Category Archives: Race Reports

We have not had a good Sep (except for one perfect day for the team racing against the FKY!): very wet but more relevantly either too windy or calm!

Only Arke and Athene (with Nikki Horn helming) ventured. Others were in the US team racing on Sonars (Charles) or assisting Barrie sail his new yacht from the English south coast (Barrie, John C and Paul). There was no RO either (ahem Eilidh MacQueen? Perhaps in the US with the Sonars?). Arke volunteered for the GOD class. The wind was from the NW (ish) and seemed good. A special simple sausage course to D and back (S6).

Arke started in pole position and lead up the Shandon shore, covering Athene loosely. Across to D the wind sadly seemed to lighten. And with time limit we were never going to make it. Arke lost her spinnaker halyard up the mast to compound the slowness. (Arguably even if the wind had held we might STILL not have made it – the time limits really are very conservative and need looked at IMHO… notwithstanding that the last race in particular does need to be very quick.).

Back at the pier there was an unfortunate (but not fatal) incident unfurling with the local lifeboat and police in attendance.

(A belated but gratefully received report from Ollie Thompson!)

After an inevitable debate in the carpark, 5 Garelochs hoisted sails and dutifully drifted down to Blairvadach hoping for an increase in the wind. With Catriona, Iris and Circe all sailing single-handed, it fell to Athene to set course L6 and get the fleet underway when wind filled in shortly after 1500.

Athene and Zephyrus both started in middle of the line whilst Iris and Catriona went for favoured stbd end. Circe, meanwhile got trapped above the layline by Catriona and had to loop round for a late start in the first drama of the race. Progress across to the B mark was somewhat challenging: Catriona and Iris made the best of their start, with the rest of the fleet forced into an extra tack by the fast ebbing tide.

Catriona rounded closely followed by Iris, who’s helmsmen was unused to being so close to the front and promptly hit the mark whilst checking the course sheet. The penalty allowed Catriona to pull ahead, and Circe to close the gap and setup a close race down to the G mark. Circe’s choice not to use a spinnaker ultimately meant the positions were unchanged starting the second upwind leg to C.

The outgoing tide, now at peak flow, once again made judging the laylines very difficult; this time it was Catriona’s turn to make contact with the mark and take a penalty. Despite mounting a valiant effort, neither Iris nor Circe were able to catch Catriona as she returned to Blairvadach and started the second lap.

As quickly as it had earlier arrived, the wind disappeared and the entire fleet found themselves drifting towards the Rhu Narrows faster than any progress upwind to B. Results declared on the first (and only) completed round.

1 Catriona, 2 Iris, 3 Circe, 4 Athene, 5 Zephyrus

(Report from Ollie Thompson on Iris)

The Met Office promised wind; the Gareloch delivered. After much deliberation in the carpark, only Catriona and Iris elected to join four Sonars for the evening’s fun.

With team Dione on duty at Blairvadach, Race Officer Barrie Choules elected to set the S6 course to D mark and back. As the gun went, Catriona got the better start at the favoured shore end of the line, with Iris choosing to maintain a little more distance from the lee shore, given the strong wind.

On the beat, both boats sought to cross to the Clynder shore in the hope of finding more sheltered weather, however this was not to be found.

Catriona reached the windward mark first and chose to keep her spinnaker below decks for the return leg. As Iris rounded shortly after, the spinnaker debate was held onboard as an option to potentially try to catch Catriona. Common sense prevailed when the crew used a veto, and the spinnaker bag remained safely in the cabin.

Much to the relief of those aboard Iris, the shortened course was signalled – saving all involved from a second round and allowing both boats to return to the moorings unscathed.

1 Catriona, 2 Iris

The event is now in its 27th year. Back in the late 1990s one of the Freundeskreis Klassische Yachten (FKY) members – Enno Thyen – was in the market for a (classic) yacht and ended up on the banks of the Gareloch being shown McGruer 8m Cruiser-Racers by the legendary David Ryder-Turner. He bought one: ‘Feolinn’. But also, and more importantly for our story, the idea of a team racing event was also established. And here we still are.

Last year the GOD team travelled to the Wannsee near Potsdam/Berlin to race in Dragons. We narrowly lost in a tie counted back on points. This year it was our turn to host. The FKY team were hopeful and arrived with title ambitions – as covered in this excellent article (in German) previewing their trip and which also gives a nice brief overview of the sport of team racing (translated version here).

The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with welcome drinks and a relaxed buffet in the RNCYC clubhouse before an early night ahead of the main team racing on Saturday. (Well strictly for your Secretary it kicked off on Thursday evening with a world-champion fondue brought over from Switzerland by Stefan & his daughter Sophie Züst!).

Team Racing

Saturday’s forecast was perfect: 10 knots+, bright, sunny. Sailing Secretary and GOD team captain Charles Darley was rightly determined to take the racing out in to the lower Gareloch off Helensburgh. Truer wind and easier to lay marks (and a ‘box’ course) in the shallower waters. Race Officer Reay Mackay was happy to make it happen. And we were in good hands: Reay was assisted by a superb Race Committee and ribs for course laying duties. Umpires on hand too for immediate protest resolution! The course was great: short sharp races and a start line long enough to be reasonable but short enough to keep things interesting and competitive. Champagne sailing.

The format was 3 vs 3 team racing – that is a team of 3 boats versus another team of 3 – with both the GOD and FKY having two teams (of 3 boats) each. Each race would have two flights. With each GOD team racing the two other FKY teams and vice versa. Then swapping boats and repeating! And if necessary a final race for a decider…

The FKY had good reason to be optimistic and made a clean sweep of the first four races. The GOD team had not started well – in the general sense and in the even more literal sense (we had not made particularly good starts in the races – essential with short, sharp races)!

We swapped boats and tried to remain optimistic ourselves. The GOD team seemed to remember how to sail (and start). Somehow we then made a clean sweep ourselves of the afternoon’s four races. It would now all come down to a final set of 2 races. It was all very tight but the GOD team took them both to win back the David Ryder-Turner Trophy.

But winning was merely a small cherry on top of a perfect day’s sailing and racing. Some well-deserved ‘malted sports drinks’ in the Rhu Inn helped quench thirsts after.

Dinner and beyond

On to a wonderful dinner at the well-regarded AT Hughes @ Lochside restaurant. Literally loch-side overlooking the Gareloch in Clynder. One or two drams were taken back at home afterwards.

The next day was wet and moody with strong winds forecast. There wasn’t much enthusiasm for any more racing (a fleet race with crew now helming and helms crewing is the usual formula). Well except for Charles who can always be relied on to be keen for more sailing. Whatever the forecast! Plan B was a cruise on Loch Lomond from Luss. Afterwards some ventured to Inveraray and its castle. Sunday finished off with the now almost traditional curry at Annayas.

Thanks

Massive thanks – in no particular order – to our Sailing Secretary Charles Darley who did so much to organise the sailing and racing itself; to our Race Committee led by Reay Mackay, aided by Jean Mackay and Bill McLaren; to our experienced umpires Valerie Ferrat and John McLaren; to our Social Secretary Wendy Jones who led and organised all the social side including the welcome drinks and buffet, and dinners on Saturday and Sunday; to Clare Somerville who organised the buffet and packed lunches, as well as the rest of Wendy’s ‘Team Friday’ of Miriam, Bess and Sue Mucklow. And our Convenor John Campbell who did co-ordinate a lot despite being forced to go to a villa in Tuscany when the event itself was on!! Such hardships must be borne.

And finally to our friends in the FKY without who this would not happen at all of course. We look forward to 2027 and visiting the Wannsee again…

No boats finished within the time limit!

Some of us made good use of the time fettling boats ahead of next weekend’s team racing against the our friends from the Freundeskreis Klassische Yachten (FKY) – the (German) Classic Yacht Club.

Race Officer Ollie Thompson – the new-this-season owner of proven winner Iris – was faced with a difficult wind direction. From the east – blowing almost across the loch from the starting area. The fixed starting marks inevitably mean that this will be a downwind start. And so it was, with Ollie wisely plumping for the standard easterly course according to the RO’s instructions: a somewhat downwind reachy first leg to D followed by a good beat to G, then a reach back to Y. A second round would add variety: BCY.

