Musto Skiffs at the Largs Sailing Club One Design Regatta 2026

Musto Skiffs at the Largs One Design Regatta 2026 © MSCA

We had a solid turnout of eleven Musto Skiffs making the trip to Largs for a great weekend of racing hosted by Largs Sailing Club. It was a familiar northern fleet, with the usual suspects making the journey from around Scotland and the North East, topped up with some southern flair in the form of the well-travelled Brian Greensmith, who made the long trip up from Humberside.

The race area was shared numerous fleets, including three International 14s (with a few familiar Musto faces among them), along with D-Zeros, ILCAs, RS400s and Solos - around 60 boats in total, which made for a lively and often busy racecourse.

Saturday - Shifts, Pressure and Missed Opportunities

The Saturday conditions enabled four races in a 'fairly' steady south-westerly breeze blowing up the channel for most of the day, blowing up at times (race 3) and with some hefty shifts (race 4) to catch a few out. Whilst I say 'fairly' steady it would have felt 'unfair' to some who managed to sail into the corners to swap leading positions for the chance of playing catch-up.

As ever, picking the shifts well and keeping in pressure were the recipes to success. Euan Hurter started well with a first place finish in Race 1, but narrowly from Robbie Richardson who'll not have been used to seeing the back-end of boats in front after a comprehensive showing the weekend prior in Weymouth. He soon put that right though, with bullets in Races 2, 3 and 4.

Musto Skiffs at the Largs One Design Regatta 2026 - photo © MSCA

Euan was never far away to be fair and looked very much at ease in the Musto after a long dry winter. Hilton on the other hand was little at ease with the lighter, shiftier conditions, only showing well when the requirement for agility was swapped for one of straight legged wiring. Brian was showing no signs of road weariness as he was often seen leading races with some great pace and tactical nous. His inconsistencies, however, often threw him some snakes to suppress his ladders. Ian Trotter had a great day on the water and was always in about it and generally, wherever one found themselves on the course there was always someone to race keenly with. Great racing!

Over the day though, it was Rob who was the standout performer. He looked quick in all modes - sharp off the start line and particularly strong downwind - and was consistently in control at the front of the fleet.

Back ashore, the usual post-race routine followed - a bit of bimbling in the boat park before heading into the clubhouse to rehydrate. The evening was rounded off perfectly with a relaxed social, a few local IPAs, and a well-earned pizza buffet organised by the club.

Sunday - Breeze On, Then Off Again

Sunday promised more breeze, and it certainly delivered at times, but it came with a level of instability (blowing over Cumbrae) that ultimately curtailed the day's racing. Only two races were completed, as a major shift later on made it impossible for the race team to reset the course within the three o'clock cut-off.

Before that, however, we managed to get two decent races in. Race 6 was a standout moment. Coming down to the finish, Euan, Rob and I crossed the line with kites up within a couple of seconds of each other. It was one of those races where all three of us probably thought we had it at different points, but in the end, Euan just edged it by a whisker. It would have been a great one to have caught on camera.

Musto Skiffs at the Largs One Design Regatta 2026 - photo © MSCA

Euan really came into his own on the Sunday in the slightly stronger and more testing conditions, showing excellent pace and control to win both races. That proved enough to take the overall event on countback from Rob.

With racing eventually abandoned for the day, there was still time for one of the unexpected highlights of the weekend. With the slipway gridlocked and a fresh 18-knot breeze filling in, Andrew Scott and I took the opportunity for an impromptu blast upwind in the sunshine. It wasn't racing, but it was arguably some of the most enjoyable sailing of the weekend and my only my first time in the toe straps this season. I really need to sail more.

Overall

At the sharp end, Euan and Rob were in a league of their own across the weekend. Despite finishing third, I was some way behind the two of them, but the depth of the fleet meant there was always close racing to be had throughout.

Musto Skiffs at the Largs One Design Regatta 2026 (l-r) Rob Richardson, Euan Hurter, and Jamie Hilton - photo © MSCA

A big thanks to the volunteers and race team at Largs Sailing Club - and also Largs Chandlers, who very generously sponsored the LSC One Design event with a load of great prizes for all the fleets. This included a nice wee cap to fill my goodie bag with and some vouchers for the on-site chandlery. I've already bought myself some new gloves. If only they sold new body parts.

With Largs done, attention now turns to the Musto Skiff World Championship in Carnac, which I'm very much looking forward to.

Overall Results: