Gareloch One Design

A sunny afternoon with light, changeable wind.  On the water Race Officer Peter Proctor chose the appropriate course for the conditions and direction of wind, down and up the Shandon shore.

The starting line was close to square to the wind but the fleet sought to start near the outer end.  It appeared there was better wind further out, along with the favourable ebb tide.  Hermes and Catriona wanted to reach the line ahead of the peloton and found themselves a little way past the pin.  Dione came out of the congestion well and hardened up on starboard tack towards the shore.  Catriona might have tacked to cover those who tacked out soon after starting but she would have had to duck Dione.  Whilst she waited it became clear there was good wind towards the shore, good wind ahead and a glassy area of water before the ripples further out.  Catriona, Dione and Hermes stuck with it.  By the time these had reached wind good enough to tack into, it was clear those who went out early had not prospered.

Downwind, it was a struggle to persuade spinnakers to fill.  Thalia saw wind filling from the narrows and hardened up to go further out.  To no avail.  As so often happens, pressure built from behind to bring Teal, Circe and Dione into contention with the leader.  Spinnakers filled and there was progress over mirror smooth water.  The contenders commented afterwards that as soon as they reached ripples, they slowed.  Catriona, meanwhile, having lost her substantial lead at the windward mark, found her spinnaker sheet tightening and drew away.

Ceres, sailing single handed, did not set a spinnaker and dropped back.

With wind lacking determination, Race Officer Peter Proctor indicated a finish at the end of the round.

1 Catriona, 2 Circe, 3 Teal, 4 Hermes, 5 Dione, 6 Thalia, 7 Ceres

Race report from John Campbell on Circe.

We all have questions to answer and there were a few that sprang to mind this afternoon.

There was a grand collection of boats today, a lovely sunny day but a wind from the south east that had moments when it almost disappeared, followed by moments which at least filled the sails. RO Circe debated whether to have a shorter course up to A and back (conscious of the strength of the tide), but then the wind filled in a bit more and instead decided to set H4 (ZADZ).

At the start, there was a bit of argy bargy at the pin end, allowing Ceres to gain an early lead from Catriona, both who started further down the line. The wind held fairly constant for the beat up to A, and the majority of the fleet tacked out into the loch, but Circe clung on to the Rhu shore and it paid off as she was first at A. The first questions then came to mind, what does a country mile mean? And where did it originate from? Itwas only a short distance from Z to A, but a country mile it was. All boats set there spinnakers for the long run down to D, and with the wind filling in, in gusts, the fleet bunched up a bit. Halcyone took the windward position and gained ground, along with Ceres and Thalia, then Luna, Zephyrus and Athene.

All rounded D and headed back to Z, which was still a decent beat against the incoming tide. Circe decided to head straight over to the Shandon shore, Catriona tacked up the middle of the loch. The wind just dropped a bit as the fleet came up to the line but it was Circe who crossed first, still by a country mile. Catriona finished second. Then of course there were more questions…like, how shallow is it just north of Blairvadach? This one had an answer and not just once, but twice as first Thalia went aground whilst trying to sneak a lift up to the line (she managed to refloat with a bit of heavy paddling) and then once Thalia was clear, Thia followed onto the soft ground (needing the club rib to assist her off). These incidents allowed a few boats to improve their finishing positions, and it finished with

1 Circe, 2 Catriona, 3 Halcyone, 4 Hermes, 5 Luna, 6 Ceres, 7 Athene, 8 Thalia, 9 Zephyrus (with Thia retiring.)

(As to the unanswered questions, there remains the meaning of a country mile, but the most important one is….How? That remains a secret of the Gareloch.)

There was wind but in the way of the Gareloch of an evening, its consistency could not be relied upon.  Race Officer Craig MacDonald risked one of the longer courses, beginning with a true windward leg to E, the northernmost mark on the Clynder shore.

The shore end of the almost inevitably biassed fixed starting line was favoured.  Teal and Catriona fought it out.  Not for the first time, Teal won with Catriona forced over the line early.  By the time she had returned and started, the fleet was away across the loch, Teal, Circe and Dione well away.  A favourite tactic of Hermes when the course is a beat up the loch is to tack up the Shandon shore.  With no point trying to gain ground in the disturbed air from the fleet, Catriona joined Hermes to good effect.  The leaders covered and as boats crossed tacks it was clear the Shandon shore was better.

Approaching E, wind was variable and hard to predict.  Circe had reached the shore first but still short of the mark and at risk of less pressure.  Teal further out and further up the loch found a beneficial corridor.

A fine-ish reach across the loch to F, off Shandon Church.  Wind from the north still fickle.  Circe was in front, Teal went high.  Catriona had no hope of getting above them and went low, hoping for the best.  The constant changes in direction of wind gave her air not affected by Circe some of the time.  Circumstances determined the lead at F.  Teal found a good streak of wind which took her to the front, then died.  Halcyone had come up behind Circe and disturbed her air.  Catriona approached the mark sailing higher and so a little faster than Teal and was round first.  Teal’s last chance was to be quicker with the spinnaker for the run to the finish but it went up in an hourglass.

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

(Race reports by the inimitable Class Secretary unless otherwise stated)

Another race with good wind, not as frantic Sunday.  There were no breakdowns.

Race Officer Iain MacGillivray selected a course beginning with a windward leg to D on the Clynder shore and benefitting from legs downwind where spinnakers could be set comfortably.  The shore end of the line favoured.  Catriona got the prime spot this time from Circe and Dione.

The beat was unnerving.  Some stayed towards the Shandon shore, some thought to cross the loch and beat up near the Clynder shore.  It appeared the combination of wind and (flood) tide was most favourable in the middle but the further you went, the more you were headed.  Those coming out from the Shandon shore must have had their spirits lifted.

Catriona led at the windward mark, from Dione and Circe who were close enough to engage with each other.   There was initial, illogical reluctance to set spinnakers.  The leaders managed the spinnaker gybe at the G mark (having taken a little while to locate it) and crossed the line for the start of the second round without changing order.  The rest well spread, Halcyone and Thalia were within half a minute of each other and, at the back, Ceres and Athene close.

The second round took us to A, off the club, before the beat back to D.  Catriona was distracted by untidied equipment of the spinnaker, failing to concentrate she let Circe by and was obliged to concentrate on Dione.  Dione went for the Clynder shore with Catriona covering whilst Circe ventured up the loch.  Clynder was better than might have been expected, when the leaders crossed again Catriona was in front.  Briefly.  Circe had the inside slot at the mark.  Of the three, Dione was quickest with the spinnaker and used it to good effect to get on top of Catriona and Circe.  A battle Catriona could not win, she gybed away in sufficient pressure for sailing directly downwind to work.  It nearly did.  Circe had the favoured shore end of the line to take the win.  Dione, inshore of Catriona, was beaten by a dog’s length.  Meanwhile, Halcyone had allowed Thalia to get inside at D, which irritated her.  No matter, she kept the fourth place in the end.  Ceres did not set a spinnaker which allowed Athene, who did, to take a place.

1 Circe, 2 Catriona, 3 Dione, 4 Halcyone, 5 Thalia, 6 Thia, 7 Hermes, 8 Athene, 9 Ceres. (Teal RO duty)

(Race reports by the inimitable Class Secretary unless otherwise stated.)

There was next to no wind as we ghosted towards the starting area.  Race Officer Carol Rowe postponed the start, partly so that competitors could get there and partly to allow the wind to make up its mind.  In the end, she selected a short course to H and back.

The H mark is a relatively recent innovation, inspired by Reay Mackay.  It is located off the Clynder shore between B (Silvers) and C (former McGruer yard).  When the wind is directly across the loch it provides for a short course incorporating a true beat.  There was some initial concern over flat patches in the loch but Carol had called it right.

The course is rarely used so there was confusion over the best way to start.  The pin end, of course, favoured.  The way to go was to (fine) reach along the line on starboard from the shore and harden up or tack at the gun.  There were those who tried to approach from the course side and were shut out by the traffic near the pin.  Others trying to beat up to the pin found the air so bad that oxygen masks dropped automatically from the boom.  (Apologies to Dave Perry, Winning in One Designs)

Circe hardened to go down the loch, Teal tacked up it.  Thalia had not dipped the line from the course side and was an obstacle until she went back.  Catriona sought to follow Teal but was not clearing the fishing boat which has replaced the late Captain Michalis (with a deeper wind shadow).  She tacked and saw that Circe was prospering so stuck with it.  Wind was unkind to Circe, she found lighter air and faded after her tack to cross the loch.  Catriona, seeing that she would pass behind Circe, tacked at the same time and after a while was close to Teal.  Both were some way off laying the mark.  Catriona was on top after they both tacked and pulled away to clear air and water for the mark rounding.  There was congestion and shouting as the peloton rounded.  Spinnakers to the finish with some sportiness regarding luffing/mark room near to the line.

1 Catriona, 2 Teal, 3 Thalia, 4 Circe, 5 Halcyone, 6 Ceres, by one second from 7 Dione, 8 Thia.

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.”