Seamus Lalor of Emma Louise contributes this report:
With
winds rising to Force 6, five intrepid yachts took part in a fast
moving race around Cumbrae. Camus Bosta took up position as
Committee Vessel and the race started with Troikka, Aquaholic and
Emma Louise tight on the line on a starboard tack. Troikka started
to leeward of Aquaholic until both tacked on
to port, close to shore thereby allowing Troikka
to get clear to windward and
set the pace while Emma
Louise, well to leeward was able
to tack onto port and into clean air.
Meanwhile, Out of the Blue was ambling down the channel from Kip
post a leisurely breakfast fry up as Stewart thought the clocks had
already gone back by one hour - arriving a tad late on the line just
as Camus Bosta was starting!
In
Class 1, Aquaholic got into the groove on the
beat to Farland Point hot on the heels of Troikka while
in Class 3 Camus Bosta was in pursuit of Class 3
Emma Louise and OOTB was making a valiant effort to close the gap.
Troikka and Aquaholic set spinnakers at the Tan Spit Buoy but by the
time they reached the top of Cumbrae, Aquaholic decided to make life
more interesting by broaching spectacularly in order to give Charles, Anne and crew on Troikka a
'sporting chance'. Alas, this was to no avail and Aquaholic crossed
the finish line less than a
minute ahead of Troikka on corrected time. With the wind rising,
Camus Bosta continued to make ground on Emma Louise and both
simultaneously tacked over the finish line, but with Camus Bosta the
clear winner on corrected time.
OOTB finished shortly thereafter having made up considerable ground.
OOTB finished shortly thereafter having made up considerable ground.
Events
were however to take an even more interesting turn. Troikka suffered
engine failure in the Kip entry channel* and OOTB
arrived in time to take the embarrassing photo of
them under tow. However with all the excitement
over and and safely tied up in the now driving
rain, the Troikka crew gatecrashed OOTB where the
Commodore kindly ‘spliced the mainbrace’ in
characteristic generous style.
Meanwhile Emma
Louise headed back towards Ardrossan in rough seas and wind gusting
Force 7. After 3 hours motoring into a southerly, all were glad to
surf into Ardrossan Harbour (as you do down
there) in a darkening sky and the previously
mentioned driving rain. Just as Emma Louise
entered the inner harbour the Marina
security shouted, "Is
there anyone else out there" (clearly not – they were all
sensibly in the pub) and immediately proceeded to close the storm
gates! It was a blast of a day to end the season.
*subsequently it was found that the diesel tap had somehow been turned off
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