Loch Long Week at Loch Long Sailing Club

This year's Loch Long Week, sponsored by Largs Chandlery, was sailed on the Firth of Clyde between 22nd and 27th of July, an eleven race series. Twenty boats were entered, with four trailing up from Aldeburgh in Suffolk and made very welcome both in Cove Sailing Club and in Royal Gourock Yacht Club, who were the main hosts, in conjunction with the Loch Long Owner’s Association. The committee vessel was ‘Oriole’, a Moody 336 kindly lent by G. and J. Orr.

There was a wide variety of throughout the week, from a very fresh breeze on the Monday to absolute drifting conditions on the Thursday. The Clyde is a place where no two days sailing are ever the same. The boats stand up well to a variety of conditions and are sometimes seen racing in wind that has put the Clyde ferries back into port. At the same time they can cope with a very light breeze and still move, although some are better at this than others.

Sunday was dominated by Mark Bradshaw’s Trya, but on Monday and Tuesday Murray Caldwell, the defending champion, hit back with 4 straight firsts, and it seemed to be all over. Trya scored two more firsts on Wednesday, and then tied up the series on Thursday with a first and a third. This makes the event seem like a two horse race, but with Loch Longs now using straight windward/leeward courses the racing was keen and competitive throughout the fleet. Alan Harper on Sonara, Andy McConnachie sailing Gaudeamus and Duncan Farquhar, seven times Clyde Cup champion, also won races.

Special respect was given to the constant breaking of bits on Aurora, and the constant bailing on Theta. The two loudest cheers of the week were for Manda getting a fourth place, and Green Ginger beating Pippin into last place late on Thursday afternoon. A real spirit of camaraderie builds up between people who spend a splendid week racing each other all day and attending social events most evenings, and the prize giving at Royal Gourock Yacht Club was like one huge, happy, family party. Already people are planning what they will do this time next year, to win what is often called the most difficult cup on the Clyde.

Overall Results: