West Highland Yachting Week - Day 3
by Alison Chadwick 2 Aug 2011 21:20 BST
29 July - 5 August 2010
John Corson's First 35 Salamander XX1 on day 3 of West Highland Yachting Week ©
www.yachtingimages.co.uk
Light winds continue to beset the West Highland Yachting Week fleets as they again split into the Tunnock’s Spinnaker and Argyll Fleet for Day 3 of the regatta that runs until Friday August 5. And while the Tunnock’s fleet managed to race it was not to be for the white sail boats with flat calms all day in their racing area. This is the first time this has happened with racing being abandoned.
Argyll Fleet Race officer Phil Preston said: ‘Despite every effort we cannot manage to summon the wind and today it was just not meant to be!’
Meanwhile Malcolm MacGregor took the Tunnock’s fleet south to find some zephyrs and managed to start a windward leeward course which gave racing for Classes 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8. Steve Cowie’s Zephyr trounced the competition in Class 1 winning by just under three minutes on corrected time from Ian Cleaver’s Melges Clapped Out Toyboy. David Walter’s Requiem was third but over nine minutes on corrected time behind with Chris Tiso’s Thunderbird of Rhu in fourth.
Roddy Campbell’s run of firsts in Class 1 took a hit with Alan Moore’s Dehler 34 Delinquent winning today and Windmark II having to be content with second. Alan Waugh’s X102 Xcalibur was third.
John Corson’s Salamander XX1 team showed what they were made of to take IRC Class 3 by ten minutes, again reflecting the wide spread of wind conditions on the race course and pushing close rivals Carmen II into second with Brian Robertson’s Celtic Spirit third.
Craig Anderson’s Moody 336 Cool Bandit took the silverware in Class 5 with the Sigma 33 Leaky Roof II second and Steven Forteith’s Shadowfax third. In Class 7 Jock MacDougall’s Shoki won from Ruaridh Angus’s Misjif and John Hodgson’s Elan 33 Émigré. Alistair Pugh’s Marisca took a strong win in Class 8 from Alastair Cousin’s Contessa 28 Carna with David Cooper’s Trapper 28 Redwing third.
Both fleets race up to Tobermory tomorrow (Wednesday) on the passage race sponsored by Tobermory Whisky. With light winds again forecast and a late start because of the tide it may well be a late arrival for the yachts in Tobermory Bay.
Full results on www.whyw.co.uk
West Highland Yachting Week receives sponsorship support from Tunnock’s, The Oban Common Good Fund, Argyll and Bute Council, Tobermory Whisky, Tobermory Harbour Association and businesses, Caledonian MacBrayne and the Crown Estate with help in kind from Caledonian Oils and West Coast Motors.