Only Arke and Athene (with Nikki Horn helming) ventured. Others were in the US team racing on Sonars (Charles) or assisting Barrie sail his new yacht from the English south coast (Barrie, John C and Paul). There was no RO either (ahem Eilidh MacQueen? Perhaps in the US with the Sonars?). Arke volunteered for the GOD class. The wind was from the NW (ish) and seemed good. A special simple sausage course to D and back (S6).
Arke started in pole position and lead up the Shandon shore, covering Athene loosely. Across to D the wind sadly seemed to lighten. And with time limit we were never going to make it. Arke lost her spinnaker halyard up the mast to compound the slowness. (Arguably even if the wind had held we might STILL not have made it – the time limits really are very conservative and need looked at IMHO… notwithstanding that the last race in particular does need to be very quick.).
Back at the pier there was an unfortunate (but not fatal) incident unfurling with the local lifeboat and police in attendance.
The Met Office promised wind; the Gareloch delivered. After much deliberation in the carpark, only Catriona and Iris elected to join four Sonars for the evening’s fun.
With team Dione on duty at Blairvadach, Race Officer Barrie Choules elected to set the S6 course to D mark and back. As the gun went, Catriona got the better start at the favoured shore end of the line, with Iris choosing to maintain a little more distance from the lee shore, given the strong wind.
On the beat, both boats sought to cross to the Clynder shore in the hope of finding more sheltered weather, however this was not to be found.
Catriona reached the windward mark first and chose to keep her spinnaker below decks for the return leg. As Iris rounded shortly after, the spinnaker debate was held onboard as an option to potentially try to catch Catriona. Common sense prevailed when the crew used a veto, and the spinnaker bag remained safely in the cabin.
Much to the relief of those aboard Iris, the shortened course was signalled – saving all involved from a second round and allowing both boats to return to the moorings unscathed.
The event is now in its 27th year. Back in the late 1990s one of the Freundeskreis Klassische Yachten (FKY) members – Enno Thyen – was in the market for a (classic) yacht and ended up on the banks of the Gareloch being shown McGruer 8m Cruiser-Racers by the legendary David Ryder-Turner. He bought one: ‘Feolinn’. But also, and more importantly for our story, the idea of a team racing event was also established. And here we still are.
The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with welcome drinks and a relaxed buffet in the RNCYC clubhouse before an early night ahead of the main team racing on Saturday. (Well strictly for your Secretary it kicked off on Thursday evening with a world-champion fondue brought over from Switzerland by Stefan & his daughter Sophie Züst!).
Team Racing
Saturday’s forecast was perfect: 10 knots+, bright, sunny. Sailing Secretary and GOD team captain Charles Darley was rightly determined to take the racing out in to the lower Gareloch off Helensburgh. Truer wind and easier to lay marks (and a ‘box’ course) in the shallower waters. Race Officer Reay Mackay was happy to make it happen. And we were in good hands: Reay was assisted by a superb Race Committee and ribs for course laying duties. Umpires on hand too for immediate protest resolution! The course was great: short sharp races and a start line long enough to be reasonable but short enough to keep things interesting and competitive. Champagne sailing.
The format was 3 vs 3 team racing – that is a team of 3 boats versus another team of 3 – with both the GOD and FKY having two teams (of 3 boats) each. Each race would have two flights. With each GOD team racing the two other FKY teams and vice versa. Then swapping boats and repeating! And if necessary a final race for a decider…
The FKY had good reason to be optimistic and made a clean sweep of the first four races. The GOD team had not started well – in the general sense and in the even more literal sense (we had not made particularly good starts in the races – essential with short, sharp races)!
We swapped boats and tried to remain optimistic ourselves. The GOD team seemed to remember how to sail (and start). Somehow we then made a clean sweep ourselves of the afternoon’s four races. It would now all come down to a final set of 2 races. It was all very tight but the GOD team took them both to win back the David Ryder-Turner Trophy.
But winning was merely a small cherry on top of a perfect day’s sailing and racing. Some well-deserved ‘malted sports drinks’ in the Rhu Inn helped quench thirsts after.
Dinner and beyond
On to a wonderful dinner at the well-regarded AT Hughes @ Lochside restaurant. Literally loch-side overlooking the Gareloch in Clynder. One or two drams were taken back at home afterwards.
The next day was wet and moody with strong winds forecast. There wasn’t much enthusiasm for any more racing (a fleet race with crew now helming and helms crewing is the usual formula). Well except for Charles who can always be relied on to be keen for more sailing. Whatever the forecast! Plan B was a cruise on Loch Lomond from Luss. Afterwards some ventured to Inveraray and its castle. Sunday finished off with the now almost traditional curry at Annayas.
Thanks
Massive thanks – in no particular order – to our Sailing Secretary Charles Darley who did so much to organise the sailing and racing itself; to our Race Committee led by Reay Mackay, aided by Jean Mackay and Bill McLaren; to our experienced umpires Valerie Ferrat and John McLaren; to our Social Secretary Wendy Jones who led and organised all the social side including the welcome drinks and buffet, and dinners on Saturday and Sunday; to Clare Somerville who organised the buffet and packed lunches, as well as the rest of Wendy’s ‘Team Friday’ of Miriam, Bess and Sue Mucklow. And our Convenor John Campbell who did co-ordinate a lot despite being forced to go to a villa in Tuscany when the event itself was on!! Such hardships must be borne.
And finally to our friends in the FKY without who this would not happen at all of course. We look forward to 2027 and visiting the Wannsee again…
Posted on30/08/2026|Comments Off on Sun 30th Aug – no wind, no race
Some of us made good use of the time fettling boats ahead of next weekend’s team racing against the our friends from the Freundeskreis Klassische Yachten (FKY) – the (German) Classic Yacht Club.
Race Officer Ollie Thompson – the new-this-season owner of proven winner Iris – was faced with a difficult wind direction. From the east – blowing almost across the loch from the starting area. The fixed starting marks inevitably mean that this will be a downwind start. And so it was, with Ollie wisely plumping for the standard easterly course according to the RO’s instructions: a somewhat downwind reachy first leg to D followed by a good beat to G, then a reach back to Y. A second round would add variety: BCY.
The first key decision – assuming a choice and good timing – was whether to start at the right end of the line – favoured according to line bias but potentially more sheltered – or the left end (vice versa!). Most seemed to favour starting further down the line at the left end. Although Thalia – being helmed by the ever-young Reay Mackay – seemed to favour starting in front of the line. Arke thought there was enough wind – and that it might allow a freer reach – to start further up and got away cleanly. Dione was following but, with a novice crew on board, declined to set a spinnaker in the gusty conditions. Circe also started well but she too declined to fly a spinnaker since she was solo.
Catriona – aided by the spinnaker-less competition – managed to extricate herself from the pack, pulled in to second and attempted to catch Arke. She rounded close behind at D and immediately tacked off right for clear air, while Arke stood on towards the Shandon shore. It didn’t pay. When Catriona tacked back Arke crossed by many boat-lengths. Arke should have tacked for loose cover. Instead she stood on down the loch. That didn’t pay! When Arke in turn tacked she now barely crossed Catriona. Arke tacked on top but it wasn’t a good move: she had not crossed far enough ahead to cover and instead found herself lee-bowed by Catriona. Especially since Catriona’s helm is a master of slowly weaving to windward in gusty conditions. Arke fell in to dirty air and Catriona was away. Dione followed Arke past G in a close third to keep the pressure on. A short reach from G back to Y. The gusts remained strong. Sidedecks were wet. It was fun though. The RO rightly signalled a second round.
Catriona hoisted her spinnaker again. Before even passing Y in fact. Which didn’t go entirely smoothly. Arke followed higher. Her spinnaker allowed her to pull a little clear of Dione. Arke’s skipper was not at all sure about keeping the spinnaker up for the reach up to C. But Catriona attempted it so Arke followed suit. Not always wise in hindsight. The gybe was smooth enough but shortly after Arke’s rear spinnaker attachment point (making double use of a mainsheet track end in a way not entirely as designed) failed. The recovery was not smooth. But she stayed just ahead of Dione.
Back up to the finish at Y. Catriona tacked down the loch as she had done at D. Arke stood on as she had. Dione followed Catriona for clear air. At the finish perhaps not much had changed: Catriona in the lead and Arke held off Dione. Further back Circe sailed a good race single-handed and Thalia made a good recovery from her OCS. Zephyrus gracefully retired from the challenging gusty conditions.
On the water Race Officer, Dione, was expecting fairly light south westerly wind. What we had prior to the start was very light North Westerly but just enough to sail. It was decided to do a very simple course to D, on the Clynder shore, and back.
Given the light wind and slightly more tide than we expected, not all boats made a good start at the right end of the start line, Circe & Dione got the best of it but even then, there were wind variations such that Circe pulled away slightly. Catriona, behind, tacked right in the hope of better wind but found little. Those starting at the left-hand end of the line in more tide fared badly. The wind veered more towards North – meaning the D mark could be laid without tacking by some who were paying attention to the shifts and the tide.
Once round D it was a drift back to the start under spinnakers with Circe still leading from Dione then Catriona. The leaders rounded within the hour so commenced the second lap just as the wind picked up.
The second lap was much faster than the first but with wind variations, those in the middle benefitting, Dione overhauled Circe, and Catriona was closing fast by the second rounding of D. The reach back to the finish was more sporty but Dione held her lead and Catriona, ably assisted by Fergus the dog, managed to stay ahead of Circe. Further back, Athene had not spotted that there was a second round and hence sailed a bit further than she needed to.
“Athene came last. Jointly and severally her helm and crew got it into their heads it was a shortened course, sailed to the shore end of the line and was 4th over that. She spent quite long time sailing to the anchorage before she realised there were no GODs around. Thalia being and crewed by smarter people had gone for the pin end sensibly to do a second round. Athene eventually turned round but it was too late do anything other than come last. Person writing race report might enjoy to put in a line about this idiocy.🙃”
Posted on16/08/2026|Comments Off on Gareloch Worlds 2026 (15-16th Aug)
Day 1
We were blessed by a good forecast and an experienced race committee to get the best out of it. Reay and Jean Mackay on their yacht Diatas Air, supported by Alan Izaac, Wendy Jones and Tristan Somerville (with Tristan and Wendy also providing support on a rib as needed). Eleven Garelochs were in contention with a guest crew – Stan van der Berg and Bess Homer (née Mucklow) – taking out Thia. (She’s for sale by the way! As is Zoe.)
The wind was largely(!) north westerly and the race committee set up a starting line using the standard fixed Gareloch A mark and a convenient mooring. This allowed some cracking simple windward-leeward ‘sausage’ (shaped!) courses to the D or C marks which the RO wisely stuck with all day. Don’t fix what isn’t broken!
Race 1 (D mark)
Catriona likes to treat starting – possibly influenced by years of very biased fixed Gareloch starting marks during regular Gareloch racing – as a match racing affair. And she was consistent here; leading in slowly. Arke had other ideas and came it with speed under her – forcing Catriona to luff out of the way and slow – and Arke then hit the line at speed. Below, Circe similarly started well with good speed and headed out left towards the tide coming in up from the narrows. Catriona and Dione went right to find clear air.
As the fleet approached the D mark layline Circe was leading after sailing a superb beat – but it became clear that she was mistakenly heading further up the loch towards E! Not the start she would have wanted. Arke took the lead for the run back to the (shortened course) finish. But Catriona made a better call and headed out from the shore: worse tide but more wind. She slowly overhauled Arke to take a good first race win, with Arke second and Dione following. Ceres had sailed a good beat and made no mistakes downwind to take a good fourth. And Athene took a satisfying fifth.
Same story really! But this time Catriona was even earlier and was OCS (‘on course side’ – ie over the line early!). Her error compounded by not initially hearing the RO’s radio call informing her. Circe and Arke took advantage and led up to D. Circe had loose cover on Arke but then inexplicably tacked left towards the shore. It did not pay and she lost places.
At D Arke thought she’d got the layline right. Until she hadn’t! An annoying hole. Meanwhile Hermes had sailed a good beat and charged in above to take the lead which she held to the finish, ahead of Arke. Dione snatched a good third on the run. Circe took fourth, with Iris taking a good fifth in her first Worlds in the hands of new owner Ollie Thomson. And with his wife Laura’s first time handling a spinnaker! Catriona could not repair the damage from her OCS and came in sixth.
After a break for lunch – which had seen a real light wind lull – the wind filled in again perfectly. However now a westerly. The committee changed to course to C to keep the beats and runs truer and shorten the course too to allow two rounds for each race. (Again, perfect decision making from the race committee.) The start line however was – unavoidably given the use of a mooring buoy and fixed Gareloch A mark – very port end biased. Unlike normal race set up, the committee boat was at the port end and it was further complicated by a long mooring pennant out front and a rib lying off the stern!
Nonetheless Arke weighed up the line and reckoned that boats would struggle to reach the port end. High risk but high reward. It paid: Arke reached in, took the rib’s stern, followed by ducking Circe who was the only boat to almost reach the port end. But in trying to reach it Circe was early and – probably conscious that she had to get above the mooring buoy in front of the committee boat – she had gone high too early and was called OCS. Arke hardened up and sailed up the loch – already boat-lengths clear of the fleet. Arke led from the front through the two rounds to take the win.
Behind there was an exciting close battle on the final run. Circe took it after a canny gybe to escape the battling. Catriona took the line from Ceres – another solid result from her though – followed by Dione.
The wind now swung back more north-westerly with a reasonably square line but slightly favouring the starboard end. A very contested start with Catriona coming out on top through the beat. Arke made a mediocre start, tacked and headed right for clear air.
Catriona was not to be caught and led through the two rounds to take another good win. Meanwhile Dione, Arke and Circe fought it out. In the second round Arke diverged to try and get past Dione, but promptly let Circe past! At the C mark both Dione and Circe seemed to take an ambitious early layline. Circe just made it but Dione did not. And she left it so late that her port tack approach interfered with Circe. To make matters worse she hit the mark. Still only two turns though. Arke passed the gyrating Dione to chase Circe. Circe’s bad day at the office – something bad happening in every race – continued as her spinnaker halyard was lost up the mast. Arke thought it was her lucky day and took second. Meanwhile Dione managed to overhaul Circe too to take third. Ceres continued her consistent form to take fifth.
The day finished off with a wonderful BBQ hosted by Lindsay & Rob Guy at their house in Rhu.
Day 2
The forecast had not been good – light air and damp – but the reality was worse. While it was dry it was grey, clagged in and windless. The Gareloch was glassy. The tide was almost at its lowest too (0.1m below chart datum) and so low that the launch couldn’t safely get in to the pier given how shallow it was. With no wind and racing likely to be postponed we all waited on the pier and chatted away – away from the midges. At 1000 the RO signalled the official postponement. There was enough water to now operate the launch so everyone headed to their boats – but without much optimism.
Shortly before 1100 the RO announced that he would give it until 1130 and if there still wasn’t any wind – and it looked unlikely – he would then abandon. The time came. And there wasn’t. The RO signalled the 3 hoots to signal racing abandoned and that was the Worlds over for 2026 with standings as per the end of day 1 after 4 races.
Arke had retained the trophy. Catriona took the silver cigarette case for second. And Halcyone took the silver rowlock.
Many thanks again to the Convenor John Campbell for all his organisation, Sailing Sec Charles Darley for the NoR and SIs, Social Sec Wendy Jones for co-ordinating all the social events and catering, Lindsay and Rob Guy for the barbecue, and finally the race committee (ROs Reay and Jean Mackay supported by Alan Izaac, Wendy Jones and Tristan Somerville.)
PS John C also ghost-wrote an excellent article and PR piece for the Advertiser!
Posted on12/08/2026|Comments Off on Tue 11th Aug – race abandoned (no wind)
Although despite the forecast obvious lack of wind, a race was still attempted. When your correspondent asked whether there had been a race the replies were that “it was started but only 2 boats managed to cross the line before it was abandoned”. To which someone added that “they took about 20 mins from bow crossing the line to the stern getting there🤣🤣”.
Comments Off on Tue 11th Aug – race abandoned (no wind)
Arke volunteered to be race officer given others seemed to have new crew or be sailing solo. A good wind from the WNW allowed a classic course to the D mark followed by running reaches to G and then back to the start. Catriona was aggressively early and Arke chased her in. Arke slowed enough to be able to start well at the shore end but Catriona had to cross the line early. Dione looked to be well over oddly early and seemed to need to be told in order to realise it. It later became clear she was looking at the wrong buoy which explained the uncharacteristic error!
Arke thought she was well in control heading across the loch to get out of any remaining tide. Meanwhile – perhaps forced by being OCS – both Catriona and Dione tacked up the Shandon shore. Was it just being forced? Or did they correctly realise there might be even better tide and/or wind on that shore? Or perhaps it was just faster sailing? Probably some combination of all of the above! Because when Catriona crossed she was 10 boat-lengths ahead of Arke!
At the D mark there were more lessons to be learnt, Gareloch style! Arke thought she had laid the mark – especially since Thalia was pointing up higher beneath her. As they headed in however they were both headed and the wind conspired to somewhat disappear. Catriona was more cautious and made it. Meanwhile Thalia and Arke both watched as Dione now waltzed in on some excellent wind, followed by Ceres. Going backwards: Catriona leading from D, followed by Dione, Thalia, Ceres then Arke.
Across to G, Catriona had established a solid lead and Dione pretty well clear of the chasing pack too. Arke headed a bit higher and at least managed to roll over both Ceres and then Thalia to retake third. From Y back up to D now – on a simple ‘sausage’ course (so called because of the shape of the simple loop) – Catriona and Dione made no mistakes in a now much stronger, if still very streaky, wind.
Further back, others had also been caught in the earlier patchy doldrums at D. Hermes had tacked on to port to round the mark and had promptly parked. There was nothing she could do to avoid Iris coming in on starboard. Iris – rightly – protested. Hermes gracefully retired later after a polite post-race discussion in the car park. Everyone recognised it was entirely unintentional and there was nothing Hermes could have done… Worse things happen at sea.
