Regatta | Toward Sailing Club, Cowal Argyll, Scotland, Yacht, Dinghy Sailing, Sea Kayaking, River Clyde

It was a wild and windy weekend at Toward for the Club’s annual regatta. With the forecast for Saturday being particularly poor the decision was taken to abandon any thoughts of trying to run the first race of the weekend, while fingers were firmly crossed that Sunday would be better. Luck was in and, although it was still fairly windy, a welcome appearance by the sun tempted out a hardy bunch of sailors. With discretion being the better part of valour several competitors decided to down-size, abandoning their own boats and jumping into the club’s training boats.

In the race for keelboats and Flying Fifteens it was Roddy McTaggart from IOBSC that had the outstanding sail of the morning keeping pace with both Alasdair Finlay in his Moody 336, Saorsa and Ruairidh Campbell’s Voila. These three boats led the way throughout, extending their lead as the race went on. In the end the morning’s race was won by Saorsa by a fairly narrow margin over Voila.

In the dinghy class, of the seven starters only four recorded a finish. With two premature starters and one failing to finish it was Alasdair McLean in a club Topper who picked up the points with Bute’s Yasmin Price sailing a stormer to finish second in her Oppi, Wave Dancer.

Conditions changed little in the afternoon and once again the battle for the lead amongst the keelboats was between Saorsa and Voila. On this occasion the places were reversed which, when the last race rule was applied, saw the silverware go to Voila despite being on equal points with Saorsa. There was a similar situation between Simon Howard’s Serendipity and Douglas Hillhous’s Gimcrack with third place going to Serendipity.

The dingy fleet again battled the conditions with Fiona Mackay in a club Pico showing everyone how it should be done.

She and her crew took the lead from the start and by the end of the course had a massive lead over her nearest rival. At the end of the day it was consistency that paid off, and with a first and a second it was Alasdair McLean who claimed the silverware.

This year the Club also hosted one leg of the Skiff Travellers Series. In this event the conditions proved too much for some while being a delight for others. This class also went to countback for third place while Jonno Shelley finished first.

RESULTS

Inaugural Trophy for Handicap Keelboats