(Report from Charles Darley – aboard Catriona)
Race officer Iain MacGillivray, aboard Arke, set a short course to H, off Clynder and back. With the race officer being on the water, he took the opportunity to specify a Boinard start, Named after Eric, skipper of Zephyrus, the start line was between Y and Z, the two pin ends of conventional starting lines.
The left end of the line was favoured. Several of the hot shots thought to reach along on starboard and start at that end. They were undone by wind dying and were not half way along at the gun. A group of three, Hermes, Zephyrus and Thalia made their way on the left of the course and were first to the windward mark by a margin. Catriona was best of the rest and some were well back in very changeable air. The windex was seen to flick through ninety degrees or more, the sails were in different wind to the top of the mast.
It should have been a spinnaker leg back to the starting area but rapid gybes with no change of course put paid to that. The leading group of four opened a gap on the rest which was not to be closed. Catriona passed to windward of Thalia, who established an inside overlap at the mark for the start of the second round. Zephyrus outside both, Hermes long gone. Thalia rounded wide allowing Catriona to windward for the start of the second round. Curious air at H slowed Hermes. She rounded first but Catriona was able to sneak to windward.
In the following group, Arke pulled clear. Despite having stayed high, Dione lost a place to Circe who undertook and charged through literally in the last boat length (editor – with the RO on board Arke positioned to look along the line!). Athene, who suffered badly in the changeable and unpredictable air, got the better of Halcyone.
1 Catriona, 2 Hermes, 3 Zephyrus, 4 Thalia, 5 Arke, 6 Circe, 7 Dione, 8 Athene, 9 Halcyone.
