Race Officer Chris Beale was an RO newbie but was ably assisted by Reay and Jean MacKay. Faced with an unusual westerly wind from the direction of the C mark and a slightly lightening forecast they plumped for a special course to C and back. (A straight westerly is unusual: the wind is either more from the SW or NW and funnelled up or down the Gareloch by the topography.)
Charles Darley – skipper of Catriona – had been his characteristically generous and infectiously enthusiastic press-ganger of sailors. Catriona was helmed by one of the crew of the beautiful Fife moored near the start-line and another was crewing on Ceres.
Catriona – under her guest helm but with Charles’ long familiarity with biased Gareloch start-lines – made a good start along with Arke and Circe. Catriona somewhat unfortunate to have to pinch above a moored yacht. Others tacked off up the Shandon shore to clear their air. More later!
The three headed across to Clynder. Circe ahead but low and Catriona higher behind, with Arke in between. It became clear that there was a quite unusually pronounced wind divergence as Arke climbed well above Circe, and in turn Catriona climbed above Arke!
Catriona and Arke tacked as they approach the Clynder shore (and less ebbing tide). But the wind was lulling badly and shifty. Circe stood on, heading even further in-shore out of the tide. Arke tacked again on a horrible header but Catriona continued back out in to the middle of the loch. It did not pay. Poor wind and tide against. Arke did well against Circe and both prospered against those in the middle.
However there were boats who hadn’t gone up the middle at all! Both Athene and Hermes had gone right up the Shandon shore. And it turned out had gone towards the wind shift which was now coming from the NW down the loch. Athene tacked left and headed across for the C mark – miles ahead of Arke, Circe and any of the middle of the road loch boats! Athene rounded C first, ahead of Arke and Circe, and made no mistakes with a slick spinnaker launch for the run back to the line. And it turned out the finish line as the RO made the decision – in the face of the forecast and an already fickle first round – to end proceedings there. A nice victory for Athene.
1 Athene, 2 Arke, 3 Circe, 4 Catriona, 5 Ceres, 6 Thia, 7 Halcyone, 8 Hermes
