American airline Pilot Thad Burr visited. He has arranged his airline’s schedule to coincide with several of the Gareloch’s races. Today, he took the helm of Catriona.
On The Water Race Officer Roger Kinns selected a long course, zig zagging across the Gareloch to the northernmost mark on the Clynder shore. Wind was from the east shore so that we started offwind. Thad thought he was late, crossing the line 10 seconds after the gun. All the rest were at least a minute later, for a moment he questioned his timing. Boats were close to maximum speed, those in the chasing pack who did not set spinnakers lost little.
Thad’s lead varied a little in the changeable air which characterises the Gareloch, especially when it is from the east, but the position was never in doubt.
On long beat to the end of the first round, Thalia began in second place with Halcyone not so close as to cause concern. She made an injudicious tack towards the Shandon shore, into more variable wind with headers on the tack down the loch. Halcyone moved to second with a large margin, having not had to make any special effort.
There was time for a short second round. Downwind to B, off Silvers, a reach up the Clynder shore and home. Thalia alone set a spinnaker going to B which helped a little. She was overoptimistic gybing it for the reach. After some hair raising moments with the pole not properly attached, she dropped it. Halcyone laughing all the way to the bank. Ceres was just a little too far behind to make a pass. Thalia tried to avoid following the others on the final beat. To no avail. Halcyone was not making mistakes.
1 Catriona, 2 Halcyone, 3 Thalia, 4 Ceres, 5 Thia.
