The second race of the club’s Wednesday evening series got off to a slow start, with organisers gambling that a forecast southerly breeze would arrive.
Despite competitors initially facing an enthusiasm-sapping flat calm, the wind eventually appeared and produced an enjoyable evening of sailing, although not before Ken Grant and his crew had to wait 35 minutes just to cross the starting line.
A season record of six Pipers took part, with sailors competing for a special trophy marking the 21st anniversary of Neil Wilson’s death in 2005.
Neil was remembered as a hugely respected Holy Loch sailor whose enthusiasm, skill, sportsmanship and humour inspired many within the sailing community.
This year’s winners were Duncan Munro, Stuart Brown and Ali Gordon aboard Tom Piper.
After making the strongest start and showing impressive speed in the changing conditions, the crew recovered from briefly losing momentum at the first mark before regaining control and securing victory.
Following the race, Trisha Leech presented Neil’s Trophy to the winning crew.
In a gesture reflecting the spirit of the award, the winners announced the keeper prize — a bottle of Neil’s favourite tipple — would be saved until the club’s upcoming 60th Anniversary Regatta in July and shared among competitors as they come ashore.
Pipers results: 1. Tom Piper — Duncan Munro, Ali Gordon and Stuart Brown
2. Staypuff — Robert Towart, Caroline Clark and Charmaine Boyd
3. Billie Piper — Fergus Campbell and James Russell
4. Leander — Alan Waugh and James Heggarty
5. Tamarind — Andy Love and David Bonnar
6. Talisker — Jamie Rodgers and Neil McLaren
In the Flying Fifteens, Jim Maclean and Mr Ian aboard Woffle had a difficult start after becoming trapped in an area with no wind.
That allowed Chris and Marion Bowen on More Mischieff to take advantage and secure the win.
Flying Fifteens:
- More Mischieff — Chris Bowen and Marion Bowen
- Woffle — Jim Maclean and Mr Ian
In the White Sail fleet, Jim Hoey and crew aboard Judicious managed to escape the difficult conditions around the first mark and build a lead which was never threatened.
White Sail:
- Judicious (J30) — Jim Hoey, Andrew Leech and Ralph Houston
- Moonlight (Sonata) — Nigel Scriven and Derek Webber
- Panache (Sigma 33) — Neil Stewart, Maurine Stewart and Fiona Ross
- Tigh Soluis 5 (Moody 30) — Ken Grant
- Mike Honcho (J24) — Fin Hurrel, Harris Munns, Ross Noble, James Russell and Tormod Doherty
In the dinghy fleet, conditions suited Stubborn Tart, with Painted Warrior battling hard to close the gap.
Dinghies:
- Stubborn Tart (ISO) — Neil Towart and Clare Towart
- Painted Warrior (Contender) — Neil John Wilson
Holy Loch Sailing Club members also enjoyed an excellent showing at the Clyde Corinthian Yacht Club’s 1000 Guineas Pursuit Race.
Three boats from the club joined a 25-strong fleet on Saturday, June 20, with all three crews finishing inside the top six.
Conditions proved difficult, with light and patchy winds creating a slow journey towards the Gantocks near Dunoon before the breeze faded further on the long run towards the wreck of the MV Captayannis between Greenock and Helensburgh.
The wind eventually returned for a challenging beat back up the Clyde to the finish.
The standout performance came from Findlay Hurrel and his crew aboard J24 Mike Honcho.
Alongside Harris Munns, Barnaby Munns, Ross Noble and Aidan Beautyman, Findlay produced an excellent race and narrowly missed out on second place by just seven seconds after three and a half hours of competition.
The result was made even more special as the Mike Honcho crew are all former members of Holy Loch Sailing Club’s Cadet Programme, which helps young sailors develop skills in sailing and seamanship.
Their performance highlighted the success of the programme and the pathway it provides for young sailors moving into competitive racing.
Chris and Marion Bowen also delivered a strong performance aboard Flying Fifteen More Mischieff, managing the changing conditions well to secure a fourth-place finish.
Meanwhile, Ken Grant aboard Moody 30 Tigh Soluis 5 was among the front runners for much of the race and remained in contention at the final turning mark before stronger winds allowed some faster boats to move ahead.
Grant crossed the line in a strong sixth place.
With three Holy Loch boats finishing in the top six, it proved to be a successful event and another demonstration of the strength of local sailing talent.
