HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Loch Venachar Sailing Club

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Loch Venachar © Elaine Monaghan

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Loch Venachar © Elaine Monaghan

In the lead-up to this event in the HD Sails Scottish travellers series I was worried that sailing on an inland loch amongst the beautiful Trossachs hills in mid-summer meant that we would struggle with light and shifty winds from every direction. In the event it was nothing like that. Instead the Scottish Solo fleet had to cope with something very different.

Driving to the event I only appreciated how windy it was going to be as I watched the gusts of wind blow across the fields of barley. Driving along the road to the club the first glimpse of the loch confirmed this - looking upwind there was an awful lot of white horses on the loch. At the briefing we were told that the latest forecast showed the wind between 18 to 30 knots and I can assure you that this was spot on. It was a wild and challenging day when everyone admitted they were at times just surviving.

The weather forecast put off a few of our usual fleet and two sailors decided not to launch. Fortified by bacon rolls and soup from the galley six of us launched into a wind of 20+ knots. The course was a simple triangle, although the fact that we were sailing clockwise hence starboard roundings confused one sailor as he looked at the course chart. Whilst chatting ashore I was asked if my HD lifejacket was working, by the end of the day I knew the answer!

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Loch Venachar - photo © Elaine Monaghan

The loch is several feet below normal just now due to little rainfall which meant that the inner end of the line was only 50 yards from the shore. We were using the fixed club transit from the clubhouse which proved ideal.

For the first race Ross Watson started inshore on port and this paid off. By the windward mark though Charlie Brecknell had come through to lead. This lasted only as long as his first gybe when he capsized and Keith Milroy took over in front. Down first the run the boats were close in the windy conditions. Ross broached in a gust after the bow went into a wave. He manged to stay upright but lost ground as he tacked round. By the end of third run Charlie had caught up with Calum Gibb and passed him just before the finish for second place behind Keith Milroy.

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Loch Venachar - photo © Elaine Monaghan

The fleet learned quickly that if you delayed your gybe, or tack, at the end of the reach and sailed closer to the shore there was a bit less wind making a gybe less risky. But if a big gust came down you were so close to the shore there was no room to tack. Gybing early at the mark took you into the strongest wind in the middle of the loch and the likelihood of having to gybe twice more to make the leeward mark. Upwind the wind was again a bit lighter closer to the shore the wind but the headers were viscous. Callum and Ross (twice) both went into windward here.

For the second race the wind had shifted slightly to the north which meant that the port tack start did not pay as three boats discovered. The wind had got stronger for this race and the water was getting quite choppy. For me the outhaul and cunningham were pulled to the max and untouched until I got ashore. Keith was looking good at the front after gybing at the mark and heading into the middle of the loch, but a big gust came through and he went in. He was not the only one to capsize on the first run, Bruce Birrell rolling into windward giving some entertainment. Ross stayed upright and was up to second until Callum gained an overlap at the end of the last run to take second behind Charlie. By now the conditions were really tough. It was getting more difficult to avoid getting into irons whilst tacking despite a big ease of the kicker. Everyone was tired and had had a swim.

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Loch Venachar - photo © Elaine Monaghan

When the rescue boat approached after the second race I thought we were being sent in, but no, it was only to tell us that the third race would only be two laps. There were no complaints.

Conditions in the third race were brutal at times. Blasting down the run I felt a big gust hit and the boat accelerated. I could see the wind flattening the water around the boat and thought this is REALLY windy. With the boat bordering on being by the lee at the same time there was no time to look around. Charlie Brecknell looked to be in full control until he was also hit by a huge gust near the leeward mark. He held it upright but had to gybe back to the mark and then hit it. Staying upright he stayed in front of Keith to the finish for a deserved win overall.

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Loch Venachar - photo © Ross Watson

This was a day that those of us who went out will remember for a long time. At times the wind was such that we would probably not have launched but once ashore we were all glad that we did. Full marks therefore to Loch Venachar Sailing Club for giving us three races in those conditions. Lots of clubs would have brought us ashore. On speaking to John McPartlin of the host club after sailing he simply said 'you all seemed to be coping and it was spectacular to watch'. So thanks to everyone at this little club in a beautiful part of the country for their hospitality. Everyone has a few bruises and one borrowed boat came ashore with a bent mast. I am sure it will be straightened for the Nationals at North Berwick in August.

Overall Results: