New and familiar faces at West Highland Yachting Week 2012
by Alison Chadwick 27 Jul 2012 10:36 BST
28 July - 3 August 2012
CRAOBH, Oban and Tobermory are ready to welcome the West Highland Yachting Week (WHYW) fleet that arrives on Saturday July 28 at Craobh and moves to Oban and Tobermory over the week till Friday August 3.
Offering an exciting variety of competitive sailing, stunning scenery and a first class social programme this major yachting continues to be a magnet of attraction for the sailing community.
Principal Race Officer Malcolm MacGregor is delighted to have such a healthy entry list. He said: ‘We hope the mix of races we offer in both passage and round the cans including the ever popular round Lismore Race will give all the competitors an enjoyable week with something for everybody.’
New Faces
Added to the familiar names that have been WHYW stalwarts are new faces that point up the continuing attraction of the event.
Hamish Wilson from the Isle of Wight is bringing his Little Harbour 52 Robin for the first time. Said Wilson who remembers family holidays chartering on the west coast:’ We love the sailing here and the appeal of the racing and social side to WHYW. We’re coming with our family and a range of age groups and think the event gives something for everyone aboard. We took five weekends to move the boat north to compete and afterwards will cruise and then return via Dublin. It’s a long journey but we think it’s worth it.’
And Frenchman Sebastian Harinkouck adds on even more miles to come to WHYW bringing his First 42s7 Duckwall Pooley, once owned by Jonathan Anderson from France to compete. Sebastian has a holiday home in Tiree and made it a first last year competing in the Tiree regatta racing against traditional wooden luggers!
Returning after 30 years absence in Class 8 is Angus Fyfe and family on Popcorn, their newly restored Contessa 25.
Familiar Faces
Many familiar names and winners are back to defend trophies. Class 0 sees stalwart Jonathan Anderson having sold Playing FTSE back with a new boat – the XP38i Roxstar. The Anderson/ Findlay combination should be interesting to watch whilst former FTSE has become Ariadne of Argyll and will raced by Derek Clease. The ‘fast classes’ see familiar names like John Corson with his Salamander XX1 team, Lochaber sailor Roddy Campbell returning to defend his Class 1 title in Windmark II steered by Hamish Loudon. Alan Jeffrey and Paul Scutt, Class 3 winners last year are also back to do battle in Carmen II.
Ken Andrew, Alan Moore, Mike Spence, Iain Laidlaw, Harvey MacLachlan and Garth Wilson are all familiar names on the WHYW block. Also making a welcome return is Port Edgar based John Murphy with Erin and PEYC commodore Terry Kirchin, the latter having raced an excellent Round Mull in his First 40 The Black Prince. Former Class 7 and last year’s overall title holders, Roddy Angus and Ali Tear return this year in Class 1 with More Misjif, their Sunfast 37. Neill Sandford Mat 10.10 is another regular with Geoff Bowerman’s J109 and John Stamp’s new J-111 adding to what could be a fast and furious two classes.
Eriska’s Beppo Buchanan Smith races his new Mills designed Enigma 34 sailing off CYCA handicap 5 whilst Beppo’s former Delphia 24 is in the capable hands of Richard Shellcock of Benderloch racing in Class 3. Regulars Wilson Malone, Ken Andrew, Alan Waugh, Alistair Manderson and Iain Annan are also Class 3 contenders with Lindsay Doig, Henricks and Steven Forteith sporting a new suit of Owen Sails, adding hot competition in this class.
With seven well-sailed Sigma 33s entered in Class 5 this promises to be a really competitive class. Sponsor Boyd Tunnock CBE is a familiar face here along with Mark Taylor in Strike 3, Gavin Clyde and Joey Gough. Class 7 has the Moody 336 brigade of Craig Anderson, Graham Goudie and John MacTaggart who will have close racing with Murray Caldwell in Revelry and Stevie Andrew in his Albin Nova.
The Prentice family on Circe return from the east coast to sail Class 8 and Roxby Robson with his Contessa also makes the journey east to west.
White sail classes remain as competitive as ever with a raft of the usual names returning. Scott and Nicola Chalmers and John Watson with Texa, Mark Curran with Prevail in Class 2 and in Class 4 Robin Ferguson’s Hoodlum alongside Janet Morrison’s Bragar, Alastair Torbet, Lindsay Doig, Ricky Gray, Ian Cameron and Williams and Johnson. Class 6 sees Brian Young and Alan Dunnet and last year’s winners Jim Shields with Slippi Jin. Ronny Haggerty is also a familiar face with Donald McLaren and Sigmatic also a doyen of the event. And in Class 9 Frank McHardy and Judy Orr are always in contention.
It promised to be an excellent week of racing whether in the Tunnock’s or Argyll fleets and the racing is matched by a full social apres sail social programme.
www.whyw.co.uk