Scottish Team Racing at Cumbernauld Sailing Club
by Peter Collings 10 Jul 14:42 BST
Roast Potato coming in for a changeover during the Scottish Team Racing at Cumbernauld SC © David Benson
Cumbernauld Sailing Club gave us every kind of weather at the second Scottish Team Racing Association event of the year.
Three teams turned up at Fannyside Loch on Saturday morning to light and shifty breezes from the south, and initial racing was slow, with course changes between every race. Avoiding the shallows proved to be the key to success, and Magnus Popplewell went on a noble mission to discover them all with his centreboard. In spite of this, his team Baked Potato won their first three races against Glasgow University, Magnus linking up well with Ali Mo/Izzy Burroughs in the other boat in three hard-fought contests. However, their winning streak was broken against Roast Potato (Peter Collings/Morgane Duss & Scott McWhirter/Emma Fowler), who won three times, before a further three wins against Glasgow, leaving them top after the first round robin.
The second round robin got under way after a break for a barbecue and coffee, and once again Baked Potato racked up a trio of victories against Glasgow, but this time carried on their form into the races against Roast Potato, sailing to three wins in finely poised races of attrition, where the slightest mistake was punished by the opposition.
In a dropping breeze, Roast Potato eked out one more win over Glasgow, before the breeze died completely. The boats were no sooner on the slipway than an almighty crash of thunder and torrential downpour sent everyone running from anything resembling a lightning rod and into the clubhouse until it was safe to re-emerge and de-rig.
The next morning brought 20 knots of breeze, more rain, and a fourth team, Castle Semple Sailing club. The lee shore launch from the shallow slipway proved challenging, but racing still got under way without too much of a delay, even after having to rescue the committee boat and give it an extra anchor. All of the teams were coping well with the windy conditions, in spite of some people doing some overenthusiastic stress tests on their toe straps, and with a steady westerly direction the races progressed quickly, Glasgow getting their first win against Baked Potato after a capsize left Ali and Izzy with a huge amount of work to do. This meant that the deciding set of races would be between Baked Potato and Roast Potato, with whoever came out best likely to take the event. As before, this came down to extremely fine margins, neither team having an obvious advantage, and both having moments on top. Eventually Roast Potato managed to hold on to win the three races. Even three wins for Baked Potato against Castle Semple weren't enough to overhaul them, and with the building breeze, the event only lasted three more races before it was no longer sailable.
Overall Results:
1st - Roast Potato
2nd - Baked Potato
3rd - Glasgow Uni
4th - Castle Semple Sailing Club
Massive thanks are due to Cumbernauld Sailing Club, who were once again the perfect hosts, to Strathclyde University for the use of their boats, Glasgow University for the use of their sails, and everyone who competed and took a turn on umpire or start boat.