Category Archives: Race Reports

(Report from Charles Darley – Catriona)

There was sunshine and good wind.  Those who are never satisfied might have liked it to be a few degrees warmer.

Race Officer Craig MacDonald sent us on a beat across the loch to D, north of Cylinder.  The shore end of the long starting line was favoured.  Circe, Dione, Arke and Catriona were near  that end at the start.  Catriona, last of the bunch, carried on towards the shore after the others had tacked out.  It paid, by the time she tacked out on starboard, those who felt attracted to the Shandon shore and tacked back took her counter.

Some went for the Clynder shore and were nowhere.  Circe stuck to the Shandon shore, which was better than Clynder but not as good as Dione and Catriona a  little further out.

Dione goes well to windward, Catriona could not stop her pulling away.  In the changeable air of the Gareloch, Dione thought she was at a lay line and tacked towards the D mark.  David Du Boulay, who crewed on Catriona 20 years ago, advised sailing to Garelochhead before tacking for marks north of Clynder.  Catriona stood on.  When she tacked, she saw Dione below her, struggling in changeable air.  Dione tacked out again and crossed behind.  Catriona was easing sails and pointing above the mark.  She was led astray.  Afflicted by large headers and light air near the mark, Dione reached in with elan and nearly caught her on starboard.  

Circe rounded in clear air with no challengers. Athene beat Arke round D but dropped a place in the argy bargy of the run to G, on the Shandon shore.  Halcyone and luna were similarly swapping places.

Craig considered a second round.  Those who had gone early to the Clynder shore were so far back from the front that he finished us.

1 Catriona, 2 Dione, 3 Circe, 4 Arke, 5 Athene, 6 Halcyone, 7 Iris.

(Report from Peter Elias – guest crew aboard Catriona)

Strong gusts from the southwest, forecasted up to 17 knots, was the subject of discussion with the conclusion that conditions were borderline for Gareloch racing. Wind conditions would have greater impact than the incoming tide. Four boats elected to proceed to race.

Race officer at Blairvadach, John Campbell, selected a windward course to B. Dione had the better start over Catriona and Hermes, with Athene being a late start. Both Dione and Hermes made progress along the eastern shoreline to minimise tidal effects. Catriona elected to sail upwind mid channel hoping to maximise the strong gusts. Arriving at B first was Dione followed by Catriona, Hermes and Athene.

For the downwind leg to G only Catriona flew the spinnaker. No change to race order arriving at G.

The beat across the Gareloch to C saw Catriona make up some ground on Dione. The beat back to the race line saw Catriona further close the gap on Dione. The Race Officer signaled a shortened course (which was well received by a few given the blustery and wet conditions!!) with Dione maintaining lead over Catriona, followed by Hermes and Athene.

Appreciation to the Class Convenor for a packed, and multi-skilled, afternoon: launch operator (including tender rower and overcoming launch start issues), Race Officer and GOD fleet bilge pumper. This makes racing in blustery conditions seem the easier, and more enjoyable, alternative. Thank you John!

1 Dione, 2 Catriona, 3 Hermes, 4 Athene

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