MORE than 50 boats took to the water at Holy Loch Sailing Club as one of the Clyde’s longest-running regattas enjoyed its best turnout in years.
The annual Polaris Regatta brought around 300 sailors and supporters to the Holy Loch over the weekend, with competitors facing dramatically different conditions across two days of racing.
Saturday brought strong winds and challenging conditions before a much lighter breeze on Sunday put competitors’ tactical skills to the test.
Among the standout performers was Gourock entry Chanter, sailed by Dougie Campbell, Peter Boyd and Heath Cairns, which produced a remarkable clean sweep of all six races in the Piper class.
The 12-boat Piper fleet was completing its 60th anniversary season at the regatta, with Chanter dominating Saturday’s demanding conditions with three victories.
Local favourite Tom Piper kept the pressure on with two second-place finishes, but Chanter continued its winning streak when racing resumed on Sunday.
Three further victories completed the six-race clean sweep and secured the Piper class trophy.
The performance also earned the Chanter crew the prestigious Murray Seafoods Caithness Glass Bowl for the best overall performance across the regatta’s four fleets.
Another milestone was marked by the Sonata fleet, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Holy Loch Sailing Club hosted the Sonata Scottish Championships as part of the regatta, with Neil Rosie and his Helensburgh Sailing Club crew aboard Peshwa 4 crowned Scottish champions after recording four first places and two seconds.
Mark Taylor of Royal Forth Yacht Club, sailing Saraband, finished second overall.
There was further success for local sailors in the dinghy fleet.
Alistair and Bernadette McMillan of Isle of Bute Sailing Club took overall victory in their Merlin Rocket, Thumper, with four wins and two second places from the six races.
Holy Loch Sailing Club’s Jenny Dunn provided a strong challenge aboard her Laser Bahia, recording two victories and four second places to finish runner-up.
The Flying Fifteen fleet was reduced to three entries due to a clash with a national event, but still produced one of the closest finishes of the weekend.
Holy Loch’s Chris and Marion Bowen, sailing More Mischieff, secured overall victory with a perfect scoreline.
Their final win came in dramatic fashion after a mistake at the first mark left them trailing the other boats. The pair fought their way back through the race before snatching victory by just three seconds.
Tommy and Susan McGeachie finished second overall.
There was also a bumper 13-boat entry in the White Sail fleet, although Saturday’s near-gale conditions led several crews to remain ashore.
Jonathan Dickie and his Fairlie Yacht Club crew aboard the Laser 28 Farr Out won both races, with Malcolm Johnston and his Isle of Bute Sailing Club crew aboard Kraken finishing second on both days.
The weekend also attracted a large crowd ashore, with around 300 sailors and supporters visiting the club.
Food was provided on Saturday evening by Jamie at Redwood Coffee, while local group Urban Folkers provided the entertainment.
The Polaris Regatta dates back to the early 1960s and takes its name from the presence of the US Navy’s Polaris submarine fleet on the Clyde at the time.
This year’s event was supported by Shearwater Marine Services, Swordfish Marine and Western Ferries.
The regatta was organised entirely by Holy Loch Sailing Club members, with the club thanking race officer Bill Aitchison and his team, Steve Thompson and the rescue boat crews, the galley and bar teams and Commodore Kirsty Brown for their work throughout the weekend.
