Entries on the start line.....

Familiar names are showing with the entries for the week as The Oban Times went to press. John Stanley-Whyte brings his J109 Blue Jay back again in Class 1 for CYCA handicaps 10 mins and below and has been performing well on the RC 35 circuit this season. The Lawson’s J122 Moonstruck Too is also back to contend this highly competitive class as is Rod Stuart’s well sailed Eos alongside the First 40.7s Luna of Clyde and Pippa V1 as well as Giggle, the Elan 40 of Phil Davis from Royal Ulster Yacht Club. Scott Chalmers and his Sigma 400 Sunrise moves to Class 1 this year from restricted sail Class 2 where he and his family have been worthy winners several times and were in contention on points last year for WHYW overall so he will add to the close competition in this class. Scratch boat in restricted sail Class 2 is Angus Cartwright’s First 47.7 Golden Fox, runner up to Sunrise on points last year and McGarry & Perratt’s Grand Cru also returns. Firestarter, the Bavaria Match 35, is also a Class 2 contender as is Wookie 2, the Dufour 40p of Jim Fraser. Ian Donald’s Hanse 400 Tioram has been a stalwart of this class for many years and returns once again for 2019. Overall 2018 WHYW winner Jim Dick with his Elan GT5 Reflection starts the line up in Class 3 with former series winner Roddy Angus and team set for battle with More Misjif, their Sunfast 37. Alan Moore’s Delinquent is another regular entrant as is Nick Marshall’s J92 Satisfaction who will also

be on the starting line in Class 3. In restricted sail Class 4, Anne and Andrew Campbell’s Ajax and Gavin Marshall’s Celerity line up alongside the famous Contessa 35 Gumdrop, now raced by Hugh Wallace in Class 4. Gumdrop famously competed in the Capetown to Rio Race in 1976 and is back on the circuit recently competing in the Round Mull Race. Richard Gray’s Leomaris of Clyde is a regular competitor in this class adding to the first entries to date. Oban’s Graham Anderson and his Hanse 371 Lucky Ned Pepper is a Class 5 entry and will be up alongside the evergreen Nicholson 43 Magdaleyne of Michael Petticrew from Ireland who was class winner and overall series winner in 2017.

Tangle O’The Isles

Steven Forteith sailing his father’s Shadowfax is always a strong contender, being also a former class and series winner, but there will be competition from Eric and Irena Chapman’s newly acquired X332 Elixir of Lorn, formerly 2Extreme. John Rose and Insatiable are long time campaigners in this class as is Philip Green’s Dehler 32 Dealanach and Wallace Cuthbertson’s Elan 333 Delta Blue. Seasoned campaigner Joey Gough and his First 32s5 Tangle O’The Isles who won restricted sail class 6 last year is not only contending the class but spreading awareness of his campaign this November to race continuously around the Isle of Mull in aid of Children in Need. Add another First 31.7, Firstar and the Sigma contingent which includes early entries of Mayrise and Sea-Pie of Cultra and this will be a close class to call. Stephen Owen’s Oceanis 361 Halcyon is making the trip back from Denmark to compete in restricted sail Class 6 and will be facing close competition as ever from regular competitor Brian Young and his beautiful Mylne Ketch Glenafton as well as Stuart MacDonald’s Dehler 34 Fraoch. RHYC commodore Stephen Quaile brings his Halberg Rassy 36 to this class. Returning stalwarts include Jim Shields with his Sigma 33 Meka and this year will see the Westerly GK 34 Prodigal line up too.

Nicholson 43’s line up

Class 7 sees the beautiful Nicholson 43s Sarah and Tidechaser racing against each other and proving good competition in this class. The clash of the Moody 336 ‘Titans’ will see last year’s class winner Craig Corson and Salamander XX11 alongside Craig Anderson’s Cool Bandit 2 also former class and series winners. Sir Boyd Tunnock’s Moody 38 Lemerac is also expected to be on the start line in this class. Murray MacDonald’s Hunter 707 Autism on the Water will take on the might of this class as will Kirsty Brown’s Sadler 34 Whisper Two and the Paterson’s Sunlight 30 Dignity. The legendary Ian Nicolson returns with St Bridget and Windthrift, the lovely SHE 36 will also be on the start line for the series. Recent overall winner of the Round Mull Race, Brian Wiseman and team on his Westerly Storm, Sorr of Appin may cause the most upset in this class with a strong performance to date on the regatta circuit. And although the Dehler 34 Nimrod is entered under Colin Crawford’s name, the boat is due to be under new ownership when WHYW kicks off. Colin will be travelling south to pick up a new and much bigger Dehler 41 and plans to be back next year with his new boat for WHYW 20.

Boys from the North

Ruairidh Campbell was the first entry in Class 8 with his Oyster 26 Banshee, followed by Caol of Largs, the Westerly Konsort of Graham Stewart but regular stalwarts like Alastair Pugh and his Contessa 32 Marisca, the Fyfe family’s Popcorn, Hot Toddy and Findlay Clark’s Tarragona will also be up there. The ‘boys from the north’ in their Contessa 32 Circe are welcomed back making the long journey south through the Caledonian Canal from their home port of North Kessock and this will see great competition with Marisca. Possible late entries who raced last year are Ben Shelley’s Extrovert Lady Ex, and Andrew Wallace and family in their Nic 35 Jane Waterman who are expected to be on the starting line for this popular and keenly contested class. However Marian Austin and her beautiful classic Northney 34 Scintilla is taking a year out and will not be lining up in Class 8 this year. Scintilla will be sorely missed in 2019. Restricted sail class 9 has previous class winner Seonaid Reid and her team in the beautiful Malindi of Lorne alongside the well sailed Oystercatcher with Murray Caldwell and team. Add to this the Scott’s Jeanneau SO 32i Torridon, the McPhee family’s Moody s31 White Lady that won the family prize last year, Nick Fuller’s Contest 40S Arabella, Robin Wills’ Malo 38 Cantata II and David Lyon’s First 29 Voila and this will be a close class to call and very much dependent on weather conditions with such a wide range of boats competing. NB Class divisions may change before start of event.