Animal ‘magic’ lifts top trophy at yachting week
THE TOP trophy at this year’s West Highland Yachting Week (WHYW) was lifted by Rhu-based Jack Aitken on his family’s First 36.7 Animal. With a score of 11 points counting three firsts and four second places, the Aitkens won Class 1 and were awarded the Peter Cocks Memorial Trophy for the best overall performance in the series.
Owned by Jack’s parents Kevin and Debbie Aitken and now in a third season of campaigning, Animal has been a highly successful boat winning many major Scottish regattas.
And having competed in six WHYW events, always with the family, Jack (19) is no stranger to being a winning helm. He is a world- class dinghy sailor and straight after WHYW left to compete in the Laser Standard under-21 World Championships in Germany thereafter heading to Croatia for the European Championships.
Father Kevin Aitken said: ‘Jack was delighted to win both the class and the overall trophy. He’s been training hard in dinghies at Weymouth but loves WHYW – it’s the one event we can always sail as a family and we have competed over the years on Duckwall Pooley, then our Sigma 33 and the first Animal, our Elan 380. We love the event and it’s one that all age ranges can be really involved in with great racing.’
The Aitken’s other son Finn, 14, was also aboard on foredeck with mum Debbie on sail trim as well as regular crew Dean. Oban’s Joe Penhall- Smith also crewed for the week, with locals James Chapman and Sean Jamieson aboard for part of the regatta.
Animal finished the series just one point clear of Allan Jeffrey and Paul Scutt’s Carmen II, an identical First 36.7 with whom they have close rivalry. Despite breaking their carbon pole on the Sunday Craobh race the team recovered well and sailed a flawless regatta with Jack particularly pleased with the double race win on Thursday off Tobermory.
Special Trophies
Local boats also had an excellent regatta winning some of the ‘special’ trophies.
Beppo Buchanan- Smith’s Enigma recorded the fastest passage time from Craobh to Oban to lift the MacBrayne Centenary Challenge Cup. The Fyfe family from Lochaber, members of Glencoe Boat Club, won Class 8 and lifted the Oban Bicentenary Cup for the best time from Craobh to Oban.
Looking pristine, the forty-year old Popcorn has been lovingly restored and is now sailed by Angus, son of the original owner who formerly raced her so successfully on the Clyde. Hot Toddy took the John G Maxwell trophy for the best yacht in Class 8.
Murray Caldwell’s Oystercatcher from Cove won the best passage on corrected time from Oban to Tobermory with the Angus Meldrum Trophy and The Iona Shop Trophy for the best time over the three passage races.
Isle of Man yacht Sea-Pie of Cultra took the silverware in the Tobermory to Oban race lifting the British Waterways Trophy and also winning Class 5. The Bradshaws on their Sigma 33 Busy Beaver were awarded the family trophy whilst the Endeavour cup was given to Malcolm MacGregor for his sterling work as Principal Race Officer over the last 15 years.
Breeze back for Firth of Lorn races
After the light winds of Monday the breeze was back for racing on Tuesday. The Argyll Fleet followed an inshore course to the south of the Firth of Lorne whilst Tunnock’s spinnaker fleet completed two Olympic course races set by Race Officer Malcolm MacGregor.
To the wire sailing was enjoyed by both fleets with gusts of 20 knots making for exciting spinnaker gybes. Rivals John Corson, Stuart Hamilton and Craig Anderson fought neck and neck on their Moody 336s giving close one- design racing in Class 7. The Corson team won by a minute on corrected time in the first race and Hamilton edged out Anderson by 1 second for second place. Race 2 saw Hamilton take the win by 1 second from Corson’s Salamander XXII with Anderson’s Cool Bandit 2 third.
Oban boat Shadowfax, last year’s class and overall series winner, returned to form with close racing alongside Sea-Pie of Cultra posting a first and second respectively. David Cooper’s Suilven also pulled out all the stops to take the win from Sorr of Appin in white sail Class 6. And Class 8 saw the Nicholson 35 Jane Waterman was loving the breeze and lifted the class win from the Popcorn. Oban’s Lucy Downie with her GK 24 Zebedee showed form second time round in Class 7 pushing Popcorn into second place again.
Kites up for GaelForce Tobermory passage
The Tunnock’s spinnaker fleet flew kites from the start off Oban on the GaelForce Marine Equipment-sponsored race to Tobermory. It was a close call on handling until through Lismore Light. The leading boats held the breeze in a repeat of last year’s race with holes appearing for the remainder of the fleet to contend. A shortened course at Fuinary saw Oystercatcher sail away with Class 8 and fleet honours for the best corrected time on passage. Battling Oystercatcher in the race and series, Angus Fyfe of Glencoe Boat Club finished second with Lucy Downie’s GK 24 from Oban third.
Surfing conditions for Argyll and Tunnock’s fleet
Racing took place off Tobermory on Olympic courses for the Tunnock’s spinnaker fleet, with a fresh north westerly breeze producing some rolling surfing conditions. The second part of the white sail Argyll fleet’s inshore course benefited from a calmer seas.
Jack Aitken helming the First 36.7 Animal tamed longstanding rivals and past winners Scutt and Jeffries in Carmen II posting two firsts and giving them a three-point lead going in to the last day on Friday. Carmen II had to be content with two seconds.
Strong fleet finish on final day
Good winds and a favourable tide saw a strong fleet finish on the final day’s racing from Tobermory to Oban sponsored by Thomas Tunnock Ltd and concluded the points series for the regatta. Working the tidal conditions and windshifts on the long beat to a shortened course off Lismore Light saw best results. Carmen II won the final race but finished second overall in class to an impressive racing performance from Animal.
Previous class winner Sunrise of the Chalmers family battled Class 2 to the end pushing Damon Lindsay’s Dufour 40 Ionara in second overall.
In Class 4 Valhalla of Ashton and the Sigma 33 of Mark Bradshaw were locked till the final day, with Bradshaw winning the class by one point. In Class 5, one of the most fiercely contested, Oban Sailing Club’s Shadowfax, had to be content with second in class to Sea-Pie of Cultra, the Sigma 33 of Jeremy Coleman far travelled from the Isle of Man. Vaila, the BB10 of Peter Watt, sailing with locals David Cooper and Ryan MacIntyre, posted a third overall in class heralding a successful return to WHYW after 11 years absence! Boyd Tunnock CBE had two firsts during the week finishing fifth overall in class. Graham Anderson’s Lucky Ned Pepper and Adrian Laycock’s Prime Cut were sixth and seventh.
Gordon Callander’s Rustler 36 Reever won Argyll Fleet Class 6 with Brian Wiseman’s Sorr of Appin just one point behind and David Cooper’s Suilven in third having posted two wins during the week. Class 7 saw the Moody 336s vying all week for podium positions. John Corson’s Salamander XXII lifted the trophy for the final race but after missing day’s racing round the cans off Tobermory, dropped back to let Craig Anderson’s Cool Bandit win from Stuart Hamilton’s Piecemaker. And in Class 8 Jane Waterman, the Nicholson 35 of Andrew Wallace from Plymouth took the win on the last day from Murray Caldwell’s Oystercatcher. However Popcorn, who finished third, had done enough to lift the points series with 12 points.
The final prize-giving was held at Dunstaffnage Marina courtesy of the management with a free barbecue enjoyed by all.
Joint Regatta Committee chairman Andy Knox said: ‘It’s been one of the best WHYW regattas ever with great sailing each day and much enjoyment on the social scene at night. We look forward to next year – the 70th anniversary of the event – don’t miss it from July 29 to August 4, 2017.’
West Highland Yachting Week is sponsored and supported by Tunnock’s, Argyll and Bute Council, MalinWaters, Tobermory Harbour Association, Owen Sails, Gaelforce Marine Equipment, Dunstaffnage Marina and West Coast Motors.