Variety of wind conditions for Round Shuna fleet
With a mix of strong winds gusting to 30 knots from the south to zephyrs and a wind direction change at the north end of the island, Clyde Corinthian Yacht Club’s Round Shuna Pursuit Race held last Sunday proved a testing race for all competitors.
Pursuit races see yachts leave according to handicap with the theory all boats finish together. Competitors in the Round Shuna pursuit decide which way to circumnavigate the island.
Most of the yachts opted to race ‘south about’ with lumpy conditions of wind against tide at the south end of Shuna. However, past Toberonochy and in the lea of the island, boats had to contend with a complete wind direction change forcing a beat to the north turning mark for most. Those yachts opting for a north about race also struggled to find enough wind. Thereafter the fight for everyone was to get into the true breeze again and it was Amber Haze from Oban Sailing Club that tacked in to this fastest maintaining a good lead to the finish. Eric and Irena Chapman’s Sigma 33 lifted the prized case of bubbly for first boat home winning their class and the Lord of the Isles Trophy and the Camus Trophy for first over the line.
Runner up in Class 2 was Billy Forteith’s Shadowfax with Adrian Laycock’s Prime Cut in third.
Class 2 and the Mangle Mug went to Brian Wiseman and Sorr of Appin with Alan Gent White’s An Sulair second and Findlay Clark’s Tarragona third.
Class 3 was taken by Hot Toddy winning the Giving Tree Trophy with Seonaid Reid’s beautiful Malindi of Lorne second and Alistair Spence’s Aurantes third.
Only one Flying Fifteen braved the race and the excellent sailing efforts of Calum Pollock and his crew helming Clive Brown’s Ffaolcuain won them the Craobh Haven Village Stores decanter. They also won the Flying Fifteen Tophy for the best FF of the weekend.
The much-prized Brendan Bucket for the last boat to finish within the time limit was awarded to the Boyds sailing two up on 2 Extreme. Guy Neville raced with a crew of cadets and they lifted a special prize as was the youngest helm in the fleet – Ollie Sumner of Malindi.
The best overall boat of the weekend was given to Amber Haze for the firsts in the pursuit race and a second placing in the feeder race to Craobh. The Chapman family lifted the Craobh Haven Challenge Cup.
Oban and Ardfern Feeder Races
Prior to the Round Shuna race, two feeder races were run on Saturday to Craobh, one from Oban and the other from Ardfern.
With a long beat for the Oban boats in a steady breeze to Cuan, Graham Anderson and team on their Hanse Lucky Ned Pepper took an early lead. Despite the wind dying after passage through Cuan Sound, they held on to their lead to win from the Chapman family’s Amber Haze with Adrian Laycock’s Prime Cut third.
The Ardfern race saw a mix of conditions. Gavin Marshall’s Elan Celerity took the honours from Sorr of Appin and Anne and Andrew Campbell’s Ajax in third place.
The Fielden Trophy for the best Flying Fifteen was won by Calum Pollock helming Ffaolcuain.
Despite a much-reduced fleet the weekend was a great success. The call was made for an increase in boat numbers across the board, including the return of the dinghy fleet for next year’s event.