There was no wind on Sunday as we went aboard. By the time we reached the starting area, halyards were being tensioned.
The line was, of necessity, curious with the committee boat, La Cavale, close inshore. There was much shouting as the fleet squeezed past on their way to the slightly favoured pin end. The race at the front was closely fought between Iris and Athene. Athene sailed faster in the slight chop and lighter air. Iris, as usual, pointed high but it slowed her too much. That let Athene past. It was still close at the finish, though.
The overall result was 1, the new world champion, Gordon Mucklow in Iris, 2 Athene, 3 Teal, 4th equal, Catriona and Thalia, 6 Zoe, 7 Juno and 8, Tourist Trophy winner, Carol Rowe in Hermes. Back on the moorings, after the fleet had given Gordon three cheers, there was a fourth cheer for Carol’s crew Martin Cook who fell into the water.
Tuesday 18th July
A good steady wind by Gareloch standards. Some shifts and lighter patches, but no holes and it stayed for three rounds of the course.
Race Officer Roger Kinns set a course with a running start across the loch, there being no beat from the starting area. Catriona got away well with Thalia, Teal and Hermes chasing in that order. Because the boats were close to maximum hull speed, there was no great separation at the first mark. The next leg being a beat saw Catriona increase her lead to begin with. She was then headed, a vice from which Thalia did not suffer. Catriona tacked in time, though, and managed to cross. After that, the order seemed set.
Tuesday was a very hot and sticky day, there could have been no better way to spend the evening but on the water in a good breeze.
1 Catriona, 2 Thalia, 3 Teal, 4 Hermes.
Visit to Cultra 22nd to 23rd July
The Garelochs sent a strong team to Cultra on Belfast Loch for team racing against the Fairy One Design. Our association with the Fairies began in 1977 when former Gareloch Convenor Peter Cox proposed the first match and it has been strong ever since.
Fairies (there was one owner of rugby player build wearing a tee shirt with ‘Pixie’ written on it) are little shorter than Garelochs, but have bowsprits. They are about half a ton heavier though and not perturbed by the swell in Belfast Loch the way Garelochs might be. Dating from 1902 and designed by Linton Hope they started with a gunter rig and converted to a simple Bermudian arrangement in 1925.
The form was six team races on Saturday, four boats a side, windward leeward courses. There were two fleet races on Sunday, when the team racing crews got to helm. The weather was kind on both days. Warm, no rain and good wind. Race management was top class and all scheduled races were sailed.
In the first race, the home team won convincingly with a first and second but we were fast renewing our acquaintance and had the lead at lunch. Interestingly, some of the boats which had not been prominent in Fairy fleet races were to the fore.
We swapped boats for the afternoon. Another boat which was not reckoned to be fast (she had been laid up for a few years) got a first and a second. Happily she was in the Gareloch team.
The Garelochs could drink their wine without caution at the Saturday evening dinner. We looked from the Royal North of Ireland clubhouse at Mousme, Lorelei, Fiend, Banshee and the rest out on their moorings and we were content.
On Sunday, we had races round the cans, with shore starts. Mary Knatchbull, wife of crack Fairy helm Patrick, was strong in Minx. Our own Luke Dicken, a bit rusty having sailed very little this year, had the bit between his teeth in Pixie. He was not afraid to luff another Gareloch helm. It was Elizabeth Henderson in Maimoune who triumphed with a first and a second.
Your correspondent could have stayed for another week but perhaps the strength of these events is that they are over whilst we still want more (and before our very generous hosts have become fed up with us).
Tuesday 25th July
Race officer Fraser Noble did his best, but there was no disguising the lack of wind. After a postponement in the hope of a bit of evening offshore breeze, a short course was set. Athene, Catriona and Zoe ran out of paddling time and were late at the start. Athene got into a bit of favourable back eddy near the shore and beat the other two to the start line. It was to set the pattern for the night.
Hermes and Thalia had got away well towards A, off the club. Thalia blew it by tacking inshore in search of favourable tide. She was had by Catriona at the mark rounding. Perhaps crew Peter Proctor and fiancée Francoise did not give the 110% concentration which helm Roger Kinns would have liked.
