2025 Polaris Report

What a fantastic weekend at the Polaris Regatta at the Holy Loch Sailing Club!

Even with the heavy rain both days, the atmosphere was brilliant, and everyone had such a great time, both on and off the water. Huge thanks to all the visiting competitors who made the journey to join us.

Special shout-outs to:

Shearwater, our generous sponsors

The race teams led by Bill Aitchison & Alison Currie – amazing work!

Race results collated by Lorn Campbell, available before the boats got ashore!

Laura Cowan from the Royal Yachting Association who joined us for the weekend and presented the prizes

The safety boat crews who braved the downpours all weekend

The galley & bar teams for keeping us all fuelled and happy

Our thirsty members & visitors who nearly managed to drink the bar dry

SKELP, a local band that had everyone singing and dancing on Saturday evening

The people at Firpark who allowed the race team and spectators to park in their driveway

Everyone who donated prizes for, and bought tickets for the bottle tombola – we raised £270 for the skiff fund!

And finally, our Commodore Kirsty, who worked tirelessly over the past few months to plan and organised every last detail.

None of this would have been possible without all of you.

White Sail

The white sail fleet had one long race each day, starting in the Holy Loch and heading out into the Clyde before returning to the finish back in the Holy Loch. On Saturday conditions in the Clyde were quite choppy, with gusts of over 20 knots, which suited Duncan Chalmer in Atia, allowing him to win the race closely followed by Alistair Pugh on Marisca. On Sunday, conditions suited Marisca and they scored a first place, which along with the second place from Saturday gave him overall victory in the white sail fleet. Atia was second overall.  Fin Hurrel and crew sailing Mike Honcho were third overall, a very impressive performance, considering it was only the second time that they had sailed the boat.

1^st         Marisca – Contessa 32 – Alastair Pugh, Alistair Clements (Royal Gourock Sailing Club)

2^nd         Atia – UFO27 – Duncan Chalmers, Ali Marshall, Neil Stewart, Ken Brown (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

3^rd         Mike Honcho - J24 – Fin Hurrel, Harris Munns, Owen Callander, Ellie (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

4^th         Moonlight – Sonata – Nigel Sciven, Derek Webber, Craig Wilson (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

5^th         Judicious – J30 – Jim Hoey, Ralph Houston, Mandy Finfer (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

6^th         Marianna  - Nicholson 28 – Angela Kerr

7^th         Kraken – MG335 – Malcolm Jonhston

8^th         Sea Pickle – Dufour 32 – Murray Caldwell (Cove Sailing Club)

Loch Longs

After a few years absence from the regatta, it was great to see four Loch Longs sail across from Cove to compete. Racing at the front of the fleet was close, but Moonshine shone through to take line honours in five of the six races.

1^st         Moonshine – Annie Burden (Cove Sailing Club)

2^nd         Elizabeth – John McNeilage (Cove Sailing Club)

3^rd         Mosquito - Murdo McNeilage (Cove Sailing Club)

4^th         Viva – Malcolm MacDougall (Cove Sailing Club)

Dinghies

The tricky winds on Saturday, followed by stronger winds on Sunday challenged some of our younger competitors in their Lasers. The exception to this was Macy Law who revelled in the conditions, showing boat handling skills and tactics beyond her years. She won four out of the six races, it may have been five, but gear failure prevented her from competing in the final race.

Alastair and Bernadette McMillan in their Merlin Rocket missed the first race, and in race four sailed to the wrong mark when they had healthy lead. Despite this they managed to finish in second position overall, showing some excellent boat handling and speed in the process, keeping the spectators entertained.

1^st         Laser Radial – Macy Law (Toward Seasports Club)

2^nd         Stomper – Merlin Rocket – Alistair and Bernadette McMillan (Isle of Bute Seasports Club)

3^rd         Laser – Andrew Melville (Cove Seasports Club)

4^th         Home Brew – Albacore – Peter McWhinnie, Archie Munns (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

5^th         Black Jack - Laser – Barnaby Munns (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

=6^th           Smiles - Laser Radial – Darcy Cameron (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

=6^th       Yippee – Laser – Ivor Warren (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

Flying Fifteens

There was a disappointing turnout due to the Scottish Championship clashing with the regatta. However, the three boats competing had a great weekends sailing. More Mischieff won all six races, but were challenged at times by Woffle and Effycacious, especially in the lulls in the wind on Saturday and More Mischieff became becalmed.

1^st         More Mischieff – Chris and Marion Bowen (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

2^nd         Woffle – Jim MacLean, Mr Iain (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

3^rd         Effycacious – Tommy McGeachie, Lesley Palmer (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

Pipers

The Holy Loch Sailing Club’s Polaris Regatta originated from an arrangement between the local sailing club and the newly installed American submarine base in an effort to appease the local yachtsmen for their invasion of their sailing waters. Such was the success of the event that at its peak, 140 yachts and dinghies gathered for this end of season celebration to round off the Clyde sailing programme, with the U S Navy benefitting magnanimously from their practical and financial contribution. Under their sponsorship the Regatta continued until their withdrawal in 1992.

Since then, many local businesses from fish farms to industrial organisations have supported the weekend, although the original name has, in some form or other, been retained “ by popular demand”, despite Mr Trump’s largesse being absent from the formula, and this year, the Club is very fortunate to benefit yet again from the great help of local diving and marine engineering contractors Shearwater Marine Services, which originated on the shore of the Holy Loch with a solitary RIB in 1992. The Company expanded from its original base which used the facilities of the Club in exchange for servicing work on the ramp and moorings to the benefit of both. Their continuing support has been much appreciated and continues in this season’s event which perpetuates the Regatta.  

The Pipers, a locally built class of day racing keelboat, from the Sandbank boatyard of Robertson’s is ever present at the Regatta and fielded seven entrants this year. Local boat, Billie, sailed as enthusiastically as ever by Iain Hurrel, with his scratch crew of Jon Fitzgerald and Sam Law, took the early initiative with a positive and confidant performance by winning the first three races against a closely matched opposition.

Sunday dawned with stronger winds and in the light of day after a night of merriment to celebrate their achievements, the performance levels of Billie had taken a dip, resulting in some very close racing thereafter between all the Pipers, and it was Andy Love’s Tamarind which led the way home in two of the next three races to pull herself back into contention, but not quite able to usurp the Billie crew whose three seconds in the concluding races was more than enough to deserve the overall victory.

1^st         Billie Piper – Iain Hurrel, Jon Fitzgerald, Sam Law (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

2^nd         Tamarind – Andy Love, James Heggarty, David Bonner (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

3^rd         Tom Piper – Fergus Campbell, Ali Gordon, Stuart Brown (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

4^th         Stay Puff – Robert Towart, Charmaine Russel, Caroline Clark (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

5^th         Pied Piper - Bronwen Angus, Roddie Angus, Jill Wadge (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

6^th         Talisker – Jamie Roger, Neil McLaren, Matilda McLaren (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

Cadets

The Cadet fleet was made up of junior members from HLSC and TSC, in their Topper Taz,

Toppers and Optimists added to the spectacular sight on the loch. With copious

amounts of excitement, enthusiasm, determination and fun they showcased their

sailing skills over 7 races in varying conditions. Some of the fleet, were only racing

for the first time and going by their impressive performance will have a great future

ahead.

Thanks as always go to the fabulous team in the clubhouse who made sure the

cadets were well fed and energised all weekend and to the crew on the safety boats

from Holy Loch Sailing club and Toward Seasports Club who supported them on the

water. The shore team at Lazaretto Point, including Amelia Pietraszek, Fearne Gillen

and Fraser Pollock all cadets from TSC, worked hard to record the following

impressive results for each class.

Topper Taz

1^st         Niamh and Erin Wilson (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

Toppers

1^st         Raspberry Ripple - Ruth Williams (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

2^nd         Scar 1 - Oscar Cameron (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

3^rd         Racing Rascal - Ghillie Campbell (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

4^th         Raptor  - Finlay Ramage Raptor (Holy Loch Sailing Club)

Oppies

1^st         Tern - Scarlett Gaze (Toward Seasports Club)

2^nd         Kittiwake - James McLean-Morton (Toward Seasports Club)

3^rd         Fulmar - Caol McCowan (Toward Seasports Club)

4^th         Puffin - Calum Draper  (Toward Seasports Club)

A huge well done to all the young sailors who showed great skills in managing the

changing and challenging conditions over the weekend. Look out adults, you have

some fierce competition coming up in the next few years!