Chanonry Sailing Club Dinghy Regatta

The fast handicap fleet at the Chanonry Dinghy Regatta © Neil MacGregor

44 boats from across Scotland competed in Chanonry Sailing Club’s Dinghy Regatta at Fortrose on the Black Isle. The event incorporated the Scottish Championship for Fireballs and Scottish Traveller events for RS200 and RS300 and Laser 2000 as well as general Fast and Slow Handicap classes.

Saturday provided a light to moderate east north east wind which, having blown over the Black Isle before arriving over the waters of the Inner Moray Firth, provided shifty conditions with many stronger gusty periods. This, when combined with an ebbing tide across the course required competitors to keep tactical decisions under constant review. The shifty conditions were not so difficult as to give the Race Officer, David Gibb, and his team too many problems. They ran three back to back races for each of the five classes very efficiently and with the minimum of delay between races. There was strong competition in all classes and on coming ashore competitors had a lot to talk about during the early evening meal and social at the clubhouse.

Sunday began with a very light northerly wind, again over the land, however as boats congregated around the committee boat for the first series of starts at 10:30 the wind filled in to around force 2 to 3, again with some stronger gusty periods. The wind prevailed long enough to complete Sunday’s 3 races as the tide came in and by the early afternoon boats were back ashore and being packed up to go home.

Competition in all classes was very close with race places changing throughout each race in all fleets. Individual top 3 placing was achieved by boats placed up to 6th overall in all fleets. The overall winners of each fleet each achieved 3 or 4 first place finishes.

Local sailors did well with Richard and Val Evans winning the RS200 class, and Ben Yeats in his RS300 and Olivia Robinson in her Laser Radial achieving second in their fast and slow handicap classes respectively. Young Daniel Cormack from neighbouring Invergordon BC beat Olivia by 2 points with a slightly more consistent set of results.

Commodore Helen Rowson acknowledged the valuable sponsorship of the event by local chandlery, Caley Marina. She also thanked the Avoch Sea Scouts for the provision of two fully manned safety boats and especially thanked David Gibb, Race Officer, his team on the water and the tireless galley crew who provided food and drinks endlessly throughout the event.

Overall Results:

Fireball Scottish Championship (7 entrants)
1 Euan Sellar & Matt Summers (Royal Tay YC) 8pts
2 Donald J Smith & Matthew Richardson (Aberdeen & Stonehaven SC) 9pts
3 Peter Hay & R Harper (Royal Tay YC) 13pts

Fast Handicap (19 entrants)
1 RS300, Ian Baillie (Dalgety Bay SC) 7pts
2 RS300, Ben Yeats (Chanonry SC) 8pts
3 Phantom, Steve Bramwell (Chanonry SC) 16pts
4 29er, Ian & Heather Morton (Chanonry SC) 21pts
5 Phantom, George Morris (Royal Findhorn YC) 30pts

Slow Handicap (9 entrants)
1 Topper, Daniel Cormack (Invergordon BC) 8pts
2 Laser Radial, Olivia Robinson (Chanonry SC) 10pts
3 Laser Radial, Vint Grant (Chanonry SC) 12pts

RS200 (5 entrants)
1 Richard Evans & Val Evans (Chanonry SC) 7pts
2 Douglas Hamilton & Kirsty Hamilton (Loch Tummel SC) 9pts
3 Graeme Hendry & Katie Masterson (St Mary’s Loch) 11pts

RS300 (3 entrants)
1 Ian Baillie (Dalgety Bay SC) 7pts
2 Ben Yeats (Chanonry SC) 8pts
3 Andrew Grant (Pentland Firth SC) 15pts

Full results and pictures can be found on the club’s web site at www.chanonry.org.uk