On the leg to C, Athene established a substantial lead but was reeled in by Catriona on the approach to the mark. Fate was unkind to Catriona here because Athene rounded just in front of two Pipers whereas Catriona had to go round the outside of their not inconsiderable girth. Athene was nearly at the finish by the time Catriona was round C.
There were mixed feelings in the trailing Garelochs. Athene almost made it to the line before the time limit. Had she done so, she would have beaten not only the Pipers, but Sonars who started 10 minutes in front. The rest of us, though, would have collected DNF scores. As it was, we had a Broadley finish at C. (Named after Ian Broadley who proposed that on evenings such as this, the finish should be at the last mark rounded).
1 Athene, 2 Catriona, 3 Hermes who was brought up to C on a puff, rounded inside the two, Pipers, and was very close to second, 4 Zoe, 5 Thalia.
Sunday 30th July
A good breeze. Catriona, Thalia and Hermes had just started when Iris was spotted sailing to the starting area. We abandoned so that Iris could play. She had Gordon’s (Europe Dinghy Inland Champion) daughter Bess at the helm, Gordon and two grand children crewing.
Bess got the best of the re-start. Iris was a bit early so that Catriona was able to sail to windward with boat speed. She was lee-bowed and had to tack away, though. Catriona did well out in the middle, crossed Iris and tacked to give loose cover. The boats came close together with Catriona to windward, stopping Iris from tacking. They sailed past the layline, so Iris was in bad air on the tack into the mark. Gordon must have had his hands full, because no kite was set on the offwind leg, which let Catriona further away.
There was time for a second round, but it was a little too blowy for the weans, so that Iris went home. Hermes took up second place, she couldn’t keep Thalia at bay, though.
1 Catriona, 2 Thalia, 3 Hermes, 4 Iris DNF
Tuesday 1st August
The evening started with strong wind, gusty too. The Garelochs decided to reef, which took far too long. The reefing gear is seldom used and has become less user friendly with developments such as the centre post main sheet jammer and multiple purchase halyard tensioner. The upshot was that Catriona was very late at the start and Iris only just made it. Hermes had main sheet trouble and was very late indeed.
The cursing on Catriona was all the louder because the wind moderated and the gusts stopped. The reefs were shaken out.
The wind was enough for Race Officer Jean Mackay to set one of the longer courses with a beat to E, near Rahane. Reay Mackay’s Zoe was there first with Iris, still suffering from the reef, second and Teal third. Iris got the lead off wind, with good spinnaker work, but lost it again on the next beat. Reay thought his flatter sails made Zoe go well in the strong wind. There was plenty of chop, though, which called for some drive.
Thalia took a tack into lighter wind on the Clynder shore, which let Catriona past. That was the last of the overtaking.
1 Zoe, 2 Iris, 3 Teal, 4 Catriona, 5 Thalia, Hermes DNF.
Sunday 6th August
Only Teal and Catriona turned out. What the others could have had to do which was better than sailing on an afternoon like this I cannot imagine.
A long course was set, zig zagging up the loch to E, near Rahane, with a long run back. The ladies took the helms, Jennifer Darley on Catriona and Mirriam Sutter on Teal. Catriona’s start was poor, she was over early, but Teal was not on the line at the gun either, so they started close together with Catriona just in front. The boats remained close on the beat across the loch. Catriona tacked close to the Clynder shore in good air and out of the worst of the ebb tide. Teal tacked at the same time but was in more tide and perhaps less wind so she dropped back.
There was an offwind leg back across the loch before the final beat to E. Catriona set a spinnaker but Teal didnt, which put her out of contention.
The long run back from E was impressive. A wave runs up the counter to increase waterline length, a Gareloch does not go much faster than this. To misquote Dave Perry’s excellent ‘Winning in One Designs’ if your rig is rocking and rolling a bit dangerously, overtrim the main, ease the pole forward and overtrim the spinnaker sheet, move weight to leeward and head up a bit. If you want to go faster, reverse all the above.
1 Catriona, 2 Teal.
Tuesday 8th August
With a good steady wind at the start, race officer Don MacLean sent us on a beat to B, off Silvers.
