SUSA Yachting Championship at Largs
by Alan Henderson 30 Mar 2004 13:24 BST
Edinburgh Old Boys enjoying their win in Race 1 at the SUSA Yachting Championship © Alan Henderson
A full entry of twelve boats competed in the Scottish Universities (SUSA) Yachting championship at Largs on March 27/28. All twelve of Sunsail’s matched yachts were used by an entry including “old boys” teams, as well as current university teams. As current World Student Yachting champions, Strathclyde had prequalified to represent Scotland this year, and the teams were competing for a rare second place in the World championship. There were five races sailed on the Saturday in light winds, and three in fresher breezes on Sunday, with a mix of windward leeward and old Olympic courses.
The old boys made the early running, with Edinburgh old boys taking the first race in light winds. But after that it was a case of “after you old boy” as Edinburgh gave way to the Shetland old boys, who won every remaining race to take the event by a distance. As old boys, Shetland were ineligible for the Worlds place, so the real battle was behind them as traditional rivals Strathclyde and Glasgow fought it out. Glasgow, skippered by Gemma Frier, scored very consistently, but Strathclyde stayed very close all the way. Behind these two, it was only Glasgow’s second team which threatened an upset, but Glasgow A duly took second place, and the Worlds place, by three points, with Strathclyde third, and Glasgow B going well to take fourth.
So both Strathclyde and Glasgow University teams will go forward to represent Scotland at the World Student championship.