Category Archives: Race Reports ‘25

(Report from Adrian Topham on Catriona)

Windy rigging was followed by lighter winds at the start but this didn’t prevent Dione getting off to a flyer. Somehow coaxing more speed than the better positioned Catriona, Dionne managed the lifts and headers more ably than her pursuer over the loch and towards the first mark.

Alas Dione’s decision to close early with the shore proved her undoing with Catriona staying loch-ward rounding first and building up a commanding lead back to the second mark. With effective spinnaker work it appeared that Catriona was clear to set off for a trouble free second leg without competition but the gods intervened and blinded the poor inexperienced hand on the tiller, prevailing upon the misguided sole to steer starboard side of the mark!

Dione sailed round and Catriona had to beat back and only managed to round the mark two minutes behind the new race leader. Thia rounded three minutes after followed four minutes after with a close tussle between Ceres and Athene who started the second round bows level.

The rest is history, Catriona fought hard with some brave reaching for the wind but Dione refused to yield her lead and gained another minute on the unfortunate Catriona. Thia remained in third and Ceres beat Athene to the finish.

Results:

1 Dione, 2 Catriona, 3 Thia, 4 Ceres, 5 Athene

(Timings R1 & R2: Dione 19.47 & 20.17, Catriona +2min & +3min, Thia +5min & +4min, Ceres +9min & +9min, Athene +9min & +11min)

(Report from the Convenor on Circe)

It’s very heartening that every Sunday afternoon, and Tuesday evening, that you can predict there will be between 7 and 9 boats all taking part in the Gareloch racing. I count us very lucky that this is the case, and is probably the only fleet still doing so on the Clyde. Even more fortunate that the crews this evening included 3 people who recently had got in touch about coming out sailing on the boats. 

The afternoon was always threatening rain, but it didn’t, and the wind was mainly from the west, with a touch of north in it, and strengthening during the day.

RO in Circe set an L7 course, Y-C-G-D-Z-C-B-Z. Race report authors normally know which end of the line was best to start on, but I’m not too sure. However but all boats got clean away from the line. Tacking up to C; well normally you can tell if one side is preferable, or the middle, but I don’t think it really mattered. What was noticeable was the gusts, shifts and the progress of Dione, Catriona and Arke up to C (all predictable then!).

Round C and spinnakers up to cross back to G. I think there were some things going on up front, changing of positions, but I couldn’t see. Then upwind again to D. Dione got there first, with Arke and Catriona maybe overstanding the mark (well definitely – but it was wise given the shifts) but Circe benefitted from a lift and rushed into the mark resulting in 3 boats all abreast, Dione, Circe and Catriona, with Circe sandwiched in the middle. Given that two of the new crew were in the outer boats, spinnaker hoisting was understandably a bit slower, Circe got hers up, just seemed to pick up a bit of wind and shot off. Arke came storming through as well, with Zephyrus leading on behind from Hermes, Athene and Thia. 

Leading boat was 55 mins for the first round, so the 2^nd round was a nice anti clockwise circuit up to C, then across to B and back to the line. From where I was, I think positions remained fairly static after that. C to B was a reach with gusts but do-able with spinnakers, Round B, Circe held her spinnaker up, but the gusts were getting pretty strong now and after doing a risk assessment of losing the lead, she took hers down. Catriona and Arke were neck and neck and amazingly Arke kept her spinnaker up, shipping water over the leeward gunwhale so fair play and *fist bump* RESPECT! She pulled slightly away from Catriona so it was a good call.

Also, well done to the new crews who all managed to get their spinnakers up with no disasters.

Results:

1 Circe (11), 2 Arke (5), 3 Catriona (3), 4 Dione (17), 5 Zephyrus (2), 6 Hermes (8), 7 Athene (6), 8 Thia (9)

(Report from the Secretary on Catriona / photos from Clare on Hermes)

Race Officer Linda Pender selected a course beginning with a leg to windward to mark D, north of Cylinder.  There was the usual, unavoidable,  shore end bias of the starting line.  Also as usual, Catriona (crew Niki Horn on the helm) was first along the line with Arke just behind and establishing an overlap to leeward so as push her rival over.  Circe came to the rescue.  She had gone further inshore and had tacked out for the line on starboard.  Catriona called for room to join Arke in passing behind the starboard boat and made an optimum start.

Various others, including Dione (who has already won the series of which this was the last race) started further back down the line.  Dione had boat speed and would have taken the lead.  But for being caught by the starboard tack Catriona.  

Arke, lee bowed after the start, tacked away up the Shandon shore, quickly found it did not pay and tacked back having dropped about ten boat lengths.  Circe and others did not take the hint and continued up the Shandon shore.  Their excuse in the bar afterwards was every time they thought to tack, they got a lift.

Most tried to make the best of the usual Gareloch variable wind going up the middle.  Athene had gone across to the Cylinder shore early and found favourable air.  She was only just caught by Catriona on the approach to D and rounded second.  Then was engaged in a luffing battle under spinnaker with Arke and Dione.  

This particular course usually calls for a gybe at G, on the Shandon shore north of the starting battery.  This time, G was dead downwind of D so that in playing the angles, the gybe was done in open water.  Much more comfortably. Dione however insinuated herself past – underneath somehow – Arke just before the mark.  

As wind was getting lighter and some of those who went up the Shandon shore were a long way back, Linda shortened to one round.  There was adventure approaching the finish.  Athene kept Circe at bay, despite venturing too close to the shore.  The helm fell off his seat in then sudden deceleration…

1 Catriona, 2 Dione, 3 Arke, 4 Athene, 5 Circe, 6 Hermes, 7 Ceres, 8 Thia.

(Report from Arke.)

It looked, and was forecast, to be an afternoon of good wind – hopefully even strengthening slightly – if a little wet. Reader, it was none of these things.

After some chat about on-the-water race officer duties, Wendy kindly volunteered Hermes. And with a nice steady wind from the SW, they selected course H6: a beat first to B, then a cracking long downwind run (the longest we do?) up the loch to F on the Shandon shore, nestled in a little bay of moorings not very far south of Faslane itself. It looked like it was going to be fun. Reader, it was not.

After a very biased start(line) and an annoyingly moored yacht to be navigated right after the pin, the fleet was off. Good sailing across to B off Silvers. After some good sailing, Dione rounded first, closely followed by Ceres – going well this season. Then Arke and following her Catriona. Dione went high left to keep clear, thinking to be able to bear away later. Arke launched faster and got under Ceres. Ceres then went low and Catriona followed. At this point the wind lightened. The F mark now seemed a long way away indeed. Arke somehow managed to keep going through the middle, inexplicably leaving boats behind to both the left and right. Perhaps just the right combination of a lane of wind and less tide….? Who knows! They rounded the F mark a large number of boat-lengths clear of the rest. And set off across for a beat to C. And into some wind that seemed to have returned! Reader, it had not.

The rest managed to approach F with the mother of all overlaps (well half the day’s fleet): Dione on the inside, then Circe, then Ceres from Catriona. And they too all set off in pursuit. As Arke was approaching somewhere in the vicinity of the C mark the wind seemed to die entirely. And what puffs there were were seemingly random in direction. Perhaps just coming from whatever cloud was closest. Whatever rain cloud. That were now drenching us. Arke sat in a hole while the others at least seemed to have some wind out in the loch and slowly caught up. Catriona – never one to give up and showing mastery of the difficult conditions- did best and managed to get herself into second, threatening Arke. To add insult to injury, as she was caught, Thia – who had headed right of most of the fleet to the Clynder shore – picked up her own personal streak of wind and cruised from the back of the fleet to arrive first at the C mark. Catriona observed and got enough of it to get past Arke. Was that the end of it? Reader, it was not.

Arke managed past Thia with some slick spinnaker handling. And caught up to Catriona with guest helm on board. What to do? Arke went for the pass on some good wind and managed it. Clear ahead! Just at the critical point however – when one might have thought she had maybe snatched victory – the wind had other ideas and lightened and swung back. Catriona managed to get an overlap and sail her proper course at the mark forcing Arke up enough that she was sailing by the lee to lay it. Catriona brilliantly took the puffs to insinuate herself over and that was that. Thia held on for a good third. Circe managed to get Dione on the run. And we were all glad that one of the wettest, most fickle-winded afternoons was over.

But, reader, somehow, we still enjoyed it…

1 Catriona, 2 Arke, 3 Thia, 4 Ceres, 5 Circe, 6 Dione, 7 Hermes, 8 Athene

Decision made by the RO in the face of strong winds with gusts over 30kn. By 7pm the wind was moderating a little – and it was easy to look wistfully and think maybe it would have been ok – but there were still strong gusts sweeping through…

(Report from Arke.)

After the glorious spring it was hard to believe, given the weather, that June had arrived. But it was good sailing weather with a minimum of 10-15 or so knots from the WNWish. And gusts that were quite a bit stronger and a bit of chop! Six boats rigged and headed for the start. After some chat, Dione volunteered to be Race Officer (RO) and after some further chat, plumped for the classic NW wind L8 course: a good beat to D followed by some reach-y legs to G and then back to the start at Blairvadach. A second lap would be a simple ‘sausage’ course to D and back.

Arke led in with a well timed start. Catriona turned under Arke – possibly looking for revenge for Arke’s ‘hook’ last week!? But Arke just had enough speed to get clear ahead and hit the favoured shore end of the line on the gun before tacking out. Catriona tacking below. All headed out across the loch. Catriona had to make an unfortunate duck of the annoyingly placed moored yacht. And Dione slowly fell in to Catriona’s air and tacked away up the loch.

Arke tacked up the middle of the loch thinking to stay in good wind. The rest stood on a bit further towards the Shandon shore. Dione tacked back across towards it too – passing behind Arke. After a good while of sailing up the loch Arke tacked towards the shore to better cover the others and make some ground left towards the mark. She easily crossed Ceres and then Dione and made a slightly late and poor covering tack which let Dione get ahead but below. But not enough for Dione to be able to tack left to the mark. Arke thought to sail Dione to somewhere just above the lay-line; reckoning too that it often pays to be a bit conservative with the lay-line given shifts on the Gareloch shore! Arke tacked away as a quietly as she could. And realised she had over-stood more than she thought given Ceres (going very well this season indeed!) and Catriona were nearly laying it from well below. And was therefore surprised to see Dione continue to blithely sail north up the loch. Clearly someone else was too given a radio message querying the course! That had the effect of alerting poor Dione to her error. All the more funny/irritating (depending on perspective) given Dione was the RO who had set the course!

Ceres, followed by Catriona, rounded D first – taking advantage of Arke’s railroading of Dione and even more so Dione’s navigational error. Arke followed with Dione behind having limited the damage. Halcyone followed in not too far behind. Followed by Athene, not quite on the form from the week before.

A slightly reachy leg across to G and tactics varied: Ceres out in front stuck to white sails and concentrated on sailing fast in the strong wing. Catriona followed but put up her spinnaker (single-handed too!). Arke went a bit higher – thinking to be able to bear away once they too put the spinnaker up. In the end Ceres probably made the right call and the spinny probably didn’t really pay. And when Arke’s spinnaker halyard slipped it was an annoying faff recovering the spinnaker and sorting lines. It didn’t slow them much however. Unlike Dione – whose day was not going well – who managed to somehow rig their spinnaker lines through their spinnaker bucket. After launching the spinnaker the bucket was also launched along one of the sheets, where it dragged along in the water acting – in the words of Dione’s crew – as a very effective sea anchor!

Ceres rounded first, followed by Catriona, followed by Arke. All maybe 5 boat-lengths apart. Time for another round. So another cracking beat up to D again. Not much changed, good sailing all round in the now strong gusty conditions with Ceres covering Catriona and Arke. Dione following, with Halcyone and then Athene. Round D and a run back to the finish (probably – assuming we were over an hour!).

Ceres reckoned that flying a kite hadn’t paid on the first round and stuck with white sails only. But this time – on a more downwind run – it was the wrong tactic. Arke went high again while rigging (a bit slow given the need to sort rigging from the earlier fiasco!) and then launched her kite. She sailed a little further on port towards the Shandon shore and then gybed on to starboard; left of Ceres and Catriona and protecting the biased left end of the line. And the spinnaker paid as she steadily overhauled (or arguably under-hauled?) Catriona and eventually Ceres. Finishing the second round only just outside the hour. Catriona – once she had packed it (single-handed remember!) and had seen Arke – launched hers too. An exciting finish now between Ceres and Catriona; Ceres could try and protect the left of the biased line, but Catriona – with extra sail – would probably sail over her anyway. So she made the best of a bad situation and went a bit right to protect her wind but giving up the biased line left to Catriona. It just paid – impossible to call without a RO properly looking down the line. And so, with uncertainty, the rule is that the finish is awarded to the boat previously ahead – and Charles on Catriona graciously conceded the photo finish – for the second time this season.

1 Arke, 2 Ceres, 3 Catriona, 4 Dione, 5 Halcyone, 6 Athene

(Report from Ceres | Course H2)

A fresh and gusty breeze greeted the fleet for Sunday afternoon’s race, with conditions ranging from brisk to boisterous. The wind strength frequently exceeded 20 knots, and its direction proved especially challenging – persistently shifting between proper North and proper East, keeping crews on their toes and helms fully engaged.

Six boats competed on Course H2, which was well chosen by the Race Officer (Arke) to take full advantage of the conditions. The course offered a balanced mix of beats, reaches, and a satisfying run—an excellent layout for such a brilliant day on the water.

At the start, Ceres was quick off the line and looked to have been over early, prompting some quiet discussion and feedback. However, after careful observation, she was confirmed as clear and carried on to round the first mark (C) in the lead.

Catriona sailed a strong and tactical race, making an early and effective tack across to the Shandon shore on the beat to F capitalising on favourable shifts and cleaner air to take the lead on Ceres.

Thia, helmed by a guest, performed admirably despite a steady ingress of water through the floorboards. Her performance on the leg from C to F was particularly strong, where she took a strong lead for a while. Hermes also reported taking on water, likely due to her topsides drying and opening up after the recent spell of warm weather.

Circe and Arke held position in the middle of the fleet, handling the variable gusts and wind shifts with perseverance and control.

Only one lap was completed, as the race time crept just beyond the one-hour limit – ample distance given the conditions.

1 Catriona, 2 Ceres, 3 Thia, 4 Circe, 5 Arke, 6 Hermes