Athene got the best of it. Iris, coming up behind Catriona, was worried about being squeezed out at the favoured pin end and chose to go below rather than above. It was her undoing. Neither could lay the pin and Iris dropped back in the dirty air.
Athene tacked early and lost out. The wind was stronger towards the narrows. Catriona crossed by a margin but in the increasingly fluky wind near B, Athene made up most of the deficit. Iris was third to round.
The Gareloch wind was now up to its tricks. On the offwind leg to G, off Croy, spinnakers needed to be teased to fill. It was here that Simon Jackson was sadly obliged to retire Athene from her strong second place on account of a young relative in the crew.
Catriona was favoured by the wind moving away from B. The rest were caught in its not inconsiderable curiosities.
From G, it was a beat back across the loch to C. Thalia was round second. Teal, with Ufo and Mirriam Sutter in charge, had been leading Iris but lost the inside slot at the mark. Thalia stood on after hardening up at G and was headed whilst Iris got a lift. The Goddess of Comedy was not paying attention, tacked too late and let Iris into second.
The C mark was a hole surrounded by wind blowing in all directions. Catriona deliberately overstood before tacking for the mark and found herself beating back on a reciprocal course. This temporarily raised the spirits on Iris but she too had a frustrating time getting round C. Hermes got the best of it, being brought in on a puff she passed Teal and got on terms with Thalia.
Spinnakers were set on the final leg although not until the boats had escaped the random wind around C.
1 Catriona, 2 Iris, 3 Thalia, 4 Hermes, 5 Teal, Athene DNF.
Crews Race 10th August
Six Garelochs at the start line, Race Officer Mike Henry and assistant Denis Jackson set a course with a beat to D. between Clynder and Rahane. The gusts were enough to push the side deck under.
It was a biased line with the shore end favoured. The technique is to beat along the line to the shore and tack at the last moment. Iris got the shore slot and started first. Catriona crossed behind Iris before tacking. Iris had either a bad header or an aberration, Catriona was able to climb to windward. The rest were more cautious but still started well.
Iris went in to the Clynder shore and lost the wind. Juno and Thalia stayed out and established themselves second and third.
Now, if the crew is on the helm, it follows that the usual helm is on the foredeck. Always a source of amusement. Catriona’s difficulties were limited to the spinnaker pole being set up wrongly. Elsewhere, there were hour glass spinnakers and lost halyards. For much of the offwind sailing, Iris had no spinnaker at all. The Convenor said something about a defective clip, but no one believed him.
In the strong wind, there was a second round during which Iris dropped a place to Teal and Juno lost second place to Thalia. Hermes had gear trouble, but was not far behind.
1 Catriona (Jennifer Darley), 2 Thalia (Ufo Sutter), 3 Juno (Heather Noble), 4 Teal (Elizabeth Henderson), 5 Iris (Adam Rodger), 6 Hermes (Mike Lidwell).
Sunday 13th August
As we went aboard, there were large areas of Gareloch with no wind. As we reached the starting area (after some time), there was no wind anywhere. More in hope than expectation, a short course was set. First to A, off the club. Iris and Thalia kept inshore to get the back eddy of the flood tide. Catriona had the tide times wrong and went out.
Iris was carried past the mark, got fed up and went for her mooring. Thalia judged it nicely and found a pleasant breath of air just as she had rounded. Catriona was encouraged and carried on. No catching Thalia, though. The wind stayed for the rest of the round, just dying a little at the finish.
The air was bright and clear with the sun reflecting off the water. In the light breeze, there was no better place to be. Iris should have carried on.
1 Thalia, 2 Catriona, Iris DNF.
Tuesday 15th August
No wind as we went aboard, Pipers were fitting outboards to motor to the start. It picked up, though, and paddles were not needed.
Race Officer Jamie Dobson set one of the shorter courses with a beat to B, off Silvers. There was pin end Bias on the line. Most were early and had to bear away. Iris was very early and had to do a turn. She still managed to start well and trampled over Catriona, who did not have the boatspeed to close the door. The fleet remained on starboard, on the Rhu shore. Catriona was obliged to tack to clear her air and prospered in better wind out in the Loch. She crossed Iris by 50m, then forgot the golden rule about covering the opposition. The wind looked good towards the narrows but there were big headers going in to B. Iris had stood on to the Clynder shore and was lifted nicely to the mark. She rounded comfortably first. Thalia beat Zoe for third place in the same way.
Catriona tried hard on the fine spinnaker reach to C and on the broad reach back towards the line. She made little impression, though.
In the way of the Gareloch, the wind deserted us two thirds of the way along the last leg. It became a beat to the finish in the most subtle air. Catriona seemed to have boat speed on Iris, but Iris maintained her lead. Approaching the line, it was closer but you would still have bet on Iris. Catriona waited for Iris to commit to going past a moored boat and tacked so as to avoid close cover. It was better than that, though. Iris caught a shroud on the anchor stowed in the fairlead of the moored boat.
At the line there were two hoots which could have been another shortened course signal. Iris thought Catriona had it, Catriona didn’t know. We had to wait some time in the bar because Jamie Dobson had sent the Sonars on a second round before the wind had died.
1 Catriona (by half a second), 2 Iris, 3 Thalia, 4 Zoe, 5 Juno, 6 Teal, 7 Hermes.
Cadets Race 17th August
Following an afternoon of good breeze, there was a spell of no wind as we went out to the boats. It filled in again to give a steady (by Gareloch standards) wind for the race.
Race officer Jean Mackay set a reaching course up and down the Shandon shore. Catriona got the best of the start and pulled out a good lead. Iris was leading a tighter bunch with Thalia third, Teal fourth and Juno fifth. Teal touched a mark and her 360 let Juno past.
As the Sonars approached the line at the end of the first round, the race officer signalled a change of course to give a beat and a spinnaker leg. It was changed back again for the Garelochs’ second round.
In the way of Gareloch wind, light air at the front and a breeze coming from behind brought Iris and the rest up to Catriona. Iris tried her very best for an inside overlap at the last rounding mark but did not achieve it. Fired by this entertaining battle, she tried to break through to windward on the leg to the finish. Catriona responded, of course, which allowed Thalia to profit from good wind out in the loch and take the win.
1 Thalia (Katie Stuart-Corry), 2 Catriona (Elizabeth Darley), 3 Iris (James Groves), 4 Juno (Heather Noble), 5 Teal (Niall Cook).
Sunday 20th August
The first race of the final Sunday series. Good breeze and the Race Officer set a course with a long beat to E, near Rahane.
Athene was clearly on the pace. She established an early lead which she kept. Catriona had a good start and was on top of Iris. She still has not learned to cover the opposition, though. Tempted by what appeared to be good wind in the middle of the loch, Catriona let Iris away onto the Clynder shore. The wind was fair on the shore and the tack in was a miserable business of holes and shifts (mostly headers).
Zoe seemed to be finding the better patches of wind and was going well. She was in a strong second place at the end of the first round. She slipped away, though, on the first tack of the next beat letting Iris by. Catriona, in fourth, could not get back into contention.
Hermes had been in front of Thalia but did not set a spinnaker so that the Goddess of Comedy had the last laugh.
1 Athene, 2 Iris, 3 Zoe, 4 Catriona, 5 Thalia, 6 Hermes.
Tuesday 22nd August
Next to no wind at the start. Race Office Denis Jackson set a short course, the first leg to B, off Silvers. Zoe and Thalia had boatspeed (the term is used loosely) at the start and got away well. Iris was blanketed by Athene. Catriona was coming in behind Athene and did not risk passing to weather for fear of being squeezed out. Hermes was a little later and found plenty of space between Athene and the mark.
After a while, the fleet was pointing across the loch, Zoe in the lead by a margin. There was wind up the loch and on the Clynder shore but it was very slow to reach us. Zoe got it first and stretched her lead. Athene, Catriona and Juno all aimed for it. It was one of those evenings when two boatlengths made the difference between wind and no wind. Catriona was favoured, the others not.
Iris, meanwhile, had been looking strong further down the loch. Sadly, the Goddess of the rainbow was unable to see the wind and always seemed to have her head to it.
By the time all the sails were filled, the order of the fleet was determined by luck, or otherwise, in getting the wind. Iris was just behind Athene and tried very hard to get past. Athene was never anyone’s fool, though.
