There was a good breeze in the afternoon. There was a good breeze as we left the moorings. As we arrived at the starting area, the Gareloch became increasingly smooth.
Race Officer Julian Forrester set one of the shortest courses, to H (off the shop in Clynder) and back.
Hermes and Catriona were in danger of being left near to the shore. Catriona paddled furiously before the preparatory signal to get closer to the favoured pin end of the line. Hermes didn’t and suffered.
Boats starting from out in the loch on port tack had the benefit of momentum. Dione got the best of that argument and blanketed others. All of whom blanketed Catriona. Teal made an outrageously good start by approaching from the course side (she was obliged to give way to all the others) dipped the line and was away. The rest of the fleet was moving too slowly to interfere.
On the trip across the loch, it was immediately clear the flood tide was having a strong influence. Thalia in particular was swept a long way up. Julian signalled a shortened course before anyone had reached H.
Teal was the first to do that and led by a margin from Dione and Halcyone on the leg back to the finish.
Catriona managed to make her spinnaker work for part of this leg, which helped her past Dione and Halcyone who were swept up on the tide.
Near to the Shandon shore, there was a strong back eddy which caught Teal unawares. She was taken the wrong side of the finishing mark and took some time to struggle back against the tide. Her lead had been so large it didn’t matter. Dione failed to learn from that example, did the same and lost a place to Halcyone.
1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Halcyone, 4 Dione. Thalia, Athene, Hermes, Thia, DNF.
President: