2022 Largs Regatta Festival
by Carolyn Elder 29 Aug 2022 17:39 BST
27-28 August 2022
After a reduced sized event in 2021 Largs Regatta Festival came back with a bang with full scale social events and over 100 dinghies and keelboats taking to the waters of the Largs Channel and Firth of Clyde.
Generously sponsored by Scottish sailmakers, Saturn Sails, together with coastal launch company, Coastworks, the event staged two full days of racing and two lively social events in the Regatta marquee.
The first day saw a postponed start with the dinghies achieving four races in the Channel whilst the keelboat fleet achieved three windward/leewards and restricted sail class one race. El Gran Senor (Anderson/Finlay) dominated with 3 firsts in IRC 1, with Troon based Phoenix (S Black) doing the same in IRC 2. Fortunes were more mixed in the RC35 class with Banshee (C Frize) coming out on top. Seasoned racer John Kent in Farr E Nuff won CYCA 4, with Ian MacDoanld's Sigma 36 taking Class 5 (restricted sail).
The second day also saw a delayed start until a very light breeze filled in from the north to allow one windward/leeward race to be completed by all classes. This would have been the traditional Round Cumbrae Island Race but with such little wind this was unachievable.
In the dinghy classes the catamaran class was won narrowly by Brian Hillesdon over many times Scottish champions David and Ian Kent. In Fast Handicap (mainly D Zero dinghies), local LSC member Alastair McLaughlin narrowly took the overall prize from Jon Bassett, and in Slow Handicap father and son Robbie and Luke Burns in their RS200 wiped the floor with 4 firsts and discarding a first.
Dinghy of the Weekend was awarded to Robbie and Luke Burns with Yacht of the Weekend going to John Kent in Farr E Nuff.
Thanks are due to the many volunteers from Largs SC and Fairlie YC. The Festival concludes with the Scottish Two Handed Race round Arran and Holy Island.
For full information largsregattafestival.com