Autumn 707 Regatta at Port Edgar Yacht Club
by David Smith 1 Nov 2017 18:03 GMT
28-29 October 2017
Smiles from the crew whilst the helm sails just on the jib during the Autumn 707 Regatta at Port Edgar © Peter Sykes
There was a good turnout of twelve boats for the first 707 Autumn regatta at Port Edgar. Surprising in many ways – extreme conditions and also new crews and some very young sailors starting to participate.
Jonas Elder age 13 has RYA level 2 and previous 707 experience and was crewing on Seaword, summed up the event very well:
"On Saturday it was very windy. I thought it was going to be calmer as we went further though the day but noooo it only got wilder. We capsized once which was scary. I had to hold on for dear life so I didn't fall in the water.
On Sunday it was less windy but still a good breeze. We had to push the boat and ourselves to win the competition. The starts for the races were a lot more chaotic then the previous day but that might have been because everyone was just trying to survive. I learnt that in the turn, you can make or lose a lot of places, which we did once or twice. And the end of the day we won which l was very pleased about."
Saturday's conditions were always going to be interesting of the forecast was right – 20 knots gusting 40. Well, they always exaggerate on the basis of caution don't they? The first race was boisterous with building wind causing excitement on the runs as the newly put together crews tried to get their procedures right. Flapping spinnakers, accidently tripped guys and a fair amount of shouting was the result, but all crews enjoyed the ride. Seaword sailed solidly with a clear win, and 707 Association-owned boat Big Boys Toys was very successfully helmed by Murray Macdonald from Autism on the Water into second place which was an outstanding result given the conditions. He was ably assisted by our Chairman Andy Hughes and other Sharky boat sailor Micky Early.
Race 2 was the one race that most people will remember this season. The forecast for 'gusting' 40Knots was perhaps slightly inaccurate as the race started in such a 'gust' which actually continued for most of the race.. Even reefed boats were knocked down with masts in the water, keels in the un-natural position of being out of the water, crews hanging on waiting for the squall to ease. Thankfully the course was in flat water and the knock-downs were seen as a way of inspecting the hulls for weed. Excitement, stimulation and awe in the way the 707 just keeps on going and bounces back.
The Race Officers decided enough was enough and shortened the race to finish after the beat. A few crews were a tad disappointed at the lack of opportunity to pop the spinnaker up and see how fast the boat can go, as the last time one crew recalled such conditions they reached nearly 20 Knots in peaceful harmony. Seaword won again with great control by helm Titch in these pretty challenging conditions.
The Port Edgar instructors in Valhalla, helmed by Andrew Lawrie, were also very confident in the strong winds and utilised their well-practised sailing skills to come second.
Sunday dawned with the October sunshine we anticipated and perfect wind – why have we finished sailing so early in the year previously as this was just perfect?
Four races were scheduled for the day to compensate for the loss of races on the previous day. Seaword started well again with another ace but all was not going to continue that way as they proved they were mortal with a third and a seventh in other races. Tallulah was second.
Race four was won by More-T-Vicar with 9 year old hopeful Ellis Batchelor on board. It is great to see the enthusiasm of new sailors when they are in good hands and able to get to the front of the fleet in such intensive racing. We hope these youngsters join us again next season along with any other juniors as it is a great way to experience tactics, close-calls and the pure fun of racing.
Race five was won by Rammie who were taking advantage of the big shifts on the starboard side of the course.
The final race was led by Rammie following some interesting windshifts, but they threw it away when they made the error of not keeping count of the number of laps completed and set off up a 'final' beat allowing Seaword to cruise straight to the finish line to yet another win. Oh, how they laughed – and that was just the crew on board Rammie.
It was great to see Strathclyde and Edinburgh Universities showing such enthusiasm and entering capable teams. This bodes well for next year, and we hear they may be buying some 707s!
The Race officers of Paul Deponio, Margaret Tait once again did a great job and we should also offer additional thanks to their well-drilled team from Port Edgar YC as without their enthusiasm we would not get as many events at this great location.
Well done to Seaword for winning the final event for 2018 with a set of great results in difficult conditions.
Overall Results:
1st Seaword
2nd Rammie
3rd More-T-Vicar
The 707 Fleet is growing well in Scotland and there also appears to be a resurgence in other parts of the country. We are not surprised as the 707 offers such great close-competition one-design racing and it is affordable. If you wish to join us don't hesitate to contact your very friendly Area Representative.