West Highland Yachting Week - Overall

West Highland Yachting Weekwinners Robin and Christine Murray, family and crew © Joint Regatta Committee

Clyde based sailors Robin and Christine Murray lifted the premier prize at West Highland Yachting Week’s annual regatta that finished on August 6 2010. The couple’s First 40 sailed in restricted sail Class 2, ended the week counting five firsts and a third place over the six-day series to win the Peter Cocks Trophy awarded for the best performance over the points series. The couple, who keep the boat at Ardrossan, also took home the Tennent Caledonian 25th Anniversary Salver for the best corrected time in the Tobermory to Oban passage race as well as the Iona Shop Trophy for the yacht with the best total corrected time over the three passage races.

Christine Murray said: ‘This has been a wonderful regatta and to win the prestigious overall Trophy is amazing. This is our first year with this boat and also our first West Highland Yachting Week and we never thought we would be in the running for the overall prize. We went with the restricted sail class since our daughters Erin, (6) and Katie (4) were aboard and we were delighted with the performance of the boat, new to us last year. We even had a family pet trooping around – the goldfish Zephyr - given to us by Steve Cowie from a sistership First 40, Zephyr who won Class 1.’

The Murrays praised the organisation of WHYW. ‘It has been a brilliant regatta, really well run and with a superb friendly atmosphere,’ they said. Elf Too is to be campaigned in 2011 at Dun Laoghaire Regatta, the Scottish Series and West Highland Yachting Week.

The 121-strong fleet had a week of excellent racing with the final passage race from Tobermory to Oban shortened at the Grey Rock Buoy in the Sound of Mull. The event mixes passage racing between the venues of Craobh, Oban and Tobermory with Olympic style racing on two days for the Tunnock’s sponsored spinnaker fleet. A circumnavigation of the island of Lismore also features as part of the racing when tides are favourable.

Robin Ferguson’s X332 Hoodlum from Troon racing restricted sail classes 4 also finished the series on just five points with a similar five-win run and a fourth to discard and was narrowly eclipsed from the overall title.

Steve Cowie’s Zephyr from Fairlie, also a First 40, battled it out in Class 1b with Chris Tiso’s Farr 40 Thunderbird of Rhu to end the series tied on points. On countback it was Zephyr wining the last race that lifted the class trophy.

Gordon Tourlamain’s Sunbird, the CNB 60 was an impressive sight throughout the week raced by the Sunbird team from Ardrossan. The mini-superyacht raced in Class 3a winning the final race of the regatta but they finished third overall in class.

Helensburgh based Alan Jeffrey and Paul Scut’s Carmen II won the newly introduced IRC Class 3b by just one point from Ken Grant’s J109 Tigh Soluis II. Class 5 was again a race to the finish with Steven Forteith of Oban pulling out all the stops on the First 31.7 Shadowfax. Clyde sailor Ruaridh Angus from Fairlie Yacht Club lifted the silverware in Class 7 with his Hustler SJ30 Misjif and also won the Angus Meldrum Trophy for the best overall corrected time in the Oban to Tobermory passage race.

Glencoe based David Cooper’s Redwing took Class 8 with Judy Orr and her MGC 27 from Campbeltown winning restricted sail Class 9.

This year the event has received support from Tunnock’s, The Oban Common Good Fund and Argyll and Bute Council. Tobermory Whisky and Tobermory Harbour Association also stepped aboard with support as well as Caledonian MacBrayne, The Crown Estate and West Coast Motors.

Full results posted on www.whyw.co.uk