2025 Piper Anniversary Regatta

On Saturday 21^st of June the Holy Loch Sailing Club played hosts to the locally built Piper class for their 59th Anniversary of its inception, with boats and crews from Gourock joining with the local fleet to compete and socialise in perfect sailing conditions in the Holy Loch. Sailing secretary Bill Aitchison presided over the race organisation in his customary exemplary manner to provide three races over the course of the day, each with a  trophy to contend for, and such was the closeness of competition between all the competitors that each one was won by separate boats and with each competing yacht coming away with a podium place in at least one race.

The winner of the first race was, appropriately, Class Captain Iain Hurrel and his crew, Graeme Murray and Lorn Campbell in Billie Piper when they succeeded in turning a poor start into a leading position before the end of the first leg and, increasing their margin thereafter to the finish, secured  the Tennant Caledonian Cup, setting the target for their opponents to respond to. This challenge was eagerly taken up by Bronwyn Angus, her husband Roddy and Ruth Lee, who led off the starting line of the second race in fine style and from then on sailed perfectly without putting a foot wrong to secure the impressive Royal Marine Hotel Trophy, sailing Staypuff.

Such were the results of the first two races that the entire fleet bar one entered the final race of the Series within three points of each other and with everything to play for , the outcome of the regatta was a close run thing, with the lead and lower positions changing throughout the deciding race, Ruridh Campbell and Craig Cameron’s Stormpiper ( the oldest boat in the fleet and the first ever built), leading the way in the early stages to put themselves in the overall lead. With the wind dying in the latter stages, however, new helmsman in the fleet Graham Galbraith took advantage of a favourable slant in the ailing breeze to hit the front and, giving credence to the adage ‘ the last fluke is the best’ with his crew Gerry McGarrity, won the Fairbairn Salver, presented by an early doyen of the Class.

Then began the exciting task for the race committee to work out the overall winners of the Regatta and, after a final round of socialising by the competing crews and friends of the Piper Class who had gathered to spectate, the local crew of Billie Piper, Iain, Graeme and Lorn were declared the winners,  who reciprocated very generously to their success, thanking the organisers, fellow competitors and particularly Race Officer, Bill Aitchison, for their appreciated contributions which ensured the friendly, efficient running of the event. The warm atmosphere at the close of the day set the scene for next year’s grand sixtieth anniversary of the Pipers which will be well anticipated by all those involved in this friendly and competitive fleet.