RYA Scotland Zone Championships at Loch Tummel Sailing Club

RYA Scottish Zone Championships at Loch Tummel © Garry Hale

RYA Scottish Zone Championships at Loch Tummel © Garry Hale

The last weekend of September saw the annual zone championship held all across the country. All British sailors would battle it out to become their zone champion. For the Scottish this battle would be at the beautiful loch Tummel. Saturday morning dawned windless but the sailors knew that the wind would fill in as it usually does at Tummel. So almost 130 sailors were preparing for one of the biggest events of the season and the biggest Scottish zones for many years. The thirty-five optimists, 17 in main fleet and 18 in regatta fleet. For some this was what they do every weekend getting rigged and ready for what could be a long day. For some this was their first race, and coaches were at hand to help.

The fleet launched (an hour late). And started to trek out to the race course there was not enough wind to sail so for the oppys it became a paddling race to get to the race course. It turned out to be a long frustration wait with a lot of race course movement and gusts that had enough wind but did not stay around long enough to get a race done. Finally we got a race started but there was a 90 degree wind shift and a sudden gust on the left causing the people who started at the pin to come out on top and the order barely changed with Harris Cartwright leading the hole race and coming a commanding first with Scott Forbes and Gordon Cogan Sivarajan being a fairly close second and third, then came a bunch of three with Ruben Stokroos at the front finishing fourth and Alex Cogan Sivarajan taking advantage of a late wind shift to overtake Mathew McLullich boat lengths before the finish to take home an amazing fifth. Ben Hale and Connor Kennedy both sailed good races to come seventh and eighth. In the second race there were very few surprises with the top ten finishing in their final positions.

The final race of Saturday was fought by Ruben, Scott and Harris with Ruben winning round the windward but both Scott and Harris closing in on the run and overtaking him on the second beat to come first and second with Gordon rounding out the top four. Meaning that Harris was the overnight leader with Scott one point behind, Gordon was third, Ruben was in fourth with only one point behind, and Mathew sailed well to be a consistent fifth.

Now onto the fiercely contested and close-run regatta fleet with almost all the top seven getting a top three result. In the first race Orri Robertson was victorious with Kate Fowler coming second and Finn Dunn completing the top three. Finn Carr sailed a very good ninth and Elois Noble getting a good fifth. In the second race Kate Fowler out sailed the competition to finish out on top with Anna Miller sailing a very good forth. Finally Sophie Kenned sailed an amazing race to finish third. The final race came and went and at the end the Dunn brothers had shown there worth finishing in a commanding first and second, and Orri Robertson was best of the rest.

Many of us camped on the beautiful loch side and the different fleets had a great evening together. Saturday faded and a fresh Sunday came and with it came the second day of the zones. The morning was foggy and windless and sailing looked as though it would be long delayed. But the fog cleared very quickly and after a chat to the podium potential sailors who were are guests of honour, and a few activation games from the coaches, the wind had filled in and the fleet launched. Racing had a short delay but then a good south west breeze developed and the races kicked off.

The races were good and fair and Harris took the first two with Scott in second and Ruben having two good races helping him to overtake Gordon by coming third in both. Mathew continued his consistent streak with fifth but had a not so good eighth in race five. Ross Coombs had a very good race five and was fourth. The final race was over in a flash and with it was an unusual performance for Harris coming fifth giving Scott the win and Ruben a second. Alistair Coombs sailed very well to come third and Gordon made good comeback making places all the way after some big setbacks early in the race.

In the regatta fleet Finn Dunn took control with a second and two firsts to win the overall regatta with Kate Fowler getting two thirds and a second two finish an overall second. Orri Robertson recovers from a shaky fourth race to come second and third placing hi third in the overall results. Aiden Dunn manage another Dunn one two by winning the fourth race, he finished fourth overall.

And so Harris Cartwright won the main fleet with Scott Forbes second and Ruben Stokroos third. Catie Warburton was first girl and Scott was first junior. And so ends another Zone Champs. I hope to see you there next year.