Category Archives: Race Reports ’19

Race Officer Neill Ross initially chose a course beginning with a windward leg across the loch.  He changed it, on account of the wind backing, to a course with an S prefix, denoting short and intended for light air.  Wind was strong so there was disappointment until we looked at the course card to see it was up and down the Shandon shore (right for the wind) and not particularly short.  Bias as usual on the fixed starting line with the pin favoured.  Thalia took pole position.

Catriona and Halcyone set off across the loch.  Teal and Thalia tried their hand inshore.  Inshore did not pay.  The order was established by the windward mark.  Halcyone could not catch Catriona, not Teal Halcyone, not Thalia Teal.  The three leaders came close on the first leg downwind when wind strengthening from behind made the first boat nervous.

It was textbook windward/leeward.  Perhaps the only thing lacking was a need to gybe the spinnaker downwind.  A good course with time for three rounds.

1 Catriona, 2 Halcyone, 3 Teal, 4 Thalia, 5 Thia, Hermes DNF.

Not encouraging for the cruising sailor as we made our way out.  It was gusty as a squall of rain passed down the Gareloch.  The sky cleared by the time of the start.  The gusts remained strong.

On the water Race Officer Iain MacGillivray (sailing as crew on Dione) started us with an upwind leg to D, on the Clynder shore, thence across to Shandon (G) and back.  The fixed starting line, as almost always happens, was biassed.  The pin end favoured this time.  There was a choice between being early or being at the back.  Dione and Halcyone got the best of it.

Dione and Catriona covered each other across the loch whilst Hermes and Thalia trended up the Shandon shore.  Halcyone went more up the middle.  For a while, it seemed Thalia and Halcyone were way out in front.  Large headers and lulls approaching the mark caused them to lose advantage.  Wind especially cruel to Thalia, she rounded fourth.

Readers of previous reports will know of a continuing debacle regarding the sighting of racing marks.  Dione (having chosen the course) headed for F, further north, rather than G.  Halcyone followed, Thalia had her suspicions, Catriona saw the error but delayed telegraphing it until she was in front.

Halcyone and Thalia battled each other near the shore, on the way back to the starting area.  It did them no good.

There was time for a second round which had a long windward leg from A, off the club, back to D.  Catriona began comfortably in front.  The three large men on the windward rail of Dione kept her flat and powered up.  Lucy Forrester and Sophie Hutchison, on Catriona, are rather lighter.  Dione, as happened on the first round, climbed away.

A run downwind to the finish from D.  The strong gusts and changes of direction (especially near the Clynder shore) discouraged the setting of spinnakers.  As the wind evened out, Catriona set hers.  With spectacular rocking and rolling she caught up to Dione for a photo finish.  Unfortunately no one on the shore to judge it. (Editor – so marked as a rare 2= finish!)

2= Dione, 2= Catriona, 3 Thalia, 4 Halcyone, Hermes DNF

This was a wonderful close race of three boats, a tribute to the enthusiasm and skill of the four mustard keen cadets, Lucy Forrester (Catriona), James McPherson (Thalia) and Logan Brown, with Noah Watson as part of his crew (Thia).  Thalia was over first and with a quite strong wind coming down the loch there were challenges in deciding what the optimum course to reach the first mark on the Clynder shore would be.  Thia was second over the line and having kept further out in the loch than Thalia was first at the mark.  On the next leg, the wind was moderating and shifting back and forth on what began as a reach and eventually became a run across the loch.  The rule being no spinnakers, adult crew members, endowed with differing arm lengths goose winged jibs, sometimes successfully.   The final leg down the Shandon shore presented a tactical question.  Thalia kept out to get what looked at the start of the leg like a better wind.  She managed to hold her lead at the line, though her wind had lessened. Thia kept out but not so far.  Catriona, who was third round went down the shore.  This proved an effective choice, as the wind was kind for most of the way, and so she could benefit from the shorter distance.  Having been in front for a while on the leg she made it to second over the line, with Thia snarling at her stern, barely a boat length away.

Everyone went into the Club house for a celebration of what had been universally experienced as a good evening.  Cadets received a something in thanks for their wonderful effort.

Research has revealed that the last time a report of a Cadets Race was made was six years ago.  The cadets this time have asked we do not let it lapse again and expressed their intention to be back with more. 

As that 2013 report states, “the trophy for first is a perfectly attractive silver cup.  For second is the magnificent bronze Simpson Elephant”.

1 James McPherson (Thalia), 2 Lucy Forrester (Catriona) 3 Logan Brown (Thia).

An evening of light air.  There was not enough to tempt the Sonars.  Race Officer Michael Knox waited a little before setting the shortest course to A, off the club, and back.

Catriona had trouble rigging and was very late at the start.  Usually, that would have resulted in a convincing last place but this evening the light and variable air caught some.

Halcyone started convincingly from Thalia and benefitted from better wind out in the loch.  Luna and Hermes suffered inshore.  After the leaders had reached A, there was always a breeze but always still patches.

On the second round, Thalia had the lead offwind towards the starting area.  She dropped her spinnaker when the wind came forward and so lost out when it went back again.  Halcyone and Catriona (by now back in contention) were concentrating so hard on being first to the line they did not notice there was to be a third round.  Thalia, paying more attention, rounded first and retook the lead.  She found a narrow band of wind down the loch and was not to be caught.  Halcyone ventured too far towards the Clynder shore where air was still.  The rest made progress on the Shandon shore.  Halcyone, with the help of her spinnaker, managed to repass Luna near to the finish.

1 Thalia, 2 Catriona, 3 Hermes, 4 Halcyone, 5 Luna.

(Belated guest report from our Convenor aboard Athene!)

East winds present challenges in the Gareloch as has been remarked before in Race Reports.  One of these is that a reaching or running start is unavoidable.   Another is that the wind on the Blairvadach shore is unpredictable. A third is it can be very gusty.   All five boats were slow at getting to the start line owing to the wind going down for a bit.    Crossing the loch to the D mark with the wind moving around there was a question as to whether a spinnaker would help or not.  Eventually already way out in front Dione raised hers and became even further out in front.  Athene raised hers early, and to good effect.   Thia did too, but had a problem, after the race revealed to have been the result of putting the spinnaker boom up on the leeward side. Hermes decided it was worth it further over the loch.  Dione had rounded the D mark lang syne when Athene got around second. 

On the beat across to G in quite strong gusty wind Hermes and Thia pointed well and quickly overhauled, with Luna with guest helm, Seb Hudson also doing well.  Athene pointed badly. Hermes in a suddenly light wind got tangled with the mark.  But having done the necessary she caught up and overtook on the next leg down the loch to B, the first leg of the second round of the H3 course, which then goes up the Clynder shore to C before crossing back.  With Dione now home in the anchorage, the four behind crossed the line at Z still relatively close together with Athene at the back.

1 Dione 2 Hermes 3 Thia 4 Luna 5 Athene

The weather was not very summery but the wind was good. RO Prof. Blackie (Athene) and assistant RO Miriam Sutter selected course H6 – a bold choice of ‘High wind’ course on for an evening race but one that gave a good beat to B and then a good long run down the loch followed by a beat back and across via C. Interestingly with not only a differing course for Sonars and Garelochs (not unusual) but with differing marks on largely the same route. This would prove to be crucial for those paying, and not paying, attention as you will see!

With Catriona’s helm being away at Classic Week on the Baltic, Teal had only to finish 2nd or better to secure the series. So it was strategically rather incompetent that she found herself starting last having been OCS. The start had a not-uncommon bias due to the fixed shore with the Z mark being favoured. This led to all of the boats vying for pole and Thia, Hermes and Teal were all over early. This made it difficult to work out who was OCS and Teal thought she was just OK and that Thia or others were the culprits. But the flag stayed up and so back she went belatedly. (The RO later reported that it was a matter of six inches but over is over.) This left Dione well out in front with the others chasing and Teal at the back.

At the B mark Dione was still well in front with Hermes, then Thia, Thalia following. Teal had managed to get in front of Luna and chasing down Thalia and Thia who had a luffing battle. Hermes having some struggles with the kite allowed the others to pass to windward.

At this point Teal realised that Dione was heading to the G mark – following the Sonars – rather than the correct F mark much farther up the loch. Thia and Hermes following Dione. Teal luffed up a little to point to the correct mark and overtake Thalia. At the F mark Teal – unbelievably given her start – now leading from Thalia. Thia and Hermes spotted the error and Dione eventually realised her mistake when she saw everyone ignoring her and her illusory lead.

A good beat now to C. Teal covering both Thalia who had tacked immediately and kept down the loch and Thia who had headed slightly further over to the Clynder shore before tacking and was pointing menacingly at times.  Careful covering of a strong Thalia was required by Teal to arrive first at the C mark. A swift kite launch saw Teal well out in the lead heading for the finish of the shortened course. Thalia was careful to defend against Hermes’ luffing and came in a solid second having made neither an OCS start nor gone to the wrong mark! Dione did at least manage to get past Luna but her crew were somewhat sheepish in the bar after.

1 Teal, 2 Thalia, 3 Hermes, 4 Thia, 5 Dione, 6 Luna (RO duty: Athene)

Gareloch numbers were reduced due to some of the class participating in the German Classic yacht regatta in the Baltic. Those remaining were greeted by near perfect weather and I little judicious crew negotiations meant that Thia was persuaded to leave the gardening for another day and come out.

A broadly westerly wind resulted in a start towards Silvers using the”Boinard” north-south start line. After a reasonable start, Captain Michaelis, a moored yacht acted as an obstruction, Dione chose to go below and stay out of the tide, Thalia chose to cross the loch. At the first mark, it was clear that due cognisance of the tide paid. The long run up to mark F at Shandon gave time for some spinnaker training, complicated by an RN patrol boat that appeared to be trying not to impede us, but failed miserably.  Across to the C mark at Clynder saw Hermes get the better of the leg but not enough to catch Dione. The wind became more variable on the Clynder side with some force to the gusts but also variability in direction. What looked to be a spinnaker leg to complete the first round, wasn’t.

Time for a second round, Hermes managed to overtake Thalia to Silvers, a reluctance to hoist the spinnaker saw Thalia regain second on the leg to Clynder. The Gareloch porpoises were around to add interest to the finish with a bit more spinnaker training for Dione.

1 Dione, 2 Thalia, 3 Hermes, 4 Thia.

Race officer Stewart Gibb took advantage of a steady breeze, at least by the standards of the Gareloch, to send us on a course zig-zagging across the loch.

The shore end of the starting line was well to windward but pressure was lighter and more variable there.  Catriona went for it and immediately Teal, who saw the danger, took the lead.  Halcyone was the other strong starter.

The second leg, back across the loch from Clynder, appeared to be a fetch but tacking was needed in the end.  Teal got to windward to start with so that Catriona suffered in wind shadow.  Halcyone climbed well and got the better of poor defensive manoeuvring by Catriona.  Spinnakers next, to B, off Silvers.  Teal now had such a lead that she would only be caught if she fell foul of inconsistent Gareloch wind.  She didn’t.

Halcyone and Catriona had a battle downwind, Catriona managed to sneak a pass to leeward.  Athene was next and used her new spinnaker to good effect.  She was well clear of the rest by the end of the leg and concentrating hard so as to give nothing away.  Second and third places changed a couple of times more on the windward legs. Athene, greatly encouraged, is set to climb the leader board.

1 Teal, 2 Catriona, 3 Halcyone, 4 Athene, 5 Thalia, 6 Thia, 7 Hermes