Stratton maintains his remarkable Scottish Series record

Winner of the overall Scottish Series Trophy back in 1975, Rhu based Clyde yacht broker Nick Stratton returns to Tarbert and the waters of Loch Fyne later this month to race a new French built A31 at the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series. He may harbour the desire to win the overall trophy again 34 years after he first won the top prize, but when he takes to the start line with the brand new 31 footer which has already won its class at France's prestigious Spi Ouest Regatta, he is assured of maintaining his remarkable record of sailing at every edition of the north of Britain's premier sailing regatta, the Scottish Series, since it first started in 1975.

Stratton, whose company market the 31 foot IRC racer cruiser A31 by Archambault Yachts in the north of the UK, is looking forward to the regatta as eagerly as he ever has, noting that the 140 boat entry (to date) for the annual event promises to ensure a memorable time, perhaps echoing some of the best he can remember.

"With 140 or 150 boats Tarbert is really special. That is a very good number for the village and the waters. The sailing waters are not the best there is and so slightly smaller fleets are good for racing and ashore it ensures the pubs do not get too busy and everyone gets a chance to meet and spend time with friends and crew. It makes for a friendlier, less frenetic regatta and I fully expect that it will be the better for it. And with no entertainment marquee this year then I think we will see a much more pleasant atmosphere. It was always a 'no go area' for us over 40's so perhaps we will see crews sticking together and socialising more." Notes Stratton, who will sail the A31 with his son Myles who now runs Nick Stratton Yachts.

"I can certainly remember the first regatta. It was windy all the time and we won our class and might have done better overall if we had not broken our masthead crane which we had to get fixed by the local blacksmith in Tobermory." Recalls Stratton who considers he has probably sailed on more than 20 different yachts or yacht designs since the first event. In 1977 he won the overall Trophy with Hydro Djinn when he and his crew became the first in history to complete a perfect scoreline, winning all of their races in their series.

That first 1975 series started with a 200-mile race round the Mull of Kintyre via Belfast Lough to Crinan, then after the second leg of the Tobermory Race itself in company with the rest of the CCC fleet had three Olympic triangle races in increasingly strong winds in the area north of Tobermory. The first winner of the Tomatin Trophy was Kavala II, a Nicholson 30 from Bangor in Northern Ireland.

"There is no doubt that the regatta has got more competitive. The boats are bigger and so you have needed the firepower to win and so it is perhaps harder for the ordinary club sailor to win, but it is still great fun. I think you have much more fun in a smaller boat where you know the crew and don't just get introduced to each other at the start of the regatta, so I am looking forward to this Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series. Myles is pretty useful on the boat and will be steering, he can be a little too intense for me and takes it very seriously!" Stratton grins.

The crew of A Neat Djinn face a race against time to be ready on time as their new boat leaves the factory in France Tuesday and is due to race on the Clyde for the first time this weekend in preparation for the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series.