Race Officer Alan Yendell, conscious of lack of light and the risk of a drop in wind, set one of the shorter courses. A true windward leg to B, off Silvers, and back. As it was, there was time for two rounds.
The pin end of the line was the only place to start and Teal got that spot. A gaggle of boats to leeward or behind followed her down the Shandon Shore. Catriona, who had been trapped below Zephyrus, and Athene tacked out into the loch early and prospered. Zephyrus soon came to join them. Zephyrus was ahead on the approach to the windward mark but Catriona had an inside overlap and rounded first.
Downwind, these two indulged in a little match racing so that Teal, who had not been far behind and was slick with her spinnaker, took the lead.
Back in the fleet, Thalia, Athene and Thia approached the leeward mark close together, Athene with mark room. An injudicious gybe onto port tack by Thalia resulted in a foul on Athene. Thalia was set back by the penalty turns. Soon after, Athene suffered a gear failure and so did not capitalise. Hermes had watched with interest from behind, avoided the stramash and gained three places.
1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Halcyone, 4 Zephyrus, 5 Hermes, 6 Thia, 7 Thalia, 8 Athene, 9 Ceres.