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.
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
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