Report from the Secretary (on Catriona)
Towards the end of the sailing for this year, the weather has helped maintain enthusiasm. Champagne wind from the north west,
On the water Race Officer Iain MacGillivray was able to start us with a windward leg to D, north of Clynder, which used the starting line from Y mark to the shore. Helpful because the Z mark was curiously out of place next to a moored boat.
After some pushing and shoving on the line, the shore end was favoured, the fleet split. Some sailed up the Shandon shore, others went further out into the loch in search of clear air. In this direction of wind and with an ebb tide, the Shandon shore if often better. Not on this occasion. There were lifts and headers out in the loch. Catriona had not made a good start and tacked out for the clearer air. In the lifts, she was way in front, in the headers in the middle of the pack. Avoiding the temptation to tack on the (short lived) headers paid and she was first at D. Offwind to G on the Shandon shore Arke was slicker with the spinnaker and took the lead. Her gybe at G was better too.
Time for a second round, just to D and back. Catriona tacked to go up the Shandon shore so as t get away from leader Arke’s disturbed air. Unaccountably it paid this time. Catriona had enough of a lead at D for imperfect spinnaker handling (even worse than the first round) not to matter.
Athene has been going well but was undone by the failure of a turning block for a spinnaker sheet. There was a rumour of a broken plastic clip. Anyway, Hermes took advantage.
1 Catriona, 2 Arke, 3 Dione, 4 Hermes, 5 Athene, 6 Halcyone.
President: