Category Archives: Race Reports

Good wind after disappointing weather at the weekend. The first leg, a beat to B, off Silvers, began with a starting line where the pin end was the only place to be. Catriona was a little early, so that she lacked speed at the gun. Iris bore away and had that speed. Teal arrived a little later and passed to windward at full tilt. Zoe and Ceres were in the mix too.
Catriona fell out of the back of sandwich between Teal and Iris, tacked away and struggled. Iris kept a convincing lead, the other contenders crossed in front of each other, depending on the wind in the part of the Gareloch where they had sailed.
From B was a leg downwind to G, off the Shandon shore. There was little change of order, although a stushie (if not a stramash) between Hermes and Thalia near the end of the leg.
Places did not change on the beat to C, at Clynder. A spinnaker leg to the finish followed. Catriona had managed to stay within range of Iris. When the leader’s spinnaker hoist was imperfect, Catriona took advantage. The flaw was not sufficient for Zoe to do the same.

1 Catriona, 2 Iris, 3 Zoe, 4 Teal, 5 Hermes, 6 Thalia, 7 Ceres.

The weekend began with a superb lift off party thrown by Michael and Jo Knox. A special ginger based cocktail refreshing on a warm evening. Whilst not occuous, the proportion of vodka was sufficient to make sure it wasn’t innocuous. If only the weather could have been as good.
Race officer Dick Taylor, aboard the Dicken family’s Tegwynt, had a trying time. Four races were scheduled for Saturday, two for Sunday morning. Dick was able to start two races on Saturday. Both ended with boats ghosting to the finish.
In the first, there was a running start from the club to Blairvadach. The pin end of the line was favoured because it was nearer the strongest of the flood tide. Thalia and Zoe in particular started well and pushed some of the other contenders out of the best of the tide. Boats were close together approaching the rounding mark at Blairvadach. There was confusion on Zoe who had forgotten the mark was to be left to port. It led to a contretemps with Thalia, who had mark room. Zoe lost concentration for a while so that Catriona was able to sneak round into second place. Iris was on the outside of a bunch which set her back.
On the beat back to the starting area, most elected to punch the tide in the loch, where wind seemed less feeble. Iris took to the shore and looked out of it for a while. She was leading as she came out from the shore towards the windward mark but tacked close to it which let Catriona in.
Pressure was reducing all the while. The choice of route to and from Blairvadach a matter of guesswork more than judgement. Juno made the best of an inside overlap she obtained near the end of the downwind leg to make a good mark rounding and stay in contention. Catriona kept her lead, Juno second and Zoe third. Iris, this time, did not prosper inshore. After an agonizingly slow tack out, she was fourth. Thalia fifth.
Sufficient ripples appeared to give Dick the confidence to send us to C, off Clynder, for the second race. Most of us chose to go out for the favourable tide. There seemed to be wind as well. Juno in particular showed pace. Again we were afflicted with very light air. Juno fell back and Zoe insinuated herself past Iris. The few who had taken to the Shandon shore, Thia in particular, began to look good. Catriona rounded first and set a spinnaker, which she soon had to take down. Progress back to the line was meaningful to start with but became ever more marginal. Catriona kept her lead, Zoe second. Thia made the most of her advantageous trip up the Shandon shore and was third.
We waited, but there was to be no more wind.
At the barbecue, hosted by Peter and Francoise Proctor, there was optimistic talk of having three races on Sunday morning if time allowed. As it was, it rained and there was never enough wind to start a race. The overall results:-

1 Catriona, 2 Zoe, 3 Juno, 4 Thia, 5 Iris, 6 Thalia, 7 Ceres, 8 Hermes. Retaining the Tourist Trophy (a fine silver rowlock) for a second year, 9 Athene.

The good weather was supposed to have been coming to an end. It rained but still warm. There appeared to be little breeze. Certainly there were still patches but small ripples on the water were accompanied by significant pressure.
Race Officer Neil Isaacs did the best he could with the direction of wind and sent us on a fetch to A, off the club. The pin end of the line was strongly favoured, for direction and strength of wind and for tide.
Iris, concerned about staying close to the line when there are light patches, was early. She was obliged to bear away down into lighter air which did for her. There was outrageous barging at the pin. So much so that those boats with right of way could not persuade the raft to move up and had to bear away to avoid contact.
Ceres was closest to the pin and took the lead. Catriona tried hard but could not catch her before the A mark. Nor on the reach to C, at Clynder. A rapid spinnaker hoist for the leg back to the start/finish area gave Catriona the place. Luffing by Ceres of Zoe and Thalia slowed the chasing pack.
As Catriona approached the line at the end of the first round, we had been racing for a little over half an hour. Too soon to shorten course. Wind, however, was dying. The last of it brought up the fleet and the drift to A was a matter of luck. Ceres got back her lead, Hermes got into second and Iris showed her skill at reading the Gareloch in these trying conditions.
On the way to C, forward momentum was assessed by checking transits of moored boats against the shore. Zoe ghosted into the lead but it was ever more clear we should not finish before the time limit. Results, taken at the end of the first round, were:-

1 Catriona, 2 Zoe, 3 Ceres, 4 Thalia, 5 Hermes, 6 Juno, 7 Iris, 8 Thia, 9 Teal.

Another day of shirtsleeves and sun. There was plenty of wind, too, although it was not evenly distributed over the Gareloch.
On the Water Race Officer Carol Rowe was unable to start us with a leg to windward and so sent us on a run to D, north of Clynder. She made the best start in Hermes although found one of the many holes soon after and tarried too long on the Shandon shore. The rest of us were by no means sharp, but managed to get away into the loch where wind was less inconsistent. Nevertheless, the direction varied from dead run to as fine as the spinnaker wanted.
Catriona and Teal were first at D. Thalia next although she was having trouble dropping her spinnaker and in the confusion rounded the mark the wrong way. Returning to get it right promoted Hermes.
There was a beat to the Shandon shore, which spread the fleet, followed by another offwind leg to E, the most northerly mark on the Clynder shore. The first three maintained their order. After E, a beat back to the finish. In the variable wind, the corners of the racecourse were especially dangerous. Some stayed too long on the Clynder shore and discovered that to their cost.
When there is no race officer on shore, the instructions say the race is shortened if the leading boat crosses the line at the end of a round more than 1 hour from the start. Catriona crossed after 1 hour and 30 seconds. Teal close by. Thalia made ground on Hermes but could not get the place back. Ceres had been ahead of Thia but was caught on port tack near to the line so that Thia, on starboard, made up a place.

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

Time flies, this was the first race of the last of the three points series for Tuesday evenings.
Sailing in shirt sleeves is becoming a habit. There was good wind in places, but even there its direction varied. We were sent on a beat across the loch to D, north of Clynder. The shore end of the starting line was favoured but, as often happens, there was little wind close in. Early contenders were Juno, Thalia, Iris (sailed single handed by Simon Jackson) and Catriona.
Iris got herself into clear air and was able to sail as she wanted in the variable conditions. Catriona edged past Thalia on the windward side. That meant both sailed closer to the wind than they otherwise might have. To the benefit of Iris. In similar wind on Sunday, the Shandon shore had paid. Juno tried that, but it was not the same this evening.
Iris, Thalia and Catriona swapped places as they made their way to D. For a long time, Iris was well ahead. For the leaders, the area around D had no noticeable wind. Iris was there for some time. Catriona got herself back into contention. Hermes found a line of pressure and was able to call for mark room from several boats struggling to approach the mark.
Spinnaker legs to the finish. There was not going to be a second round. Unaccountably, Catriona passed Iris to leeward on a line of air that defied physics.
The final leg was straight downwind for much of the time. Bias on the finishing line caused the shore end to be favoured, where there was no wind. Catriona became nervous as a suggestion of a breeze filled in behind and brought up Iris and Thalia. Luffing to keep her air clear of the shadow from Iris took her further from the shore and thus from the line. Thalia, meanwhile, bet on going close inshore and became another threat. As it turned out:-

1 Catriona, 2 Iris, 3 Thalia, the race officer could not sepparate Hermes and Zephyrus who were 4th equal, 6 Juno, 7 Thia, 8 Ceres.

Another magnificent day. Sunshine and wind. Race officer Peter Proctor took advantage and sent us on a long course beginning with a beat to E, near Rahane on the Clynder shore. We were joined by Juno who had sailed across from Clynder.
Now the tide was flooding and it seemed obvious to head out towards Clynder. Zephyrus found a hole behind the starting line so that when she started (at the favoured shore end), most of the fleet was well across the loch. Juno got away especially well. Catriona tacked back towards the Shandon shore and was surprised to see Zephyrus, on Starboard, cross well ahead. It was in Zephyrus’s mind to cross the fleet on starboard after they had tacked. She failed to register the huge advantage of being near the Shandon shore. A lesson not lost on Juno or Catriona. When these two finally had to commit to sailing across the loch, the problem of light and changeable wind on the Clynder shore became obvious. Juno rounded first by a margin to begin the fineish reach back across the loch to F at Shandon Church. She was not prompt with the spinnaker and, unsure of the direction, bore away too much. Catriona made her kite pay. On account of the bear away, Juno was sailing a little higher than was comfortable and lost the lead.
Ceres was on the pace and was third for a long time until Hermes overtook on the approach to E. Athene was leading the rest.
There was time for a second round. Catriona found better air first and stretched her lead. Some thought to try the Clynder shore again. It might have seemed OK for a while but wind was filling in from Garelochhead. Those who stayed on the Shandon shore got to it first and the gaps widened. Athene kept Thalia at bay for a long time but was had on the approach to the windward mark. Trying conditions near the Clynder shore.

