Clydesailing

Cove Regatta 10th June 2000

Windy conditions 20 knots plus from the south meant that Kilcreggan was very exposed. We did not understand what the race committee were up to setting such a short start line dangerously close in to the club moorings. Cove set old style courses around the mid firth patch as have been sailed for a century and on this occasion we were glad of it. The beat set us off to Levan then over to Hunter's Quay and back to Cove. Two rounds with the second offwind leg for classes 2/3 a run to Baron's Point.

Classes 2 (IRC) and 3 (cyca) started together with Eland (Bill Mackay.co.uk) streaking off ahead as usual. Amazingly the Sigma 33s went round with their No.2 s and full main while on Troy we found the No3 and a reef more than enough. Crew work was good with no foul ups and we set a new boatspeed record with 13.5 knots showing as we surfed off a friendly wave. In IRC Rockin Horse has clearly not got to the bottom of their problem as they fell well back upwind although with the Mustang's planing performance they clawed back a huge amount on the runs. Unfortunately both they and Sundance (Sigma 38) forgot to pass inside the start line at the end of the first round and were subsequently dsq'd.

The Class 2/3 results are as follows:

Yacht TCF Elapsed time Correctedtime Place
Enigma 0.7792 153.82 148.28 1 (IRC)
Sundance 0.995 147.4 146.66 dsq
Rockin Horse 0.923 169.25 156.22 dsq
Eland ).7792 146.97 114.52 1 (cyca)
Troy .7417 161.95 120.11 2.(cyca)
Liason .7375 164.00 120.95 3 (cyca)
Troy(on irc) .931 161.95 150.77  

Calculating Troy's performance on IRC would have seen us third behind Enigma and Sundance (if Sundance had not been disqualified!)

In the other classes Bateleur took Class 1, Animula 2nd. Etchells -1. Alan Marr- Spirit of Freedom. 2. Bullet 7, Cork 1720: 1.Djinn XI, 2, King Quick, 3 Runaway, Sonata: 1.Jammie Dodger (Heath Gairns) 2. Pied Piper 3.Well Kooshtie, 4. Random FFD, Sigma 33: 1. Rajah 2.St Joan 3. Sigmatic.

A pretty poor turnout all round for what used to be oneof the best attended regattas on the upper Clyde. Due to the difficult conditions at the moorings even fewer boats were prepared to hang around for the somewhat windswept barbecue while the jazz band continued relentlessly giving a somewhat desperate feel to the whole affair. There was a lot of beer and food unsold. After last year's disaster this must have been a real disappointment. Cove SC try hard to run a good event and deserve better weather than that.

Going home after the prize giving was even worse with gusts over 40 knots recorded in the mid firth. It was so bad that we baled out and put in to Kip for the night. Thanks to John and Colin for helping with the return ordeal.

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