The first key decision – assuming a choice and good timing – was whether to start at the right end of the line – favoured according to line bias but potentially more sheltered – or the left end (vice versa!). Most seemed to favour starting further down the line at the left end. Although Thalia – being helmed by the ever-young Reay Mackay – seemed to favour starting in front of the line. Arke thought there was enough wind – and that it might allow a freer reach – to start further up and got away cleanly. Dione was following but, with a novice crew on board, declined to set a spinnaker in the gusty conditions. Circe also started well but she too declined to fly a spinnaker since she was solo.

Catriona – aided by the spinnaker-less competition – managed to extricate herself from the pack, pulled in to second and attempted to catch Arke. She rounded close behind at D and immediately tacked off right for clear air, while Arke stood on towards the Shandon shore. It didn’t pay. When Catriona tacked back Arke crossed by many boat-lengths. Arke should have tacked for loose cover. Instead she stood on down the loch. That didn’t pay! When Arke in turn tacked she now barely crossed Catriona. Arke tacked on top but it wasn’t a good move: she had not crossed far enough ahead to cover and instead found herself lee-bowed by Catriona. Especially since Catriona’s helm is a master of slowly weaving to windward in gusty conditions. Arke fell in to dirty air and Catriona was away. Dione followed Arke past G in a close third to keep the pressure on. A short reach from G back to Y. The gusts remained strong. Sidedecks were wet. It was fun though. The RO rightly signalled a second round.

Catriona hoisted her spinnaker again. Before even passing Y in fact. Which didn’t go entirely smoothly. Arke followed higher. Her spinnaker allowed her to pull a little clear of Dione. Arke’s skipper was not at all sure about keeping the spinnaker up for the reach up to C. But Catriona attempted it so Arke followed suit. Not always wise in hindsight. The gybe was smooth enough but shortly after Arke’s rear spinnaker attachment point (making double use of a mainsheet track end in a way not entirely as designed) failed. The recovery was not smooth. But she stayed just ahead of Dione.

Back up to the finish at Y. Catriona tacked down the loch as she had done at D. Arke stood on as she had. Dione followed Catriona for clear air. At the finish perhaps not much had changed: Catriona in the lead and Arke held off Dione. Further back Circe sailed a good race single-handed and Thalia made a good recovery from her OCS. Zephyrus gracefully retired from the challenging gusty conditions.

1 Catriona, 2 Arke, 3 Dione, 4 Circe, 5 Thalia, 6 Athene, 7 Halcyone. RET Zephyrus.

(Report from Barrie on Dione)

On the water Race Officer, Dione, was expecting fairly light south westerly wind. What we had prior to the start was very light North Westerly but just enough to sail. It was decided to do a very simple course to D, on the Clynder shore, and back.

Given the light wind and slightly more tide than we expected, not all boats made a good start at the right end of the start line, Circe & Dione got the best of it but even then, there were wind variations such that Circe pulled away slightly. Catriona, behind, tacked right in the hope of better wind but found little.  Those starting at the left-hand end of the line in more tide fared badly. The wind veered more towards North – meaning the D mark could be laid without tacking by some who were paying attention to the shifts and the tide.

Once round D it was a drift back to the start under spinnakers with Circe still leading from Dione then Catriona. The leaders rounded within the hour so commenced the second lap just as the wind picked up.

The second lap was much faster than the first but with wind variations, those in the middle benefitting, Dione overhauled Circe, and Catriona was closing fast by the second rounding of D. The reach back to the finish was more sporty but Dione held her lead and Catriona, ably assisted by Fergus the dog, managed to stay ahead of Circe. Further back, Athene had not spotted that there was a second round and hence sailed a bit further than she needed to.

Results: 1 Dione, 2 Catriona, 3 Circe, 4 Thalia, 5 Iris , 6 Halcyone, 7 Athene

PS Athena’s skipper further noted:

“Athene came last. Jointly and severally her helm and crew got it into their heads it was a shortened course, sailed to the shore end of the line and was 4th over that. She spent quite long time sailing to the anchorage before she realised there were no GODs around. Thalia being and crewed by smarter people had gone for the pin end sensibly to do a second round. Athene eventually turned round but it was too late do anything other than come last. Person writing race report might enjoy to put in a line about this idiocy.🙃”