Category Archives: Race Reports

Report from John Campbell on Circe

A good turnout with a gentle breeze from the south, or thereabouts, and lovely post coronation sunshine (which was unexpected).

RO Fergus** set the course which was from Z, A, G, Z and at the start both Catriona and Ceres settled for a position down the line and got cleanly away. At the pin end, Circe had managed to get to the outer buoy on close hauled forcing a few others to be squeezed out, but no shouting or drama, so that was good! Up to A the boats generally stayed close to the Rhu shore and round the mark it was Catriona and Ceres up ahead, followed very closely by Circe, Dione and Halcyone.

On the run, there was good racing in the middle of the fleet, with boats jockeying for windward position, with spinnakers dangling a bit. For a moment, Catriona seemed stuck in a hole and the fleet bunched up but she moved on in good time. Hermes was well placed but then seemed to drop back (she was pointing well upwind).

Round the bottom mark and then the wind seemed to drop just that little bit more allowing Catriona to make good her lead (even though she overstood the Z mark), Circe arrived 2nd, followed by Halcyone, Dione, Ceres, Thalia, then Thia and Hermes. Just as well we didn’t do a 2^nd round….otherwise we might have been out there for the next coronation!!

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

**The RO’s assistant Charles Darley on Catriona points out: “It should be pointed out, Fergus is a dog sailing with the On the Water Race Officer.  He is more competent than most but timing is unreliable.”

Report from the Secretary.

The last of the points series races this year. It was combined with a dog race for which a separate report is being prepared. The finishing order, uncomplicated by any time allowance for length of dog, constitutes the result of the points series race.

Race officer, John Campbell, set a course, beginning with a good beat to D, north of Clynder. The Gareloch was up to its usual tricks regarding strength and direction of wind. Sometimes there was very little, and sometimes there was enough for water to come into the cockpit. Some tried beating up the Shandon shore. Others ventured further out into the adverse ebb tide. Either way it was tricky. Catriona was at the mark first from Halcyone and Teal. Those two covered each other, allowing Catriona to get away and establish a lead, which she lost only briefly in the variable air of the second round.

No one fancied setting a spinnaker for the final downwind leg to the finish.

1 Catriona, 2 Teal, 3 Zephyrus, 4 Halcyone, 5 Circe, 6 Athene.

Report from the Secretary

On the water Race Officer Shane Rankin chose one of the longer courses taking us to the northern most marks on the Clynder and Shandon shores. As often with fixed starting lines, there was strong bias. This time favouring the shore end.  Only Luna, Circe and Catriona went for it.

On the long windward leg to E, some found themselves in less wind. Catriona, Halcyone and Circe were at the mark first. Little changed on the reach across the loch to F, off Shandon Church. For the run back to the starting area, Catriona suffered a failure of her spinnaker halyard. Halcyone and Circe passed with ease.

There was time for a second round. Catriona found the best air to retake the lead at the windward mark and had sufficient margin to keep the others at bay downwind to the finish. Hermes was third at the mark, Halcyone had found poor air and Teal had recovered from a slow first round.

The first two places were settled.  Teal made good use of her spinnaker to take third.  Halcyone dropped back with a spectacular broach.  She got back two places near the finish.

1 Catriona, 2 Circe, 3 Teal, 4 Halcyone, 5 Hermes, 6 Zephyrus, 7 Dione, 8 Athene, 9 Luna.

Report from the Secretary.

There was very little wind as we ghosted from the moorings to the starting area.  Then it started to rain.

No race but we sailed back and forth to A, off the club, to justify having turned out.

[Editor: I’m not sure that the passive “having turned out” does justice to the Secretary’s role in it 😉 ]

Report from the Secretary.

The morning’s rain had gone away and the sun was shining. A steady breeze took us to the starting area. By the time the stragglers arrived and we went into a starting sequence, wind was very light.  By the start, speed through the water was judged against the flecks of debris on the surface.  Halcyone, Hermes and Dione made progress down the Shandon shore in a back eddy of the flood tide.  The rest of us stood still.

With intense concentration, sails were induced to maintain a semblance of the correct shape. Catriona insinuated herself past Thalia.  Luna, well back, found some pressure to ghost across the loch from the starting area on the way to B, off Silvers.

Hermes and Halcyone swapped the lead.  Catriona found a little momentum whilst the two leaders slowed each other.  At B, the order was Catriona, Halcyone, Hermes, Thalia, Circe, Dione, Ceres, Luna.  Zephyrus had become jaded and took a tow home.

It had taken an hour and 20 minutes to reach B. It looked unlikely we should reach the next mark, G (with the possibility of a finish after at least two legs)  before the time limit.  The decision was made to go home.  As ever, a breeze filled in (through the narrows) to take us to the moorings. Still patchy though. We should have been unlikely to reach G.

Report from Chris Beale (on board Catriona – but the new owner of Galatea which will be back in the water next season!)

A fine day with no rain, temperature 17°C and winds WSW 6Kts gusting 11Kts. Low tide at 14.22hrs.

Light wind course L7 was in use. Ten Garelochs mustered at the Y line, Catriona leading the beat across to the C mark. There followed a close spinnaker reach to the G mark then a beat to the D mark during which shifting winds unsettled some of the fleet. Catriona reached the line at 54 minutes, initiating the second lap. The beat to the C mark passed in short order however the wind dropped close to the shoreline and the incoming tide made the downwind spinnaker run to the B mark a slow affair in which some places were gained. Catriona rounded the mark ahead of the pack with thirty boat lengths in hand on the final reach to the finish line.

1 Catriona – Charles Darley and Chris Beale (a novice Gareloch sailor who took the Kings’ shilling and was pressed into service at the last moment). A rather clumsy performance by the cabin boy failed to upset the Cap’n and victory was gained none the less.
2 Teal – Iain MacGillivray and Ufo Sutter. Ufo had been away visiting friends in Germany leaving Iain short handed, however the return of the teutonic powerhouse has restored Teal to competitive form.
3 Thalia – Cmdr. Peter Proctor and Roger Kinns. Recently afloat again after repairs Light and clean below the water line.
4 Circe – John Campbell and Gareth
Atkins. Deployment of their secret weapon, a new robotic bottom cleaning device, did little to advantage Circe.
5 Hermes – Donald Aiken and Wendy Jones. Carol is away in Canada therefore after-race drinks was a generally calm affair.
Hermes overhauling Dione on the way to the line.
6 Dione – Lt Cmdr Barrie Choules and Jamie Grant. I’m told Barrie may have suffered a messy bottom – perhaps it was fear of the challenge from Hermes!
7. Athene – Prof. John Blackie and Michael Lapsley. Athene, approaching the C mark for the first time on the starboard tack, allowed the port tack Thalia and Circe, who had called for water, to round in front. I’m informed that he should have made them tack away, so make the call next time John!
8. Luna – Julian Forrester and Chris Ings. Leaking less than she did thanks to Chris and a bucket of sawdust. I have been given some notes on Luna’s performance but I’ll not repeat them here.
9 Thia – Michael Knox of whom I know little but hope to have the privilege of ribbing in future.

DNF Ceres – Paul Blackburn and a young crew. Bottom scrubbing very much needed Paul!

1 Catriona, 2 Teal, 3 Thalia, 4 Circe, 5 Hermes, 6 Dione, 7 Athene, 8 Luna, 9 Thia, DNF Ceres.

We drifted to the start line on a NEerly which became a NWerly. The RO was persuaded that perhaps racing would best be abandoned. A good thing as what little wind there was promptly died.

We then drifted back as a hint of wind then arrived from the S. Before it decided to come from the SE. Before it decided – contrary to any forecast or reason – to come from the SW.

An early night and some drinks and dinner in the bar was perhaps for the best.

(No race!)