Ardfern Yachts and Owen Sails sponsored Round Mull Yacht Race at Oban Sailing Club
by Steven Forteith 7 Jul 2023 07:12 BST
23-25 June 2023
In its 38th year, Oban Sailing Club's much anticipated annual Ardfern Yachts and Owen Sails sponsored Round Mull Yacht race took place over the last weekend in June. The race is run from Friday to Sunday, with three legs totalling 94 nautical miles, taking in overnight stops in Tobermory, Bunessan and racing through the sound of Iona and the Torran rocks. Throw in Staffa and you really have a bucket list race.
28 yachts arrived at the start in Oban split into four classes with a handful of yachts also competing for the double handed trophy. The fist start gun was fired at midday and the classes raced off in five minute intervals. One or two boats were a bit keen to get going with Elixir of Lorn being scored OCS in Class Two, whilst a couple of Class One yachts returned and exonerated themselves. A fresh white sail fetch took the yachts over to Lismore light and then the angle eased with spinnakers set for a reach up the sound of Mull, but as usual the sound of Mull had other ideas and the race turned into an upwind lottery. With the breeze dying the race team set a finish outside Tobermory. Unfortunately several yachts had to retire, unable to make the time limit.
Once the handicaps were applied, the X332 Madog from Helensburgh won the Mishnish Bucket for best overall corrected time with the Chalmers Sigma 400 Sunrise second and Alison Chadwick with team Hot Toddy third on the Moody 336.
Saturday dawned with a big forecast for the back of Mull, so for the first time in years, the race team decided it would not be safe to head to Bunessan with a forecast of over 30knots. So the decision was made to race in the sound of Mull, from Tobermory down to Salen and back. A start was set in Tobermory harbour and the fleet blasted out to a turning mark and rounded for a downwind roller coaster ride to Salen. With the wind gusting at over 30knots some yachts hoisted spinnakers and double digit speeds were recorded.
Once at the Green Isle the yachts set for a beat back to Tobermory with much reduced sail plans. Winner of the day and the Bunessan Hall trophy was Cameron Still's Maxi 1300 Maximoose Too with a strong showing, with the J92 Satisfaction coming in second after a flying downwind ride. Third was Sunrise with some consistent sailing.
The yachts returned to Tobermory harbour with many tall tales and a general consensus that not going to Bunessan was the correct decision.
Sunday morning and the breeze was back on for the race to Oban taking Kerrera to Port. Spinnakers were set and the fleet stormed down the sound of Mull, with kites being held all the way to Lismore. A brief fetch followed to Kerrera, then a run up the sound to the finish line off Oban Sailing club. Once the results were calculated Autism on the water was declared the winner with a beaming Murray MacDonald taking the Glencoe trophy for the best corrected time on the leg. Maximoose Too was second and the Forteith's 31.7 Shadowfax finally showed some form to finish third.
With all three leg times added together Cameron Still and the team on Maximoose Too having sailed consistently all weekend, were declared overall Round Mull race winners, winning the Torran Rock and Class one. Sunrise took second in class two with the Balmforth's Tangaroa taking third.
Madog won class two, with Shadowfax second and Nick Marshall's J92 Satisfaction third.
Class three was won by Hot Toddy, with Jon Fitzgerald's Sigma33 White Lightening second and Alastir Pugh's Contessa 32 Marisca third.
Restricted sail was won by Calisa with nobody else managed to complete all three legs.
The Sigma 33 White Lightening won the double handed trophy, an excellent performance given the conditions over the weekend.
Oban sailing club wishes to thanks main sponsors Owen Sails, Ardfern Yacht Centre, Forteith RHPS, T,Barbour Fuel limited and the Oban Seafood hut. Thanks also to the race team and James Hardie and the lovely committee boat Madadh. And a huge thanks to all the club members that made the event a success.