(Report from the Secretary on Catriona – with some corrections!)
Thalia took part in her first race with new owner Peter Elias. No shortage of enthusiasm aboard.
Race Officer Alan Yendell selected a course beginning with a beat up the Shandon shore. Dione and Circe stuck to the shore where Arke and Catriona went further out. Tide was ebbing so further out was worse from that point of view. Wind is often lighter and more fickle near the shore. Not tonight.
Dione was first round the windward mark for the fine reach to C off Clynder. Not withstanding an optimistic attempt to set a spinnaker which gave hope to those behind, she should not have been caught. But she misread the tide and had to tack back up the loch to lay C. Circe got inside. Catriona, with thought of an inside overlap on Circe at the mark, made the same mistake, stayed low and ended up being passed by Arke. Thence to A off the club. Spinnakers essential here. Dione hoisted quickly and got past Circe. Catriona tried her hardest to get on terms with Arke. She was about level but overlapped outside approaching A. A very late spinnaker drop allowed her to swing round outside Arke and get in front, with Arke unable to live in the wind shadow.
A shift in the wind meant Catriona was able to point higher towards the finish than Dione and Circe had done. Both found light air near the shore, Catriona with good pressure further out. Dione was out of sight but when Circe tacked out, Catriona was close on her counter. Circe’s attempt at a slam-dunk did not come off.
Meanwhile, Athene had fallen foul of the adverse conditions at C. Wind lightened and headed with the ebb tide tending to sweep boats onto the mark. Athene had to tack which put her on port with Ceres approaching on starboard. After a good start, penalty turns set Athene back. Thalia, her crew learning the ropes, did not set a spinnaker which was essential for the run to A.
1 Dione, 2 Catriona, 3 Circe, 4 Arke, 5 Ceres, 6 Athene, 7 Halcyone, 8 Thia, 9 Thalia.
