Canter marshalls muster in downpour
THE HEAVENS opened on Sunday morning for the second running of Carradale’s 5K and 10K canter.
Marshalls gathered in the primary school playground, at 10.45am, during a brief window in the morning’s downpours for a briefing by race manager Alan Milsted.
Spectators sheltering under brollies lined the roads as runners in the 10K race set off from the harbour at 11.30am, followed five minutes later by the 5K runners.
Once the runners were past there was a surge to the finish line coffee tent at Carradale Harbour.
CUSHENDALL proved to be masters and commanders during their annual two-header sailing regatta with Campbeltown sailors.
For nearly half a century, members of Campbeltown Sailing Club (CSC) and Cushendall Sailing and Boat Club (CSBC), in Red Bay, County Antrim, have been in contact. Every year since 1971 a two-header regatta has taken place.
This year seven boats ventured across from Cushendall to take on four from Campbeltown in the first leg.
Cushendall took the first three places in this year’s first leg on Saturday June 25. On the return leg, the following weekend, a poor forecast meant that only two Campbeltown boats made it across the North Channel to the Northern Irish club.
One of those, John Mactaggart’s Stargazer, acquitted herself well to finish third.
Apart from Stargazer, the only other Campbeltown boat to participate in both legs of the event was Frank McHardy’s Elizabethan 30 Blue Liz crewed by Lorne McMurchy.
Both races were sailed in strong winds, gusting at more than 35 knots at times. Although Blue Liz retired from the Campbeltown race, she did make the crossing to Northern Ireland and finished a creditable fifth in the race there.
CSC entertained the visitors at a barbecue in their Low Askomil clubhouse. The following weekend, it was the turn of the Cushendall club to host a dinner in their clubhouse at Red Bay, which overlooks the Mull of Kintyre.
CSC commodore Billy McFadyen made well-received speeches on both occasions.
Results from Cushendall Sailing and Boat Club’s visit to Campbeltown Sailing Club on June 25 and 26 – Cushendall took the first three places as follows: 1. Magnum – P Lowrie, 2. Ce-na-Mara – N McKinlay, 3. Insider – J Farrell, 4. Stargazer – J Mactaggart (CSC), 5. Saracen – M Ritson (CSBC), 6. Toome Raider – G Shannon (CSBC), 7. Rhapsody – S Ellis (CSC) and 8. Odyssey – (CSBC).
Results from Campbeltown Sailing Club’s return visit to Cushendall on the weekend of July 2 and 3: 1. Magnum, 2. Insider, 3. Stargazer, 4. Saracen, 5. Blue Liz, 6. Oisin and 7. Tomb Raider.