Report from Arke
John Campbell was Race Office (which – glass half full – was just as well because his boat, Circe, is poorly with a broken rudder stock. But the wonderful Chris Ings is on the case!). He was assisted by Jean Mackay in lieu of Gareth Adkins, his usual crew; because Gareth was out crewing for Reay Mackay in the recently launched Zoe! Wonderful to see her out and Reay has put a lot of effort in to getting her afloat for the Gareloch class 100th anniversary and to take part in the imminent Gareloch Worlds this coming weekend. (Anyone wishing to know more please contact the Convenor or comment!)
But John was faced with a difficult challenge: very light wind indeed from the SE and a poor forecast (although meant to strengthen later and back east) and coming from a poor direction for the fixed shore starting lines. And further exacerbated by a strong outgoing tide. As we rigged however it filled in early with – contrary to any forecast – a nice southerly breeze. John set course L5 – from Z up to A off the moorings, then a run down to G off the Shandon shore and back to the start. Repeat if wind and time allow.
The shore end was favoured (just). Many boats seemed to be early. Catriona particularly so and she had nowhere to go when shepherded up across the line by Arke. She was over early and had to loop back. Dione too was squeezed out and didn’t make a good start either. Zoe made a good start below Arke and both headed left up the shore through the moorings. Both Catriona and Dione – late and with no real choice tacked out right into the loch (but also one suspects knowing that tide would assist further out and that the wind might better!). Arke agreed and also wanted to cover them. It paid for them all out in the loch and Dione and Catriona had undone their starting misdeeds. Further on Arke tacked on top of Dione for the layline and led in to A. In the light air Dione was so stalled she had to tack and then back again to clear her air. (Or was this the second round? It all blurs!) She stayed ahead of Catriona.
So Arke round first, followed by Dione and Catriona. All headed left at first out in to the loch, but Arke leading had difficult choices to make: protecting her wind would take her further and further left, out in to more tide, risk the inside being taken AND she was mindful of the forecast with the wind backing easterly (right)!! She gybed right early and across the other two! Dione and Catriona did ok out in the loch – perhaps slightly better wind – but Arke was heading more directly for the mark in less tide and – helped by a couple of short gybes to keep apparent wind – rounded clear ahead. Dione maintained her lead over Catriona. Arke covered Dione for the short beat back to the start and what she thought – given the light wind and 45 mins elapsed – would probably be the finish. But the RO had other ideas and (perhaps buoyed by the forecast and plenty of summer daylight!) decided we all needed more racing and another round!
Arke again covered Dione loosely and kept an eye on the always threatening Catriona. Interesting difference in tactics: Dione pointing very high, Catriona sailing freer. The order unchanged at A: Arke, Dione, Catriona. And downwind Arke was faced with the same dilemma. And again she gybed early to protect her wind, the inside and from the forecast stronger easterly. Of which still no sign! This time Dione made the wind in the loch pay, and using better apparent wind on the approach, caught Arke at the G mark. But Arke had mark room and Dione was overlapped outside and rounded in tight cover. She when dropped behind and tacked, Arke tacked and covered. Meanwhile Catriona rounded and, never one to give up, attempted to insinuate her way up the shore side of the beat. She almost caught Dione – hampered as Dione was by Arke’s cover. Arke crossed the line and Dione pulled clear in clear air to narrowly take second from Catriona.
Of the others there was a good race from the father and daughter team of Michael Lapsley & Niki Horn on Athene finishing in fourth. And Zoe managed a good first shakedown race in fifth.
The RO had perhaps gambled in the light air but he gave us a cracking long evening of racing. Back at the moorings a light smirr of rain and further louring cloud did their best to disguise the midsummer daylight. And STILL no sign of the forecast easterly!
1 Arke, 2 Dione, 3 Catriona, 4 Athene, 5 Zoe, 6 Luna, 7 Thia. DNF Thalia.
President: