A DRAMATIC finish in the Piper fleet provided the highlight of another enjoyable evening’s racing at Holy Loch Sailing Club last Wednesday (July 29), as competitors took advantage of ideal sailing conditions after a day of persistent rain.
A light but shifting breeze and clear skies greeted sailors for the latest club race, with tactical decisions proving crucial across the fleets.
The closest contest came in the Piper class, where six boats battled throughout a tightly fought race. Billie, helmed by Iain Hurrel, made the strongest start and led to the opening windward mark before the experienced Staypuff crew moved into the lead during the opening lap.
Tom Piper remained well placed in third, while Tamarind recovered from a slow start to stay in contention as the race entered its closing stages.
The decisive moment came on the final beat to the finish when Staypuff attempted to cover the chasing boats. Duncan Munro, Stuart Brown and Ali Gordon aboard Tom Piper seized the opportunity, making the most of a favourable wind shift to gain the advantage and snatch victory in a thrilling finish.
Staypuff, sailed by Robert Towart, Caroline Clark and Charmaine Boyd, crossed the line in second, with Billie completing the podium in third.
The remaining places went to Tamarind, Leander and Talisker.
In the White Sail fleet, the light breeze favoured Judicious, with Jim Hoey, Andrew Leech and Ralph Houston taking victory after rivals Panache and Tigh Solius 5 struggled to build momentum.
Panache, crewed by Neil Stewart, Maureen Stewart, Fiona Ross and Denise Black, completed the course to finish second, while Tigh Solius 5, sailed by Ken Grant and Ali Maclean, was forced to retire.
With only one entry in each of the remaining fleets, race wins went to Tommy and Susan McGeachie aboard Efficacious in the Flying Fifteen class and Neil and Clare Towart in Stubborn Tart in the Dinghy fleet.
Results
Pipers: 1, – Tom Piper (Duncan Munro, Stuart Brown, Ali Gordon); 2, – Staypuff (Robert Towart, Caroline Clark, Charmaine Boyd); 3, – Billie Piper (Iain Hurrel, Finn Hurrel, Graeme Murray); 4, – Tamarind (Andy Love, David Bonnar); 5, – Leander (Jim Campbell, James Heggarty); 6, – Talisker (Jamie Roges, Neil McLaren, Matilda MacLaren).
White Sail: 1, – Judicious (J30) (Jim Hoey, Andrew Leech, Ralph Houston); 2, – Panache (Sigma 33) (Neil Stewart, Maureen Stewart, Fiona Ross, Denise Black).
RTD: 1, – Tigh Solius 5 (Ken Grant, Ali Maclean).
Flying Fifteen: 1, – Efficacious (Tommy and Susan McGeachie).
Dinghy: 1, – Stubborn Tart (Neil and Clare Towart).