1 Catriona, 2 Juno, 3 Hermes, 4 Ceres, 5 Thalia, 6 Thia, 7 Athene, 8 Zephyrus.

If all evenings were like this one, there would be no need to sail anywhere else. Good steady wind and sunshine.
Race Officer Andrew Nicholson set us off on a beat up the Shandon Shore.
Catriona has been starting badly of late. Her final approach was way too early so that she was almost stopped and pinching hard at the pin end. Zephyrus started on the gun with boat speed. Zoe was in there too.
On the first beat, it was not clear whether the Shandon shore or the loch were favoured. Less adverse tide at the shore, more wind in the loch. Sometimes. Zephyrus and Zoe, then Thalia and Teal rounded the windward mark for the reach to Clynder. Catriona and Hermes found themselves overlapped and hurting each others chances of making a good rounding.
Thalia had her spinnaker halyard tangled with the forestay so that her journey to Clynder was not as fast as it should have been. She held up Teal. Catriona took advantage.
Downwind to A, off the club, Zephyrus and Zoe kept their leading positions. A beat back to the line and time for a second round.
Teal was undone. Sonars sail only two rounds and some were finishing as she crossed the line. Mistaking the gun for her own finish, she stopped racing. By the time she realised, it was far too late. Catriona got the best of the wind and tide upwind to take the lead. Zephyrus and Zoe had a race on. Zephyrus beat Zoe to A, at the end of the run from Clynder. She chose to go inshore for the beat to the finish. Zoe stayed further out, which was better.

1 Catriona, 2 Zoe, 3 Zephyrus, 4 Thalia, 5 Ceres, 6 Hermes, 7 Teal.

There was little wind. On the water Race Officer, Peter Proctor, was about to make the best of it with a short beat across the loch. A large RIB with blue flashing lights and two even larger MOD Police aboard asked who was in charge. Commander Proctor we said. They were not impressed and told us the loch was closed for a submarine to leave. We sailed a course up and down the Shandon shore. Tacking was required only at one of the marks. It was a much better race than you would imagine.
The start was during a lull. Those in the right place at the right time, pointing the right way with a little momentum, were at an advantage. Zephyrus, Thalia and Hermes looked good. Iris was close in to the shore and moving fast (a relative term) to begin with. She slowed in light air and fell into the shadow of the fleet.
Zephyrus and Thalia had the lead with Catriona chasing hard. Catriona made the best of the spinnaker, which was useful in one direction, and insinuated herself into the lead. Zephyrus was close behind until she dropped her spinnaker into the water. The immediate braking effect, then the spinnaker being heavy with water, did for her. Thalia overtook Hermes by carefully setting her third sail.

1 Catriona, 2 Zephyrus, 3 Thalia, 4 Hermes, 5 Iris, 6 Ceres, 7 Athene

A magnificent day for sailing. Three races on the east patch. Wind and tide there are different to the Gareloch. There are large variations in wind strength, but not so randomly distributed.
In the first race, Catriona got the best start and got away well towards the Greenock shore where wind strengthened. That helped her to a substantial lead and she was never at risk. Zephyrus got the better of Zoe by sailing where pressure was greater.
In the second, Catriona tried to repeat the tactic of her first race but was over the start line early. In returning, she let Zoe away. This time, it was Zoe who got to the better wind first and established a good lead. Catriona caught a little downwind but it still looked hopeless for her. Beating back to the finish she tacked for the line earlier than Zoe and for a short time looked good. She was obliged to give mark room at the committee boat to Zoe who took the win by a couple of seconds.
In the third, Zoe was able to luff Catriona over the start line so that she was able to get away again. Catriona, following, fell into the disturbed air of a couple of Etchells and felt the need to tack away. She was comfortably third on the approach to the windward mark. Setting the spinnaker when others didn’t was not enough.

1 Zoe, 2 Catriona, 3 Zephyrus. The other Garelochs missed good racing.

This was the second attempt at a cadets Race. Two weeks earlier there had been no wind. This night we certainly didn’t want any more wind. There were four boats competing.
Race Officer Charles Darley sent the fleet on a beat across the loch to D, north of Clynder. There was a formidable team in Iris, Callum Gregor who is an Optimist Champion with Simon Jackson crewing. They took the lead almost at once. Zoe Robinson (who had helmed to win the Yvonne Armstrong Trophy on the previous Sunday) pushed them hard in Thalia. Teal (Andrew Choules) and Hermes (Callum Fowlis) fought over third. Teal seemed to have it but fell into a hole on the Clynder shore. She got the place back though.
Offwind across the loch to Shandon, Thalia caught up to Iris and had an inside overlap for the mark, still some way ahead. Experience on Iris showed. They were able to blanket Thalia and thereafter keep ahead. The final leg to the finish was a reach, with little opportunity for passing.

1 Callum Gregor (Iris), 2 Zoe Robinson (Thalia), 3 Andrew Choules (Teal), 4 Callum Fowlis (Hermes).

It should be noted that the trophy for first is a perfectly attractive silver cup. For second is the magnificent bronze Simpson Elephant