Report from the Secretary.
On the water Race Officer Barrie Choules selected a course beginning with a true windward leg to B, off Slivers, downwind to F, the northernmost mark on the Shandon Shore, a zig-zag to the Clynder shore thence to the finish. Ideal for the conditions. There was wind but not too much.
The pin end of the starting line was strongly favoured. Dione, Hermes and Catriona all thought to get there first, all were early and made compromised starts further down the line. Catriona the worst. Teal from Halcyone got it right.
Wind and tide in the Gareloch so often confounds what should be good tactics. Dione in particular suffered by sailing into the club moorings, out of the adverse flood tide.
By the windward mark, Teal and Halcyone had maintained their strong position from the start. Catriona, quite by accident after starting at the back, found some good wind which she used to catch up.
Downwind, Halcyone and Catriona got their spinnakers drawing promptly. Halcyone took the lead on the right hand side of the leg, Catriona fought with Teal to avoid being blanketed.
Halcyone reached F first but compromised her rounding with a late drop of the spinnaker. She then found herself defending against Teal with a tack down the Shandon shore. Catriona, from further out, tacked to cover them. The rest simply hardened up at D and were almost laying the next mark. Wind on the Shandon shore was not kind to Teal, even worse for Halcyone.
Dione did well going across the loch and began the last leg in a strong second place. Hermes too was on the pace although had to give mark room to Teal.
On the approach to the Clynder shore, many thought a spinnaker would work on the last leg. It was just too fine, particularly with the usual fickleness of Gareloch wind. Teal went high, perhaps to allow for the kite later on. Hermes was able to sneak past.
1 Catriona, 2 Dione, 3 Hermes, 4 Teal, 5 Circe, 6 Halcyone, 7 Luna.
President: