A Calm Week in the Holy Loch

It was another quiet week at Holy Loch Sailing Club, with the weather proving uncooperative once again. Wednesday night’s race was postponed until later in the season due to a complete absence of wind. Race officer Bill Aitchison did his best to set a short course close to the clubhouse, but after a brief delay, he made the sensible decision to call it off and reschedule the race for early September. Still, the evening wasn’t wasted - around fifty members gathered to enjoy an early barbecue, making the most of the calm conditions.

On Sunday, the club’s annual long-distance race was on the calendar. Traditionally, this event begins from the start line off Sandbank, taking the fleet out into the Clyde Estuary via buoys near Kilcreggan, Gourock, and the Gantocks, before returning to finish at the club line. This year, however, light airs in the Holy Loch—and even less breeze out in the Clyde—led to a revised, shorter course confined within the loch.

All fleets started together and set off toward mark ‘G’ near Ardnadam Point in a patchy and unpredictable wind. Jim Hoey, sailing his J30 Judicious, quickly took the lead, closely followed by Chris and Marion Bowen in their Flying Fifteen More Mischieff. Over the next two legs, which rounded marks at Graham’s Point and near the Holy Loch Marina entrance, the lead changed hands multiple times.

Judicious reached the marina mark slightly ahead, but both front-runners became becalmed for about fifteen minutes, drifting backwards with the tide. Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet caught faint gusts and crept closer. Eventually, More Mischieff found a whisper of breeze and managed to cross the finish line at a snail’s pace, claiming line honours. Judicious wasn’t so lucky—after a minor collision with Nigel Scriven in Moonlight at the final mark, she retired from the race.

Iain Sinclair and Kirsty Brown, racing their Flying Fifteen Nae Fear for the first time this season, finished second on the water. Bringing up the rear were the Pipers of Iain Hurrel and Andy Love. At one point, Hurrel narrowly avoided going aground near the marina entrance after the tide pushed his boat into shallower water.

Back on shore, the fleet was welcomed with tea, coffee, and an array of delicious home baking, kindly provided by Tricia, who was manning the galley for the afternoon.

Flying Fifteens

1^st         More Mischieff – Chris and Marion Bowen

2^nd         Nae Fear – Iain Sinclair and Kirsty Brown

3^rd         Efficacious – Tommy and Susan McGeachie

Pipers

1^st         Billie Piper – Iain Hurrel, Graeme Murray, Lorn Campbell

2^nd         Tamarind – Andy Love

White Sail

1^st         Sonata – Moonlight – Nigel Scriven, Derek Webber and Chris Wilson.

Retired – J30 – Judicious – Jim Hoey, Andrew Leach and Ralph Houston