Croabh Muster and Shuna Race

The annual Shuna race was somewhat disappointing with just two entries despite the presence of other Serpent yachts although they probably made the right decision. To begin with the breeze varied from non existent to fickle and both Exody and Silverjack, with Roy D'Silva as crew and impeded by the presence of the Commodore on board struggled to reach the south end of the island. However once there some breeze filled in and a more enjoyable downwind passage followed with Exody taking a comfortable lead to the finish.  Thanks are due to the Hutchinsons who having declared a complete retirement from racing were on station on Aquaholic to start and finish the race.   

corr. times  Exody: 2h 9 min 42 sec Silverjack: 2h 10 min 51 sec

The BBQ on Saturday evening proved successful and surprisingly well attended despite the potential presence of Covid. It was a bring your own affair with the BBQ itself ably tended by Tom. The ever supportive Croabh team had provided a spacious gazebo at the door of the boatshed and that proved to be a good alternative to the shed interior.  

An impromptu BBQ was also held on the Sunday night including several visitors and friends and those who were to move on to Loch Spelve for the Mussel muster attended. 

  On the Monday several Serpent boats plus boats from France and Northern Ireland cruised to Loch Spelve. We had a delightful off wind sail in company and fairly creamed up the sound of Luing with the strong tide.

Our Mussel Party on the Monday evening was at the Inverlussa Mussel farm on the north-east arm of Loch Spelve. It was a bumper event attended by 6 Serpent boats and 2 visiting solo sailers from France. A huge thanks to Inverlussa who generously provided the mussels in return for a donation and also provided cooking facilities, a covered area, firewood and toilets. 

Two hot mussel dishes:  moules marinière and moules au piment were served with salad and hot baguettes. There were mussels aplenty and the meal was enjoyed by everyone and much impressed our two French guests. The evening was competed watching the sunset and chatting over a glass of wine around the log fire and thereafter it is rumoured that there was some sort of late night musical evening on Micky Finn IV.   

However strong winds that appeared during the night leading to a couple of boats dragging their anchors in the small hours. Again thanks to Tom and Caroline for organising the event and also to Marje and Norena for their work.

The event was such that it has been agreed to incorporate this event into the programme for next year.

 

 

2022 Tarbert Race & Muster

 

Having hurriedly fitted her new genoa the crew of Lollypop exited Kip for the first time this year into a stiff south westerly with attendant chop.  Sailing was never going to get us to Rothesay in time so motor sailing was obligatory and it was with no little sense of relief that we entered the relative calm of Rothesay Bay where the rest of the Serpent racers were milling around Silverjack.  To our dismay we discovered that the outside course around Garroch Head had been set and being unwilling to endure the pleasure of another morning's upwind thrash the decision to forgo the race and cruise to Tarbert via the Kyles was an easy one agreed by all 3 crew members.  This radical reaction by the new Commodore evidently caused some alarm among the race committee who abruptly changed the course to the familiar more sheltered route, this decision along with the delayed start being communicated to the two other racers by VHF although only one was listening.

                                        

Contrary to the race committee's expectation there was sufficient light breeze to get the race under way in flat water and into a beat up the east Kyle with Lollypop chasing the transom of Exody.  Silverjack, with both Graham and Don on board was expected to join the race but failed to appear due to some anchor difficulties.  By Colintraive Tulla Mhor inevitably had pulled well away and although Lollypop had at one point overtaken Exody, once around Ardlamont and on to a reach where waterline length is everything Exody left Lollypop well behind to the finish. It was a pleasant day out with an easy sail in steady wind but otherwise rather dreary weather and once tied up in Tarbert we were all able to meet up with Robert and Audrey who had cruised in Sulaire and Seamus who had sailed Emma Louise singlehanded from Ardrossan.  

The Commodore's Reception was timed for 6pm and by 6.30pm pretty much everyone had turned up, such is the trepidation in finding oneself the first attender. Organisation of this was directed by Anne who had prepared the nibbles which were well received and once the race results had been revealed by the Race Secretary and suitably fortified with fizz the party proceeded to the Starfish for the 7pm reservation  None of us had ever seen the Starfish quite so packed and consequently the service was extraordinarily slow but once the food arrived, somewhat erratically it must be said, there were few complaints.  It being quite late there was no group soiree although two of Lollypop's crew were invited into the luxurious interior of Tulla Mhor for a nightcap.    

Results:    1.  Lollypop        Finish : 14.51.28   Corrected time:199.47                                     2.  Tulla Mhor    Finish : 14.05.10   Corrected time: 209.70                                    3.  Exody            Finish : 14.43.45   Corrected time: 211.47                

     

Next morning the weather remained dreary but with a lighter SW breeze and there was a good showing of females for the four vessels which were to indulge in that celebration of gender discrimination that is the Ladies Race.  Once again Graham was on the Committee boat, Don and Marge having stayed ashore in the Starfish rooms.  Unfortunately, due to the present writer being half asleep, Anne suffered a poor start and was quickly blanketed by the larger boats, sailed into a wind hole and was left far behind.  Val on Tulla Mhor had Catherine on Katya close by for a time pulling well ahead of Marian on Exody but from behind we could see a large hole in the vicinity of Ardlamont giving us time to catch up and join in the fun.  On such a small boat as Lollypop the motion in the windless slop was profoundly nauseating and once the mainsheet tackle had given way retirement was by far the best option.  As we motored down the west Kyle we could see Tulla Mhor still racing but we were overtaken by Katya motoring back to her mooring in Loch Riddon.   Hence only two finishers: 

1. Tulla Mhor   Finish: 12.30.22  Corrected : 134.08                       

2. Exody           Finish  13.00.44  Corrected : 139.62

The next Serpent event is Portavadie Muster and race on June 11th.

   

  

Report of AGM 2022

The AGM was held on Zoom on 9th February 2022 with 17 participants over Zoom. Retiring Commodore Graham Gillies gave a comprehensive account of the events of 2021.  The financial report was undramatic and accepted without query.  The election of the new committee was formalised as published without dissent and is as follows: 

Commodore - Charles Sutherland
Rear Commodore - Tom Hutchinson
Secretary - Graham Gillies
Treasurer & Minute Secretary - Caroline Hutchinson
Race Secretary - Charles Sutherland
Membership Secretary - Marian Borde
Cup Convenor - Don Gillies
Stewards - Catherine Toy, Marcus Stone, Stewart Toy.

Marie McDougall then presented the club with a new carved trophy in memory of the late and much missed Neil McDougall. It has a distinct advantage in that it will not require polishing.  The conditions for its being awarded are still to be defined.

 

Following that the winner of the Photo Contest was announced - being Robert Yuill. Thereafter the trophies for the 2021 races were presented virtually - having been distributed in advance.  Retiring Commodore Graham presented the new Commodore with his pennant and the retiring commodore's pennant was handed over to Graham.

Charles Sutherland then thanked Graham for his work as Commodore and went on to outline a few of the proposals for the 2022 season.  The meeting then closed with Zoom left open for a period of informal chat 

The Serpent Photo Contest 2021

Votes are now counted and the winner will be revealed at the Zoom AGM on Wednesday 9th February.  

A good varied bunch of entries has now been received for the photo contest for 2021 which once again, owing to the lack of the Annual Dinner is being held online.   The theme was  'By The Sea' and all entries qualify as the sea is present in them all.  Here they are with titles but the photographer is unattributed - those to be revealed after votes have been counted.  They are of a good standard so please everyone take the time to send in a vote to Graham Gillies 

Remember to click on the photo to appreciate it at full size

No .1   'Not Found His Sea Legs'  - Trevor Watson

 

 No.2     'Isle of Skye'  Marian Borde

 

No.3      'A beautiful sunset from anchor in Loch Spelve' - Caroline Hutchinson

 

No. 4     ‘I wandered lonely…”  Robert Yule

No.5     'A Serpent day on Loch Fyne'- Charles Sutherland

No.6    ‘Chilling near the dock of the bay’  Seamus Lalor

No.7    'Room with a view - Camping on Inchmarnock.'   Jane Hinshalwood

No. 8     ’Racing from Tarbert’  Graham Gillies

 

No.9    ‘At anchor in Wizard Pool’ - Gavin Kenny

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