Stewart Brewing RS400 Scottish Tour at Dalgety Bay Sailing Club

RS400 Scottish Tour at Dalgety Bay © Elana Grey & Fiona Greer

RS400 Scottish Tour at Dalgety Bay © Elana Grey & Fiona Greer

RS400 Scottish Tour at Dalgety Bay © Elana Grey & Fiona Greer

Five travellers joined the impressive 10 boat local fleet for the 6th traveller event of the 2015 RS400 Scottish tour sponsored by Stewart Brewing and JP Watersports. With a glam forecast of sunshine and breeze all were finally looking forward to a proper weekend in what has been a challenging year for sailing weather. In a cruel twist the weather gods pulled the breeze around to the north which meant that Saturdays' racing was "somewhat shifty" with many snakes and ladders to catch out the unwary and startle the unworthy.

Race 1 it was Jim Sinclair who led from start to finish, closely pursued by the Robertsons and John Wayne Bolt-on slamming a dubious maneouvre on Bedborough to take 3rd on the line. Race 2 was my favourite of the weekend – with sometime student drinker-racer Angus Marshall sailing confusingly-named Andy Marshalls 1994 vintage old –timer ship to a convincing victory. What was more impressive was that he had allowed his brother Nick to helm that race – although it later emerged in the bar Nick has an America's cup history and was a bit of a ringer. More on them later. Great to see such an old boat at the front of the fleet (just don't do it again). Race 3 Bedborough and Spacey were pursued by a private patch of wind and sailed off to a sparkling win, with the Rob-a-Dobbas 2nd and Graeme Henry/ Fiona Grieve slipping in a useful 3rd in a very patchy and 60 degree shifty sort of F1-3.

A relaxing sail back to the club in the evening sun and our date with some important Stewart Brewing arrived. Sitting on the balcony it was positively Garda-esque – a cruise liner slipping past, the excellent 3 course meal included in the entry prepared by the army of DBSC volunteers, and resident band "Shorelight" playing a relaxing acoustic set as the sun went down which was very well received. Later on there were all the ingredients of a classy 400 night out - the now customary cornflake game, some appropriately dodgy dad dancing in the 400/200 dance off, head tennis and near the end bolt-on had to be restrained from dragging us all to the local nightclub to witness yet again his amazing ballroom dancing skills. Close call. Marshall #1 + #2 were heard to utter every hour on the hour "this is the last beer" and were predictably the last men standing. More on them later.

Shorelight playing on Saturday evening during the RS400 Scottish Tour at Dalgety Bay - photo © Elana Grey & Fiona Greer

Sunday dawned crystal clear with the breeze around to a much steadier westerly and a healthy 12-18 knots. Tender heads were put aside as the crews eagerly rigged and headed out for a prompt 11am start. All except that Marshall ship #542 which mysteriously remained with it's cover on all day. Could it have something to with the Stewart Brew we shall never know. Bedborough and Spacey made an early bid for the duckhams with a kite rigging mishap and ensuring return to shore to re-rig. Should have read specky's chapter on meticulous boat prep. With a strong ebbing tide right was always going to be favoured and so it turned out to be a day of drag racing for the shore with the start being key. McLellan excelled himself at this reminding us all of his team racing pedigree and salvaging some of the family honour. Race 4 was won convincingly by Sinclair, followed by Robertson and McLellan closely chased by Bedborough. Race 5 Sinclair started 40 seconds early, headed back and was convincingly last off the line – and then delivered an amazing recovery to finish 2nd to McLellan, with Bedborough taking the Rob-adobbas down the last run for 3rd. Final race and Sinclair and Wilcox had it all sewn up and finished in style to take the bullet, with McLellan 2nd and star travellers Jacob Ainsworth and Kayleigh Roberts from South Shields finishing 3rd.

Elsewhere John Wayne Bolt-On continued to shrug aside the perpetual under-achiever award with top yoga-cornflake-box-crew Naomi Moran posting a strong set of results. Local likely lads Pete Taylor and Robster Macleod with the newly Christened and logo'd up "Playbuoy" were there or thereabouts, and the "Achiever of the Weekend" award went to Europe sailor Kirsty Higgins who had picked a pretty spicy weekend to sample her first taste of 400 sailing with Tall-ships-crewmate Mike Atkinson. All in all a great weekend with an amazing prizegiving in the sunshine and great buzz around the club with 35 Teras taking part in the Tera Scottish championships proving the RS Scotland family is alive and well. Huge thanks to our sponsors Stewart Brewing and JP Watersports and the army of DBSC volunteers who looked after us – especially PRO Sandy McPhail – Saturday was not a nice day to be PRO.

Next up, and assuming the tartan army return in one piece from the Irish Championships at Ballyholme YC, we have Royal Wormit on 10/11 October, which rounds off another bumper year in RS400 Scotland. Och aye!

Overall Results:

RS400 Scottish Tour at Dalgety Bay prize giving - photo © Elana Grey & Fiona Greer