Sailability Scotland's Challenger Traveller Series at Loch Earn Sailing Club

Uninspiring conditions on Sunday for the Sailability Scotland Challenger Travellers at Loch Earn © Annie Molyneux

Loch Earn Sailing Club was the venue for the sixth, and final, event of Sailability Scotland's Challenger Traveller Series, which took place during the weekend 23-24 August alongside the club's St Fillans Cup.

Everyone gathered at the sailing club on Saturday morning to find an easterly breeze of two knots streaming down the entire length of the loch. This was despite an original forecast of no wind at all! It was just enough to make it worthwhile launching. Thankfully the wind filled in during the day giving boat speeds of up to five knots.

Eight boats were launched and a big trapezoid course was set. Everyone was delighted to see the return of local sailor, Craig Moffett (295) to competitive Challenger sailing.

Duncan Greenhalgh (280) managed to grab a small advantage at the start of Race 1. He was then lucky with the small shifts and lifts on the beat so had built a comfortable lead by the windward mark. He was followed by Val Millward (312) and Craig. At the end of the lap, having continued to play the light winds to their best advantage, Duncan came home in first place followed by Val and then Craig. Alan Gillman (185) led the procession of the remaining boats in fourth. Zoe McPartlin (233), competing in her first solo event, creditably kept up with the main fleet.

Race 2 saw Val lead up the beat with Duncan and Craig fighting it out for 2nd and 3rd. However Alan made a tight rounding of the windward mark and briefly held first place. Val and Duncan having gone wider sailed faster to the second mark and soon overhauled Alan, as did Craig. Val rounded the second mark in first place and kept her lead to take the win in the one lap race. Meanwhile behind her Duncan continued in second place and Craig remained in third. On the long run Liz Eaton (238) took advantage of Alan and Steve Laycock (3) distracting each other to take fourth place.

The fleet returned to shore for lunch.

For Race 3 the wind had veered slightly but the direction remained steady. The race was sailed in the strongest wind of the day. The Challengers followed the club course with a long beat and a series of gybes and reaches down to a final leeward mark. This suited the Challengers very well and they completed two laps.

Lynn Steward (237) was delighted to beat Steve and achieve her best result of fifth. Val and Duncan battled it out again with Duncan eventually gaining the win. Liz drew on her considerable experience to gain her best result of the day with a third place.

At the end of the day Duncan had a slender one point lead over Val, with a more substantial gap to Liz and Alan, separated on countback, in third and fourth respectively.

Uninspiring conditions on Sunday for the Sailability Scotland Challenger Travellers at Loch Earn - photo © Annie Molyneux

The entire fleet retired for a meal and discussion of the day's events to St Fillans Golf Club. Golf would have been the better option on Sunday as the sailors awoke to no wind whatsoever. Racing was postponed and then abandoned. It was definitely the right decision.

Our thanks go to all volunteers who helped at the event - the galley, rescue, those launching and recovering and the lead boat - but in particular to Colin Tait, who gave up his weekend's sailing to stand in as Race Officer. His generosity was much appreciated by all the Challenger sailors. Thanks as ever to Sir Boyd Tunnock for assistance with the event entry fees.

Overall Results: