Irish Commodore's Cup team-mates Antix and Roxy 6 lead Classes 1 and 2 after two days at the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series in Tarbert. Yesterday produced one good race, one slow and difficult one as an early southerly breeze died away to next to nothing.
As it dissipated, so the fortunes of several of the regatta’s top contenders evaporated slowly and painfully with it.
Several crews, who had composed unbeaten scorelines to date, became rooted to the water in the very light winds, while their opposition ghosted away to big wins.
So difficult have the breezes proven so far this regatta that for the first time in many years no one boat among any the 13 classes has managed to win all of their races.
In IRC Class 4 the Clyde’s John Corson and his crew on Salamander XX added their third successive win in the morning’s first race extending their lead, but in the second windward-leeward contest they were just one of many who became snared on the wrong side when the light breeze collapsed.
Their main rivals to date Accrewed Interest steered by past Scottish Series trophy winner Steve Goacher, a Lake District sailmaker, disappeared progressively up the course and went on to win by just under two minutes ahead of Sloop John T, whilst Salamander XX could only struggle to an eighth place.
The race lasted three hours and 25 minutes for the Clyde team on the Corby 33 Salamander XX two hours more than it did for Accrewed Interest.
The story was similar in IRC Class 2 where Roxy 6, was another team which fell unfortunate victims to the split in the breeze in the afternoon.
After two first places and a sixth, the recently launched custom Corby 36, Roxy 6 was another victim of the Loch Fyne doldrums. The Class 2 leaders slumped slowly to a sixth in their seven boat fleet leaving them tied on points with Richard and Paul Harris’ Tanit, the Sydney 36, which had slipped away to win.
One of most consistent crews now with three first places and one second is 2003 Scottish Series Trophy winner Ruaraidh Scott and his team in Sportsboat Class 1.
That fleet is entirely composed of 1720 Cork One designs with the exception of a solitary Melges 24. And incorporated into their regatta is the 1720 European Championships.
Scott, who grew up sailing on Loch Fyne, is a past European and UK National champion in the class but has not raced in a 1720 for five years, won the first race today and took second in the second race.
“It has been quite tight usually with at least one boat in contention with us. We really were quite fortunate that the breeze held out until the last leg of the second race and we were powered up most of the time.” Said Scott, who is now a sailmaker based on the south coast of England, “We have usually done a good job in getting ahead by the windward mark and then it becomes a little easier to control what goes on.”
“It is good to be back in the class and racing on the Loch. I was maybe not so sure when we were launching the boat in the rain on Thursday, but it’s good, challenging racing.”
Results:
IRC Class 1: 1 Antix (A O’Leary) 10pts, 2 Playing FTSE (J Anderson)
13pts, 3 Impetuous (R Fildes) 16pts, Class 2: 1 Roxy 6 (R Davies)
10pts, 2 Tanit (R & D Harris) 10pts, 3 Prime Suspect (C Frize) 12pts,
Class 3: 1 Salamander XX (J Corson) 11pts, 2 Accrewed Interest (K
Lord) 12pts, 3 Something Else (Hall/Donnell/Hall) 19pts, Class 4: 1
niJinsky (R Yates) 13pts, 2 Hops (Bolton/Robertson) 18pts, 3 Shadowfax
(B & S Fortieth) 18pts, Class 5: 1 Mercenary (M Bradshaw) 12pts, 2
Bambi (P Doig) 12pts, 3 Misjif (Angus/Tear/Thomson) 15pts, Class 6: 1
Sunrise (N & S Chalmers) 3pts, 2 Dancer (M Stevenson) 7pts, 3 Tartan
Pimpernel (N Howison) 10pts, Class 10: 1 Finesse (D Walter) 5pts, 2
Margarita (Moorehead/Ferris) 5pts, 3 Nuage (K Andrew) 6pts, CYCA 7: 1
Whats New Pussykate (S Scott) 6pts, 2 Valhalla of Ashton (A Dunnet)
6pts, Sigma 33: 1 Sea Pie of Cultra (J Colman) 8pts, 2 Simgatic (D & A
Mclaren) 10pts, Sonata Class: 1 Blue Tack (D Boatman) 7pts, 2 So (N
McLure) 9pts, 3 Jazz (Rosie/Manderson) 9pts, Sportsboat 1: 1 King
Quick (R Scott) 5pts, 2 Richochet (S Forrester Coles) 12pts, 3 Alltalk
(Angel/Stevenson) 13pts, Sportsboat 2: 1 Haggis (E Mackay) 6pts, 2
Tonic (D Paton) 12pts, 3 ASBOat (G Whyte) 12pts, RS Elite: 1 Elixir (
S MacLean) 5pts, 2 Swallow (B Shaw) 11pts, 3 No Angel (F Hicks) 15pts.