A hole at the finishing line gave hope to some and worried others but no places changed here.
1 Zoe, 2 Catriona, 3 Thalia, 4 Athene, 5 Iris, 6 Hermes, 7 Juno.
Tuesday 28th August
The last of the Tuesday evening races for this year. So as to keep up spirits, the Garelochs are racing through September on Sundays but where has the season gone?
Iris had been growing a few tiny barnacles and had scrubbed. It was worthwhile because she walked away from the fleet at the start. Catriona noticed that she had tiny barnacles, a good excuse for the average performance to come.
The first leg was a beat to D, between Clynder and Rahane. Zoe read the wind right and rounded first. Iris squandered her boat speed by avoiding the best of the wind. On the offwind legs, the two fought it out but Zoe stayed in front. Teal and Catriona had a similar fight with Teal maintaining her lead.
The second round beat was from A, off the club, back to D. The three leaders hardened up across the loch, Catriona and Juno tacked early. Iris came across to the Shandon shore. It might have paid, but it didn’t. Zoe and Teal found a good streak of wind up the middle and increased their lead. Iris went across too early and found light air on the Clynder shore, losing a place to Catriona. She got it back on the run to the finish, thanks no doubt to those young barnacles.
1 Zoe, 2 Teal, 3 Iris, 4 Catriona, 5 Thalia, 6 Juno.
Saturday 2nd September – Dogs Race
Garelochs and dogs assembled at the club on Saturday for the annual Dog Race. The rules are complex but the essence is that there is a 5 sec time allowance per inch of dog. Race Officer Denis Jackson, aboard Fiona du Boulay’s La Cavale, started us at the C mark with a beat across the loch. The wind was shifting and there was a strong pin end bias. Iris tried a cheeky (and unwise) port tack start at the pin. She was had by Catriona reaching along the line on starboard. Catriona started first and kept a good cover on Athene (who always looked dangerous) and Iris. Zoe, though, had gone further to the narrows and came in to the mark on a good streak of wind getting Catriona on starboard. At the helm was Jean Mackay with husband Reay crewing. It would be inappropriate to relate the details of the tiff which resulted from Reay trying to send Jean the wrong side of the mark. They let Catriona through, though.
The offwind leg from A, back to C became a bit fine and light. Catriona got round first and sailed into dead air in the middle of the loch on what was now a run to Y, or it would have been if there had been wind. Athene found some pressure on the Clynder shore which gave her the boatspeed to ghost past Catriona into another area of rippled water 50 yds beyond. When it filled in for all of us, she could not be caught.
Athene was first across the water, but she was masquerading with a cuddly toy dog (not to mention an oversize Dragon spinnaker). Catriona’s last minute crew signing, Robbie, made the difference with a not insignificant 4ft 6in nose to tail.
1 Catriona, 2 Zoe, 3 Athene, 4 Thalia (now comprehensively hairy, thanks to Harris), 5 Juno, 6 Hermes, 7 Teal, Iris DNF.
There were two themes for the fancy dress barbeque in the evening. Roger Kinns, sporting a very fine cummerbund, won the Gordon Mucklow look alike competition. Gordon was second. There were only three entries.
In the Wild West competition, it was not possible to split the five superb entries in the under 10 category. In the young adult section, Heather Noble, Elizabeth and David Darley were winners. Overall winner, as an Indian Chief and not having to act was Denis Jackson. Runner up, a very fetching Cat Ballou, was Elizabeth Henderson.
Sunday 3rd September
Only three Garelochs out. A superb afternoon, too. Perhaps the others were recovering from the dog race.
On the water Race Officer Gordon Mucklow set a long course, zig zagging back and forth across the loch. Maybe he thought his strong crew would give him an edge with all the spinnaker work.
Iris and Athene started inshore but they had misjudged it. Catriona got a clear run at a port tack start at the pin and crossed them both. When she tacked on top, Iris tacked to get clear air. She found a good breeze up the Shandon shore and was well ahead going into C. It was the marks on the Clynder shore where places were lost and won, though. Iris lost out here and rounded third. Athene first.
