The last official Tuesday evening points series race. Although the Garelochs intend to continue into September with an earlier start.
Race Officer Iain MacGillivray was faced with wind blowing from the Shandon shore. Inevitably a running start with a biassed line. It could not be helped. A beat back to the starting area from the leeward mark.
Catriona was in competition with Thalia. She got her start timing badly wrong, was early at the line and obliged to sail away from the favouired pin end. Thalia made the most of it and got away well under spinnaker.
Iris, Hermes and Catriona took each other’s wind, luffed and generally delayed themselves so that Thalia established a handsome lead. Ceres a little way back, Zoe not going well at all.
On the beat back to the starting area, Catriona caught Thalia a little. A slow spinnaker hoist at the start of the next round put paid to any overtaking. The two were close for the start of the final, windward leg but Catriona was making little headway. Hermes was on the pace. That Iris was not unquestionably due to growth below the water line. Catriona tacked to windward to escape the disturbed air of Thalia and began to make ground. Thalia slowed in variable wind near the finish and Catriona edged alongside. Defensive luffing was not effective. Hermes, meanwhile, took a different route in better air. She delighted in the other two slowing each other and took the win.
1 Hermes, 2 Catriona, 3 Thalia, 4 Iris, 5 Ceres. Zoe DNF.
President: