Category Archives: Race Reports

From the leaky bowels of Luna……

Racing: Catriona, Circe Ceres , Dione, Halcyone, Hermes, Luna.
Conditions: Gentle Breeze from the Southwest. Sunshine. Fresh air and fun.

A close start on L6 took the fleet up to B at Silvers Boat Yard. Catriona round first and then gained further on the long run to G, the only boat using spinnaker on this leg and whose lead therefore stretched. The breeze and tide accounted for places swapping about, as it were, with boats being headed up the loch on both rounds. Circe was with us and then she was not for the second round. Too much fresh air and fun perhaps.

Luna was holding onto second but a spinnaker pole malfunction rather than seamanship (you know who is drafting this Report), started to cost her places. Halycone, as with last year racing with seemingly no one aboard, contested for second place, overtaking Luna but then losing out to Dione on the finishing leg. Halycone hoisted a spinnaker on the same leg and we all spotted her skipper, albeit briefly. Hermes closed on Luna at the last but not sufficiently to pass her or to mount a protest, something which will have been doubly disappointing to her skipper.

1 Catriona, 2 Dione, 3 Halycone, 4 Luna, 5 Hermes.
Circe Ceres DNF.

The forecast caused deliberations. Teal’s skipper and crew exchanged messages. Her crew wisely noted that wind and rain was better than rain and no wind. Thalia decided the forecast potential for 30 knot gusts was too much and decided to keep her powder dry. As Teal’s crew walked down the pier to the moorings her skipper opined that they were sheltered from the (SSE) wind blowing over Rhu’s eponymous spit** and that once away from the sheltered mornings it could be a bit heavier. Indeed. 

Five boats rigged and turned out for the start. Charles Darley on Catriona offered to be RO and a suggestion of H4 (ZAFZ) – offering a largely up-down course with good beats and runs – was agreed. The shore end was favoured and the line could could just be laid. Everyone came in on starboard with Catriona leading the lower bunch. Teal came in higher with good momentum on top of Catriona and led in towards the favoured shore end. Everyone tacked. Teal covering Catriona. Which in the gusty shifty wind wasn’t ideal for the covered boat. The wind seemed to head as we headed towards A and the Rhu narrows (perhaps a deflected wind off Tom na h-Airidh provided a lift closer in?) and A couldn’t quite be laid. Teal consolidated rounding first from Catriona. Dione, Halcyone and Hermes following. 

The run from A to F (the furthest NE mark) was exciting in strengthening wind and gusts. Teal raised her spinny first on port and then gybed to starboard. Catriona followed. Dione had some fun and admitted “to a fairly significant broach and spinnaker drop that resulted in strings in the wrong places (halyard over the boom)”. But that it “certainly blew the cobwebs away”! Halcyone overtook (but in the strong wind and gusts eventually decided to head in along with Hermes).

Teal rounded F with a good lead on Catriona. And Catriona likewise on the rest. The beat now was in strong gusty wind. The weather helm from the GOD’s large main was noticeable and a full main knocking the boat over wasn’t doing much either; Teal adjusted the rig to balance. Up to Z and then up further to A again. Teal rounded well ahead. Catriona didn’t make things any easier by carelessly letting a trailing spinnaker sheet touch the A mark. Rustiness with the spinnaker was admitted.

Back down on a shorter leg to G and back to Z again. Places well established with Teal from Catriona from Dione. Teal crossed the line within an hour and realised that, with only an on-the-water RO and no option to shorten, a THIRD round was required by the rules. With boats strung out whether this was good or bad news depended on one’s love of racing and/or weather hardiness.

No places changed hands as the remaining boats – Teal, Catriona, Dione – went once again to A and then G and then back to the finish line at Z. 

Ashore later Teal’s skipper looked at the actual weather data from the Met Office and it had indeed been gusting up to 30 knots***. Mostly good if wet fun.

1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Dione 

Halcyone, Hermes DNF

** Rhu is an anglicisation of Gaelic “rubha” (pronounced roo-ah), literally meaning “(geographical) point/promontory/headland”.

*** …or at least at the weather station at Bishopton at the top of a 10m pole.

Nine Garelochs took the opportunity to participate in the first race of the year, eager to show off their new paintjobs and test their over-winter tweaks under race conditions.  Many arrived earlier than usual to remind themselves how to put up their sails and go fast.

John Campbell arrived as Supporting Race officer only to be immediately promoted to Race Officer (with last minute support from Julian Forrester who was ‘just passing’).  The power didn’t go to his head and he set a very sensible course of L8, which suited the moderate force 2 blowing quite reliably from the North West.  Rumour has it there was some idle chatter from the water around ‘flag recognition lessons’ being needed but this didn’t take the shine off the perfect execution of his role.  He will likely be allowed to repeat this duty, especially as Circe is likely taking a gap year.

Fortunately, the new position of the Y mark closer to the shore was balanced with the high tide – which meant that there was plenty of water at the start line, although its oblique angle made it somewhat difficult to judge for some of us newcomers.

As the start horn blasted all boats pulled in tight for the beat over to Meikle Burn.  Some chose to cross the water early, others decided that a plod along the east shore made more sense.  There wasn’t much in it, although perhaps some did benefit from darting across early, with Ceres and Luna making some ground up here.  Catriona made the mark first, closely followed by Dione (Dione making some very good ground after starting at the back).  All other boats rounded the mark in quick succession and then it was time to see if the Spinnakers had been packed properly for their first outing.  Most appeared to fly well, with only Ceres (limited by crew experience and helm confidence) and Luna (single crewed) deciding against it.  Hermes sported a new and beautiful ‘Monocle’ arrangement to aid the flying of her big sail with ‘encouraging’ effect.  Catriona gave up first place to Dione during this run, both helms competing not just for first place but also for winner of best hat.

The G mark soon loomed and Thia, Ceres and Hermes were all in close contention – and then it was a simple matter of passing the start Y on the way up to the moorings mark A.  Simples.  Only the lead boat (Dione) decided that they would take a short cut and skip A.  Once they realised their error too much ground had been lost and Catriona laughed all the way around the correct course.

The second round saw the wind switch a little more to the North and the low sun made Catriona (and the D mark) almost invisible in the distance.  Ceres found themselves in the incredible position of 2^nd at this mark and decided it was crunch time and their spinnaker too must be raised for the final sprint to Y.  Ceres was were only passed by Dione, although towards the finish line Teal almost made 3^rd but couldn’t quite position to steal the wind or find the speed to pass.

Results:

1 Catriona, 2 Dione, 3 Ceres, 4 Teal, 5 Hermes, 6 Thalia, 7 Halcyone, 8 Thia, 9 Luna