Solo Scottish Travellers at Newburgh Sailing Club

Scottish Solo Travellers at Newburgh winners (l to r) Kevan Gibb, Katie Masterson, David Sword, Richard Bolton © Newburgh Sailing Club

Newburgh Sailing Club welcomed 17 Solos to the start line of the first travellers event of 2011. The fleet was met with white horses whipping down the Tay from Perth and predominant gusts coming over the land.

The first race got underway and at the first mark Kevan Gibb was leading, as he had left off last year. As the race progressed he pulled out a lead but slowly relinquished it towards the end where he was closely pursued by Richard Bolton at the finish with David Sword in third place.

Race two started in more moderate conditions and at the first mark Derek Gibb was leading, with David Sword (The Pie Man) and Richard Bolton. As the race progressed by the time they reached the second mark his brother Kevan Gibb and Hamish White had run down over the top of the bank and came out at the second mark first and second, Kevan went on to win with Richard Shellcock coming through to take a second in his first event in a Solo and David Sword in third.

Moving into the third race of the day, Kevan once again lead the race but David Sword broke through to led for the majority of the race with Kevan nibbling at his transom and eventually getting past him, but at the last moment Katie Masterson came from nowhere straight up the tidal stream getting a lead bow off it and came through to lead the race for a period of time until David Sword won with Kevan Gibb second.

Overall Kevan Gibb won the weekend with David Sword second, third Richard Bolton and fourth Derek Gibb.

Our thanks went to Newburgh for another exciting and interesting tidal challenge racing on the upper straights of the River Tay and Kevan Gibb thanked the club and reminded fellow proprietors of the next event coming up, which is the Clyde Cruising Club at Bardowie Loch on the 16/17 April for the training day followed by the racing on the Sunday.