If the wind at C was fluky, it was but a gentle practice for E. Catriona had Iris well covered but found herself head to wind whichever way she pointed. Similarly fluky wind at D was trying for all of us, but by then the order was established.
1 Athene, 2 Iris, 3 Catriona.
Sunday 10th September
No wind as we made our way to the starting area but it filled in nicely. Of course, in the Gareloch, that means it can disappear again.
On the water Race Officer Gordon Mucklow set a course up and down the Shandon Shore. Catriona read the line right (or was lucky with the wind) and made a good start, keeping the lead to the A mark. Athene was second round but was much slicker with the spinnaker hoist, which got her past. Catriona then had a mental abberation coming into the leeward mark (she forgot which way it was to be rounded) and threw away the inside overlap. Iris, close behind, did better with the wind inshore and established herself in second place. Theal and Hermes fourth and fifth.
For the second round spinnaker leg, Athene was clean away but Iris was not as sharp as she could have been with the kite and Catriona was able to pass to windward. Helped by a bit of Gareloch wind.
It was touch and go whether or not there would be a third round. Athene was within two minutes of the deciding time so we carried on. Athene went inshore from the line towards the A mark, Catriona and then Iris were both lifted. Catriona was first round A and pulled out a big lead offwind. Iris was close behind Athene. The wind went as it had come, bringing up Athene on its dying breath. When we started moving again, it was a fetch to the mark. Catriona thought a spinnaker for the last leg. Wrongly. The distraction allowed Athene to make a smart rounding and get past to windward. Meanwhile Teal found a streak of wind to take her several boatlengths past Iris.
The wind to the finish was a frustration. Constant changes of strength and direction with many holes. To add to the discomfort was a short chop which unsettled the boats in the light air and hid what wind there was. The lead changed a couple of times and Iris got third place back from Teal.
1 Athene, 2 Catriona, 3 Iris, 4 Teal, Hermes DNF.
Sunday 17th September
The afternoon had been much wetter than was consistent with the volume of rain. Worse, there was no wind. We stood under a tree by the end of the jetty talking, without enthusiasm, about whether or not to go out. Optimisim prevailed. We met Sonar crews returning from an abandoned race on the east patch looking more miserable than even plastic boat sailors should.
There was enough of a breath to get us to the line without paddling. A course was set to D, north of Clynder. Catriona was a little premature and had to duck the line, which left Athene and Iris ahead and to windward. Some subtle lee bow effect kept Teal in third place.
Athene and Iris maintained their positions. Catriona escaped to leeward of Teal and had boatspeed on the fleet. It was at the expense of pointing, though, and she rounded D third.
There was enough wind to keep spinnakers full across the loch to G and back to the line. Athene secured another victory and (with one race left) the series win. A much better race than we expected when we went out.
1 Athene, 2 Iris, 3 Catriona, 4 Teal, 5 Hermes.
Sunday 24th September
The last of the scheduled races for this year. The class have agreed to crew a Sonar for their October fleet racing but its not the same.
A very wet day and a bit windy too. As it turned out, a superb race.
The wind was off the Shandon shore, so that on the water Race Officer Charles Darley set a course with a running start so as to get a beat back to the line. Catriona started in front with Thalia just behind. Iris and Teal a little futher back still.
Thalia established an overlap to leeward of Catriona early on the run. Try as she might, Catriona could not break it (or overlap to leeward of Thalia) which gave away the inside slot at B for the reach up the Clynder shore to C. Iris was just behind, trying to force an error.
At C, Thalia hardened up but dropped off to leeward. Catriona had boatspeed, but Iris climbed very high and seemed to have the lead. Catriona tacked onto port from well to leeward, expecting to have to duck. As it was, she was surprised to cross comfortably. Pride before a fall. First, Catriona went for the wrong mark but, seeing the others, was able to bear away without damage. Then, a minor sheet tangle distracted the skipper so that Catriona touched the mark as it bobbed up on a wave. Catriona thought, wrongly, that she could complete the 360 before Iris arrived. Those 1020 degrees must have given a lot of pleasure. She was able to re-pass Thalia on the next beat but Iris had a comfortable lead.
1 Iris, 2 Catriona, 3 Thalia, 4 Teal.
Thats all folks, see you next season!
President: