Clydesailing
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CCC Tobermory Race and Centenary Thrash
It was a grand weekend for the pink trouser brigade who were out in force at Ardfern for the CCC muster/barbecue/ceildh marking the start of the CCC Centenary Cruise. Firstly, top marks to all the Ardfern staff who excelled themselves with a level of competence, professionalism, organisational planning, helpfulness and courtesy that would be an example to any other marine outfit I can think of. I don't know how many yachts they stuffed in but it was a lot and they did it without any hesitation on the exact placing of the next visitor to arrive.
The Esteemed Commodore, Howard Morrison had been at pains to ensure a high level of dressing overall (yachts that is though I managed to find a clean shirt) and there was remarkable compliance with this particular edict. The pic below is somewhat spoiled by the presence of the ugly catamaran but you get the forest of masts and bunting idea. The rather elegant blue hulled yacht was at the front of the American 'ghetto' within which were parked some US yachts from Dallas to New York all displaying a startling level of preparation and maintenance. Most looked like they were just out of the wrapper.
I don't know if they have all just sailed across the Atlantic but if they have, how their varnish work and piano finish paintwork is in such immaculate condition is beyond me. Anyway our transantlantic friends were much in evidence but I didn't get to speak to any of them.
There was a huge marquee erected in the Ardfern car park but when we pitched up for the barbecue just after 6.30 on Sunday a great crowd was inside the tent listening to various dronings from Esteemed Persons. All we could hear from the door were indistinct mwah, fwah, wah type noises so, having fortified ourselves at the bar (special commendation for having only the excellent Fyne Ales on draught and not a trace of T) we headed for the front of the food queue and this turned out to be a smart move as once the dronings ceased, serving began and we were right in there, unlike many others who had to stand in a very long line for a very long time. If, beforehand, you had written a list of all that you might have ended up with on your plate you might have thought it a revolting excess but in fact it was all very good and we enjoyed our loaded helpings greatly. The CCC specially labelled wine was alright too. Eventually a ceilidh started with a fairly crowded floor with quite a lot of collisions going on butI don't think we can blame the Americans for that. It was a relatively early night though as the Tobermory Race Part 2 started at 7am the following day.
As we think CYCA handicaps suck and the forecast was for southerly winds, the 2 of us on Troikka opted for IRC class1, giving us the opportunity to mess about with our new asymmetric spinnaker rather than the purgatory of faffing about with a poled out jib. The start was from down Loch Craignish with a close reach to the Dorus Mor and thence freeing off for a run up the Sound of Luing. FT$E headed off on her own as usual while Animal gave an entertaining display by hoisting a large asymmetric kite immediately and proceeding to broach her way to the Dorus. Once the other Class 1 boats were out of the way and we were safely round the corner we hoisted the assy and had an enjoyable sail up the Sound. Out of the top though and the wind got up and some heavy rain started.
We were back to white sails by then but eventually, after we had finished our mid morning tea, we decided to put it back up again and carried it on to the traditional parking lot at Duart where everyone milled around for a while before ghosting off for the Sound of Mull.
For us and those around us at least it was a frustrating few hours of stop - start sailing but at least, in the end, with some warm sunshine. We arrived in Tobermory after 5pm crossing the line alongside First By Farr so although were were, in effect, last by miles we weren't last in class on handicap so Anne deserved her bag of chips for her repeated asymmetric hoisting even if I got completely drenched going ashore to buy them.
Next day we beat it out of Tobermory and motored back to Crinan. A giant sunflower raft-up was going to happen in Loch Na Drumbuie but that is not, to put it politely, our kind of thing. The PTB carry on their Centenary Cruise from there, the turning point being a beach barbecue on Vatersay.
Round Mull Race - from Steve Pickles on Tango Too ( Jeanneau Sunlight 28)
It was a bit rough. Friday was almost as bad with a mega squall/mini gale of about 2 hours of 40+ kts wind whilst we battled through the entrance to the Sound of Mull. Wind against tide made that a bit grim and I saw people losing halyards and a jib pull its bolt rope from luff groove. Saturday was a fantastic contrast: sun and spinnaker all the way to Bunessan. Sunday was foul: up at 0700, already could hear shouting in the East Bunessan anchorage. Boats had started to drag after the 2nd 180 degree wind change of the night. 4-5 boats dragged and there were some serious efforts by people to save boats. Once we started and were trying to get the anchor up I managed to get some trip line around the rudder. Bashing on, we hoisted main with 2nd reef, and headed for the start. It didn't look good and I decided to can racing and motorsail in company with the fleet back to Oban. Marisca (CO32) passed me with his storm jib set ( it was 40+knts at this point, the fact that the CO32 was flying his storm jib already had me thinking should I go on?!) and the further we got north out of the bay the bigger the seas got and a nasty steep 2-3m swell with breaking waves was making things interesting. As we got further out and I could see big race boats like Lark ( Sweden 45?) banging about, I looked around and realised the sea was going white as the wind got up more and the wave tops were being blown off. Discretion being the better part of valour , I didn't want to have a breakage at this point and with rope still around my rudder I turned back for the west anchorage. We were instantly surfing back in at 9+ knts and waved to Headcorn, the commitee/tug boat as she bashed out after the fleet.
We tried to set the anchor in line with the pier in the west bay, and for the first time ever my Rocna failed to set first time; the monstrous kelp ball when we eventually got it back up showed why. Further west it set in 4m, and we let out a ridiculous 60m rode as 40+knt gusts came through the anchorage. There were a couple of race boats still moored ( they had never left), and we set an anchor watch while one of my crew bravely donned wetsuit to cut the rope and trip buoy off the rudder. After 2 hours the boat was sorted below and up top. And we had 17 boats from the fleet of around 35 starters back in the anchorage. Some hellish efforts as people tried 5-6 times to get anchors to set. Boats were coming back in with lost halyards and mainsheet tracks torn from mountings. Eventually Headcorn hove into sight with Storm Mhor ( Westerly Typhoon) who had lost their mast, in tow. It wasn't a good day to be racing -some folk have reported the wind up to 55knts – I can believe it got to that! As we made a pot of tea having tidied the boat up ( one of my fresh water pipe connections in the heads had been dislodged by the basket of head cleaning products stored in the locker bouncing around so much, and the heads/bilge was full of the 20-30 odd litres of fresh water we had on board) I noticed that it had been wet enough in the cockpit for one of the guy’s lifejacket lights to be triggered and he was flashing like a christmas tree. We waited until lunch as the wind slowly eased, and set off for a leisurely sail / motor home to Dunstaffnage.
RNCYC Two Boat Team Racing Cup 26/27th June - report by Griogair Whyte
Neill Ross
RNCYC hosted the inaugural Team Race day sailed in the club's fleet of Sonars. There was an excellent turnout with six teams attending the event. The standard was extremely high with the current British Uni champions Edinburgh University and a couple of world championship winners present in the teams as well as some of the usual suspects from around Scotland. The format consisted of two round robins held over the two days with each team having ten races to get their shot at glory. The results were extremely close but the eventual winners were RNCYC 1 who only lost two races to the Royal St George, who finished 2nd and RNCYC A, who were joint third with Edinburgh Uni.
Neill Ross
Final results were:
RNCYC 1 (helms - Allan Manual/Nicole McPherson) wins 8 losses 2
Royal St George (Graham Elmes/Mary O’Loughlin) wins 7 lost 3
RNCYC A (Griogair Whyte/Andrew Normand) wins 6 lost 4
Edinburgh Uni (Mark Powell/Rob Friend) wins 6 lost 4
Dambusters (Robyn Phillips / Mike Thomas) wins 2 lost 8
SUSA X (Gavin Dunlop/John Mill) wins 1 lost 9
Neill Ross
Flag A
I am of course well aware that flag A means 'I have a diver down' but have been taken to task for sailing too close to a RIB flying Flag A a couple of weeks ago just a bit north of Ardlamont Point. Apparently the RIB was standing off three divers who were under an orange marker buoy. I realised rather too late that I had sailed closer than I meant to although I still thought I was in safe water and apparently several other boats did the same. As someone who knows absolutely nothing about diving I have never been sure how far off to clear a diving boat but am told that ideally we should keep 100m off a vessel flying flag A. So we ken noo and will do so in future.
Savage seas.
Andy Campbell
Pic of the old SJ Hustler 36 'Savage' taken off Cloch Point Sunday morning 4/7/10. Rather him than me. I was at Kip in the afternoon where it was gusting 40kts in the marina. The boat was jumping about on the pontoon such that a protracted wiring job with my head in the bilge was enough to make me feel uncomfortable.
Chas, the author of this site, is owner of Troikka, an Elan 37 which along with his family and mates he races and cruises from the Clyde. I'd be interested in any comments on the site and will respond to any questions. If you are new to sailing on the Clyde and have any questions or interest please email me. I'll either try to answer them myself or point you to someone who can. You can use the reply page to email me.
