Week 6

In a complete contrast to the stormy weather of the previous two weeks, Sunday 2nd November dawned to blue skies and light and variable winds. After a short postponement, a light north westerly breeze allowed the race officer to set a light wind course to a windward mark at the Tomont End navigation buoy, followed by a run to Hunterston and a short beat back to the Marina entrance. At least, that was the plan! The initial light wind beat, in shifty conditions, gave plenty of action, if at a somewhat more leisurely pace than in previous weeks. The breeze held just long enough to see the class 1 boats round the windward mark, but dropped almost to nothing as the class 3 leaders reached that point. A tidal eddy at the mark made rounding difficult, with Craig Anderson's Moody 336 Cool Bandit having to make several attempts, before managing to get round. By this time, what wind there was seemed to have backed to the south, meaning that spinnakers could not initially be held on the next leg.

With little prospect of an improvement, Race Officer Peter Wright, aboard committee vessel Amaryllis, dashed up to the Tomont mark to shorten class 4, before rushing back, to take up station at the regular finish line for the other classes. He needn't have hurried though; the first class 1 finisher was still a long way off by the time he arrived. The wind returned to its light westerly pattern, allowing spinnakers to be flown to the mark at Hunterston, but by the time the tide turned to the north, the breeze had all but disappeared. What followed was a true test of persistence, but with places still up for grabs, very few of the competitors lacked the patience to see the race out to a finish.

Finally, after a long period where the remaining boats seemed to sit stationary for hours, trapped about a quarter mile south of the finish, a light westerly breeze sprang up at about 2.45pm. Kites were eagerly set, and the last four boats raced line abreast for the finish line. Mallie, Tom MacFadyen and Ken McClelland's veteran Westerly Fulmar, was the first over, just beating Judicious, Piecemaker and Sorr of Appin, to take a well deserved 4th place in the final race. Needless to say, the second race was abandoned, the third week in a row that this had occurred, but due to very different extremes of weather.

So, in the end, John Corson’s Salamander XX clinched the series victory in class 1, without needing to sail today’s race. They won the Tarantara Trophy for the second year in a row, finishing on 9 points, 3 ahead of Ken Grant’s Tigh Soluis II, who were well clear of third place Calima, the Elan 333 of Keith MacKie and Jimmy Gilmartin. First place overall in Class 3, and the Periwinkle Plate, went to Brian Wiseman’s Sorr of Appin, with a series score of 8 points. Roddy Angus took second overall in his SJ30, Misjif, just four points ahead of Stuart Hamilton’s Moody 336 Piecemaker, who ended tied on points with Mallie, but took the place on count-back. Chris McCondichie took class 4 overall, and the Largs Yacht Haven Trophy, in his Sadler 25 Silenus, 7 points ahead of her twin sister, Keith Agnew’s Whirligig. Third place went to Bob Stone’s Albin Ballad Salamander. The Holt Trophy for the best overall series performance was awarded to Sorr of Appin. Skipper Brian Wiseman thanked the organisers and the joint sponsors, Kip Marina and Largs Yacht Haven, for a thoroughly enjoyable and eventful series.

Results Class 1: IRC 1. Salamander XX John Corson 9 points 2. Tigh Soluis II Ken Grant 12 points 3. Calima Keith MacKie & Jimmy Gilmartin 21 points

Class 3: CYCA Heavy Displacement 1. Sorr of Appin Brian Wiseman 8 pts 2. Misjif Roddy Angus & Alastair Tear 17 pts 3. Piecemaker Stuart Hamilton 21 pts

Class 4: CYCA Light Displacement 1. Silenus Chris McCondichie 10 pts 2. Whirligig Keith Agnew 17 points 3. Salamander Bob Stone 21 points

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