Frostbite Race

Next event is the Frostbite Race to be held on Saturday 2nd October.  The course, weather permitting will be the familiar figure 8 around the Cumbraes and starting off Largs Marina at 11am.  Climate change makes the likelihood of actual frostbite highly unlikely so pack your shorts. 

Martyn Webster

 

On behalf of the club, Graham and Don Gillies were delighted to visit Martyn Webster and his wife Shery at their home to present him with the 2020 Commodore’s Trophy. This award was given in recognition of Martyn’s long and active association with the club and his participation in Serpent events and races right up to his recent decision to retire from sailing. Until last year he regularly raced his Scottish Islands yacht Shona at our Musters; both on the Clyde and the West Coast.

Martyn was delighted to receive the award and asked us to pass on his sincere thanks to the club. His beloved Islander yacht Shona is currently for sale but he is continuing his maritime interests as part of a group building a St Ayles Skiff which was launched on Loch Fyne this summer.

Martyn is seen with the award and holding a favourite photo of Shona racing against Bernera and Stroma. 

Autumn Muster 2021

Once again, by popular demand the destination for the muster was Rothesay.  It is perhaps a reflection of the diminished nature of the club that there were only four race entries with one cruising - Seamus and crew in Emma Louise as the 10am start off Kip was just too early for a passage from Ardrosssan.  Don and Marge in Black Pepper formed both the committee boat and in choosing not to race, also the welcoming party in Rothesay  The course selected was the shortened one with the first mark being Hun1 rather than the circumnavigation of the Cumbrae and this proved to be a wise decision as the light breeze from the start was extremely flukey. 

Lollipop with just Charles and Marcus aboard led off the start line but was soon overtaken by Katya, who, once a suitable breeze was found powered away and was to remain invincible. Lollipop held her nerve and managed to squeeze past the old power station pier as did Exody but Silverjack tacked early into a hole from which she was to suffer badly.  

 Katya chases Lollipop from the start

 

Exody powers up to the start line

However at Hun 1 the wind really picked up and once round we were hard on the wind which was rising to gusts over 20kts.  In that wind Exody, loaded with all her world girdling hardware began to gain ground but Lollipop having managed to put in a mainsail reef held them off to the finish line at Ardyne although it was close. Silverjack trailed in some distance behind.  It was an unusual race with every leg apparently more or less upwind but it was good to get sailing again. Marge and Don had to compete with the Bute Berthing crew in assisting arrivals with helpfulness and banter.   Eventually, after a period of relaxation in various socially distanced cockpits the party moved to the Victoria Hotel for dinner. That comparisons with Fawlty Towers were made can be excused by the present circumstances and staffing difficulties and there were no complaints about the food which was served by most willing Polish waitresses who appeared to have been pressganged into their duties.  Thereafter it was a quiet evening as possibly befitted the age of all participants who would certainly have been out of place along at the Pavilion.   Sunday was completely windless and a unanimous decision was taken to can the proposed pursuit race and just motor back to base. 

Results :  1. Katya

                2. Lollipop

                3. Exody

                4. Silverjack