West Highland Week now begins from Croabh Haven which is able to support the race fleet much better than was possible at Crinan. Croabh, assisted by colleagues drafted in from Kip managed to park all competing boats in an orderly fashion allowing the partying to begin on the Saturday night prior to the start of the passage race to Oban at 1pm on Sunday. The previous week had provided some pretty damp and unpleasant weather and the start was grey and overcast with a light wind beat down to the south end of Shuna by which time the early starters in this pursuit race were well spread out. After that is was a run up the Sound of Luing with the usual guessing of which side was best - Scarba or Shuna. We tended to the Scarba side but the wind really began to fail and the finish line was set at the islands at the top of the sound. With so little wind the tide really came into play and the eddies gave some boats a lot of trouble. The most remarkable sight we observed was Hops caught absolutely stationary in her own boiling patch of water for several minutes while other boats overtook quite close on either side.
The wind continued to fail after we had crossed the finish line but later there were stories of yachts crossing the line sideways, facing backwards or way past the end of the line altogether. Remarkably, some of the latter were awarded redress by the race committee who presumably must have been in a highly benevolent frame of mind.

Others fared even worse. Crackerjack, the brand new £££ Swan decided to take the route inside Maiden Island on her way to the start - (yes the bit marked with row of Xs on the chart). Rumour was that on hitting one of the Xs, the impact caused the helmsman to uproot the steering binnacle.

Monday's racing from Oban was supposed to be round the cans up north for the spinnaker classes and a round Bach Island and thereabouts jaunt for the white sails poofters which is where we were. After a much extended postponement, racing for both fleets eventually was cancelled.

Tuesday's racing was the Round Lismore race for all classes. The merest zephyrs in the 6-8knot band allowed a start but this turned into a short but very slow and hole filled beat just a couple of miles long. In the white sails class 6 Glenafton, the huge Mylne ketch just kept going but some of the Sigmas which were sailing handicap white sails notably Blues and Pussyfoot kept well up the fleet. In Troy we just managed to sneak up through the lulls and get over the line before the gate closed and a huge gap formed before the next batch made it. A frustrating and not particularly enjoyable race but clearly the best the committee could offer in the circumstances.



Wednesday was to have been the Sound of Mull passage race to Tobermory. The day started early with brilliant sunshine and zero wind. Before long the official boats announced that they would steam off for the Sound of Mull and if any wind showed up they would start the race. So, like a fleet of ducklings we all motored off, on and on until we arrived at Salen where there was still no wind. At about 1.30pm the three guns went to a cheer from the fleet but a groan from some of us. Sure enough, withing half an hour or so the sea breeze filled in, as inevitably it would on such a hot day, and provided a good sailing breeze which we enjoyed while rafted up at Tobermory.





Thursday was an extremely odd day, starting with some quite dense mist which looked like it would burn off but never really did. There was a small amount of wind and the spinnaker classes went off north in the Ardnamurchan direction for their windward leewards. After a very long postponement race 2 was started just as the sea breeze kicked in and they had some good sailing in almost nil visibility. Apparently it was almost impossible to find the windward mark without instruments. The non spinnaker classes had an easier time being sent off on a peculiar course down the Sound of Mull. This race started on time in moderate to poor visibility but with very little wind and there was much bunching up and rafting at the first mark. The race became a light wind downhill drift to the second mark where the finish line was set. Predictably, just as the race was finishing the sea breeze appeared from the NW and allowed a fine beat in wonderful sunshine and 15plus knots back to Tobermory where we were back on the moorings by 2pm while splendid sailing conditions were to be enjoyed outside the harbour. One of my main criticisms is that there was insufficient flexibiilty built into the sailing instructions. The third mark was even further down the Sound and while it was reasonable to wish to avoid sending boats even further down there, had there been a prearranged provision to use an alternative shorter course we could have had the run down to mark 2 then a beat back at the very least without the necessity to finish the race entirely. The appearance of the sea breeze was entirely predictable and it was a great shame to miss it. The long postponement in the other fleet while waiting for the breeze was a much more perceptive course of action.



After a fine night in the Mishnish the final day dawned with wind at long last. Sunshine and breeze for a good beat down the Sound of Mull. It was a splendid sailing day with the whole fleet looking good and grinding in those big genoas as they short tacked down the Morven shore. Doubtless one or two made contact with the Fuinary rocks. We were doing reasonably well trying to keep up with Pussyfoot and Blues but eventually made a wrong choice and failed to go over to the Mull shore later on in the race and threw it all away. Nevertheless it was a fine sail, enjoyed by all and an excellent finish to an enjoyable but not wholly satisfactory week. We enjoyed class 6 without spinnaker given that we had 2 adults and 5 youngsters on board but the restricted sail courses are a bit tedious. The presence of Glenafton in the class was a bit depressing as no matter the wind she just romped off way ahead and not even the best could get close. Although she is undoubtedly well sailed her rating does seem remarkable.

At the prizegiving we were informed that 2004 will be the 25th year of sponsorship by Tennent Caledonian Breweries and this is one of the longest running sporting sponsorships in existence. The beer vouchers had their uses but I was pleased to find an increased availability of the excellent products of the Fyne Ales microbrewery at the top of Loch Fyne. Their Somerled brew most appropriately is the standard offering at the Lord of the Isles pub at Croabh and very good it is too. Fyne Ales Highlander was on offer at Dunstaffnage and even Macgochan's in Tobermory had some Glencoe Three Sisters until it ran out. So despite Tennents, all is not lost in Argyll. One can only dream of the Tennents Good Beer West Highland Week. Now that would be something.

this wee strip of pictures will enlarge on clicking

Full Results are on the official WHYW web site

 

back to race reports