WHILE the rest of the UK is setting new drought records, if recent race conditions at the Holy Loch on race nights are anything to go by, Argyll and Bute has nothing to worry about.
However, despite the dismal weather last Wednesday, an excellent turnout of seven pipers braved the inclement elements, still buzzing no doubt from their memorable championship weekend at Gourock. Overall victor, Tom Piper, and her talented crew of Duncan Munro, Stuart Brown and Ali Gordon, took up where they left off and led from start to finish, keeping their confidence and patience as the wind died at the first mark. Thereafter, they maintained a significant distance ahead of the opposition with only Robert Towart’s Series leader, Staypuff, able to mount any sort of challenge, and they were rewarded with second place at the finish ahead of the evergreen Alan Waugh, guesting as skipper of Jim Campbell’s Leander.
With just one race left and no discards available due to the earlier cancelled races due to lack of wind, it looks like the leading two boats last week will be fighting it out to the finish for overall honours.
Elsewhere, four flying fifteens made it to the starting area, with Good Moaning, Efficacious and Woffle all being sailed single-handed. At the start, an extra gun signalled that one or more boats had started prematurely and would have to return to the pre-start side of the line and restart.
Efficacious and Woffle were the furthest over the line and duly restarted. Good Moaning and More Mischieff were slightly further back. Good Moaning elected to restart, while More Mischieff decided to gamble that they had been on the correct side of the line and continued racing.
At the first mark, More Mischieff held a slender lead over Good Moaning, with Efficacious and Woffle not far behind. Good Moaning remained on More Mischieff’s tail for the first lap and a half, but as the wind faded on the long run towards the head of the Holy Loch and More Mischieff began to open up a comfortable lead.
They maintained that advantage to the finish, but their gamble at the start proved costly. As More Mischieff crossed the finish line, there was no finishing gun, the race committee had determined that they had indeed been over the line at the start and were therefore disqualified.
Victory consequently went to Good Moaning. Efficacious and Woffle were both caught out by the dying wind and strengthening tide and were forced to retire from the race.
However, the dying wind hit the white sail fleet the hardest and out of the four entries, only Judicious completed the course. Panache, Moonlight and Tigh Soluis V all struggled with the light wind and strong tide towards the end of the race and retired.
Only one dinghy took part on Wednesday evening, Neil and Clare Towart in their ISO Stubborn Tart.
However, on Tuesday evening six dinghies raced in a very light breeze. Unfortunately, only Fin Hurrel in his Laser managed to finish within the time limit, with Ivor Warren, Barnaby Munns, Darcy Cameron and Harris Munns in their Lasers, and Andrew Leech in his Mirror having to retire.
Full results
Piper results: 1, – Tom Piper (Duncan Munro, Stuart Brown, Ali Gordon); 2, – Staypuff (Robert Towart, Charmaine Boyd, Caroline Clarke); 3, – Leander (Alan Waugh); 4, – Tamarind (Andy Love, Kev Robinson); 5, – Billie Piper (Iain Hurrel); 6, – Talisker (Jamie Rogers, Matilda McLaren, Neil McLaren); 7, – Selena (Alistair McLean, Abi).
Flying fifteens results: 1, – Good Moaning (Ian Sinclair); disqualified More Mischieff – Chris Bowen, Marion Bowen; retired, – Efficacious (Tommy McGeachie) and Woffle (Jim MacLean).
White sail results: 1, – Judicious (J30) (Jim Hoey, Andrew Leech, Ralph Houston); retired, – Moonlight (Sonata) (Nigel Scriven, Derek Webber), Tigh Soluis V (Moody 30) (Ken Grant) and Panache (Sigma 33) (Neil Stewart, Maureen Stewart, Fiona Ross, Denise Black).
