Report from Teal
The RO Michael Knox conducted events perfectly: a good long course taking advantage of wind, a modified start-line using a mooring buoy instead of Y which had dragged, and – despite there apparently being a football match – letting us do two good full rounds of sailing!
Just before the start the wind shifted L and the square start line became quite biased to the pin end. Catriona read it best and reached along the line. Everyone else was a little slow getting up to it in slightly sloppy waves. Catriona, Dione, and Teal headed to the Rosneath shore with Catriona lower and ahead. Dione lower but going fast which was the theme of the evening. Catriona and Dione tacked easily crossing Teal. Dione continued this form and they both sailed up the middle of the loch in good wind. Teal and Thalia thought they might be in good lifted wind but it was never enough to counter the good wind further out and up. Ceres once again going well crossed Thalia and cemented 4th place.
Dione rounded the D mark first ahead of Catriona and Teal. Across to G. And then down to Y and on to A for another long beat back to D. A repeat of the first round with Teal thinking she was pointing well but not really denting Dione and Catriona’s lead.
Dione made no mistakes and easily took the win. Teal chased Catriona down the final run and kept her on her toes but too much to do. Ceres solid in 4th and chuffed with her developing performance.
The conductor did everything right but the wind was never quite as good as it looked like it ought to be on a dour cloudy evening. It was ok, but constantly looked like it was building to a glorious breeze. It was as if Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5’s famous opening motif was – instead of going da-da-da-DUN – going da-da-da-eek and one’s building expectations of pleasure were dashed with a lull and shiftiness. The conductor can’t control everything. Still a great night’s racing. And better than football.
1 Dione, 2 Catriona, 3 Teal, 4 Ceres, 5 Thalia, Luna DNF, Thia RDG (as RO)
President: