Category Archives: Race Reports

‘The Dog Race was an idea thought up by David Ryder Turner some two
decades ago as a bit of fun to mark the end of the Gareloch sailing
season. It has always been held in early September because that was when
racing series used to finish; more recently, an early-start Tuesday
evening set of races and a Sunday afternoon series have taken the racing
calendar to the end of September but the timing of the Dog Race remains
unchanged.
Five Garelochs took part – Catriona, Thalia, Athene, Hermes and Halcyone
but only three dogs – Milton as crew member in Hermes, Bracken in Athene
and Lolly in Halcyone.  The dogs behaved impeccably.  Convenor Peter
Proctor did produce a stuffed dog who completed the race secured to
Thalia’s boom; Lena Sutter named the stuffed dog Fudge.
Dog measuring was carried out by Class President Gordon Mucklow who also
fulfilled the role of Race Officer assisted by Sue Mucklow. Tim and
Elizabeth Henderson kindly provided Blue Iris as Committee Vessel.
Gordon started the race from the A mark for a triangular course ABYA
and, despite the wind being a light south westerly, two laps were
completed.  Catriona led from the start and retained first place
throughout.  Similarly Hermes recorded second fastest times elapsed for
both rounds.  Thalia, Halcyone and Athene were competing closely for the
remaining places until Thalia infringed Halcyone’s and Athene’s water
rights at the Y mark second time round incurring a 720 penalty.
Interestingly, Halcyone, finishing on the water 19 seconds behind Hermes
in third place, claimed second place overall after times were corrected
for dog length.  For that Shane and Fenella Rankin had Lolly to thank.
Result (corrected times): 1) Catriona 1.12.46  2) Halcyone 1.16.02 3)
Hermes 1.16.07  4) Athene 1.20.36  5) Thalia 1.25.25

In accordance with tradition, a barbeque at the Clubhouse was held after
the race for which fancy dress was encouraged –  Barbara McManus had
proposed Olympic Games with a Brazilian twist.  A general invitation for
the event was extended to Club members other than Garelochs increasing
numbers attending to around 30.  Charles Darley inflicted a dangerous
Caipirinha cocktail on attendees at the start (unofficial cocktail of
the Rio Olympics, rum based and quite nice actually).  He also
generously conceded the race first prize (a dog’s body draught excluder
and inscribed dog drinking bowl) to Halcyone since none of his crew
members was a dog.  Francoise Proctor won the bottle of fizz for best
fancy dress.’

The usual Sunday afternoon race had been switched to Saturday to accommodate the Dog Race on Sunday. Only three Garelochs came to race.

On the water Race Officer Iain MacGillivray chose a course down then up the Shandon shore. With wind forecast to reduce, he wisely avoided a course taking us across the loch and across the tide.

Catriona got the best start down the windward leg to A, off the club. She chose to tack out into the loch to clear a moored boat near the line. The others bore away and stayed inshore. Out was better.

Zephyrus and Teal were on terms after the mark, at the beginning of the run to G at Shandon. Teal used her spinnaker to draw ahead.

At A on the second round, Teal had narrowed the gap and drew alongside Catriona under spinnaker. Catriona fell into the wind shadow and thus behind. In one of those curiosities of air currents in the Gareloch, a puff from behind took her back through the wind shadow and ahead.

Back at the starting line, the leader was just in time to trigger a third round. It might have been better if she hadn’t because wind was reducing as forecast. Zephyrus saw little point battling the adverse tide in very light air.

1 Catriona, 2 Teal, Zephyrus DNF

Years ago, this would have been the last race of the year.  All points series used to finish at the end of August.  The Gareloch class could not bear that so we continued racing to the end of September.

After a few days and evenings of no wind, this evening has a good breeze.  Blowing in a direction which allowed a start to windward, to B off Silvers.

Catriona made the best start by getting to the favoured pin end of the line first.  Arch rival Teal was tangling with Hermes, which did little for her progress.

Thalia had a guest crew from the Royal Navy, who need more experience on this type.

Off wind back across the loch was testing on account of the usual shifting wind of the Gareloch.  There were many gybes.  Hermes and Athene were making an impression on Teal.

Catriona began what seemed at first to be a fetch to C, off Clynder, with a comfortable lead.  Teal found a fast lane across the loch and made the best of unpredictable air near the shore to take the lead.  The fine reach to the finish was not conducive to further changes of place.

1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Athene, 4 Hermes, 5 Thia, 6 Thalia.

Rain, strong tide, no wind, no race.

On the water Race Officer Iain MacGillivray selected a course beginning with a leg to windward across the loch to D, north of Clynder.  Wind was light and changeable.  Catriona and Teal covered each other and changed places as wind favoured one then the other.  Meanwhile, Halcyone and Hermes headed straight across the loch, found wind on the west shore and rounded well in front.  Thalia, Teal and Catriona approached the mark together in next to no wind.  For a while it seemed Thalia had a decisive inside overlap but Catriona found a breath which took her clear.  Teal cut inside Thalia to make a better rounding.  Offwind, across the loch she overtook Catriona by dint of superior spinnaker handling.

The leg down the Shandon shore to the finish was curious.  Teal and Catriona gybed their spinnakers at the mark but ahead, Halcyone and Hermes were close hauled on opposite tacks.  Further down the leg, Teal and Catriona dropped their spinnakers and tacked with little change in direction.  There was more tacking of a similar nature.  As the pair were wondering how close to the shore they could go, it became apparent that Halcyone, closer in, was not moving.  She prodded herself clear using the spinnaker pole but soon found the land again and paddled away from her first place to retire.

Catriona, meanwhile, found herself to windward of Teal after one of those curious tacks and failed to keep clear.  Teal went on to win with Catriona taking penalty turns in next to no wind.  Hermes (who had not set a spinnaker) and Thalia were battling each other but failed to capitalise on the penalty turns.  In the end Hermes came out the better of that pair but Thia had found some pressure.  She just managed to touch the finishing line before losing momentum.  Hermes passed with comparative speed but just too late.

Athene was looking strong near the shore but losing way in light air and was obliged to paddle so as to avoid doing what Halcyone had done.  Galatea was in the hunt for a while but failed to catch Thalia.

1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Thia, 4 Hermes, 5 Thalia, 6 Galatea.  Halcyone and Athene RTD.

We drifted to the starting area and after Race Officer Iain MacGillivray abandoned, we drifted back again.

On the water Race Officer Charles Darley set a course beginning with a windward leg to Clynder, thence zigzagging back and forth across the loch.

Catriona, with guest helm Gordon Mucklow, started at the favoured shore end.  Just an arms reach from the shore before she tacked.  The good start paid and she gently made ground to windward against Teal, who was characteristically on the pace.  Wind towards the Clynder shore was unkind to the light blue boat.  Wind backing favoured the boats to leeward.  Zephyrus, benefiting from crew Felix Taylor, crossed in front of the fleet having sailed close to the Clynder shore.  Meanwhile, those who had delayed their trip across the loch had a favoured streak of wind into the mark.  It was Hermes who led the downwind leg to G, off Shandon.  She, however, rounded G on the wrong side and failed to correct the error.  The rest of her race was purely for practice.

Unusually, tacking was only needed at marks for the rest of the race.  Which included a second round.  Those who could make their spinnakers work with the wind well forward of the mast did well.  On the fine reach from G, back across the loch to Silvers, there was luffing between Thalia and Halcyone.  To the benefit of Catriona.  Athene too was going well and gained a place on each subsequent leg.

Catriona made Teal concentrate so as to keep her first place.  Which she did by dint of superior handling of the spinnaker.

1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Halcyone, 4 Athene, 5 Thalia, 6 Zephyrus, 7 Thia.  Hermes RTD.  Galatea DNF.

Wind was not exceptional, but there was enough for Race Officer Carol Rowe to send us on a beat across the loch to D, north of Clynder.  Teal got the best start at the favoured shore end of the line and was not to be caught.  There was a choice to be made of going up the Shandon shore or Clynder shore to begin with.  Zoe stayed right longer than the other contenders.  She was close to rounding in second place and was able to luff Catriona on the downwind leg across the loch. The luff prevented passing to windward but Catriona set a spinnaker, which Zoe did not, and made progress to leeward.  All this, though, let Thalia into second place.

Fearing the wind would die (as was forecast) Carol finished us after one round.  Teal was enjoying the sail and carried on, some of us followed for a second round.  Just for pleasure, of course.

1 Teal, 2 Thalia, 3 Catriona, 4 Zoe, 5 Ceres, 6 Thia, 7 Galatea

Too much wind, no race

Race Officer Michael Knox was faced with the usual problem when wind has an easterly component.  It is not possible to start with a beat to windward.  He sent us on a fetch to A, off the club, thence downwind to Clynder and a good beat back.