It was not quite the longest day but had the potential to be a very long race. There was good pressure as we left the moorings, strong enough for those who care for their sails to leave the mooring as soon as they were hoisted. Race Officer Neill Ross set one of the longer courses and was nearly undone as large glassy patches formed on the water. Carefully planned approaches to the line did not work out.
The first leg, windward to A off the club, depended on luck. A streak of ripples developed in the loch. Thalia, who was there to begin with, prospered. For others, it was a matter of trying to keep their sails full so as to reach it.
Thalia rounded A well in front. Zoe’s port tack approach was spoiled by a belligerent Catriona who held her starboard tack rather than round the mark. Teal had been unlucky and was well back.
The second leg a long fetch across the loch to D, north of Clynder. Thalia, making good progress in improved wind, felt secure. Catriona deployed her spinnaker in wind which was well forward of the beam. The leg was long enough for Thalia, who did not respond, to be caught. Teal and Zoe were moved by example and made it pay.
Wind had veered from when Neill set the course so that what would have been a leg directly to windward, from D back to the starting area, was now a fetch. The water became glassy again as we finished, some paddled, some were towed home.
1 Catriona, 2 Thalia, 3 Teal, 4 Ceres, 5 Hermes, 6 Zoe, 7 Thia.
President: