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Scottish Championship at Loch Lomond - 2005 |
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2005
Scottish Championships at Loch Lomond SC The 2005 Scottish Championships took place at Loch Lomond SC on 3-4 September. The winds were typical for the time of year with conditions on Saturday being light and fluky, while Sunday's racing was abandoned through insufficient wind. The seven-strong Europe fleet had a separate start within the regatta programme, which included asymmetric, fast and slow handicap and Laser classes. The asymmetrics were kept clear on a separate course. However, all other classes shared the same Triangle-Sausage course. With the fast handicap and 5o5s starting 3 minutes behind the Europes and the earlier starting Lasers well down their downwind leg as the Europes reached the leeward mark, it was inevitable that the fleets would mix. Race 1 The wind had filled in earlier in the day from the south-east, but by the start time of the of the first race was moving through south. Brian Finnie and Val Ludlow picked the left side of the course, which from pre-start investigation promised a shore based header. The others went to the right and in the major shift that followed the start several found they had gone too far and were overstanding. Val judged the tack for the mark to perfection and, despite the shift against her, arrived at the mark just ahead of Fiona Annan and Gordon McGeorge who were coming in from the right. Kathryn Annan and Catriona Spencer were next to round. Gordon overtook Fiona on the next reaching legs before the following fast handicap class could interfere. The wind continued to shift, turning the next windward leg into a reach, and with the fast boats behind catching up and the Laser fleet ahead coming back down the downwind section the fleets mixed in a concentrated area of disturbed wind and water. Gordon stayed as far out to the left as he could risk, leaving Val and Fiona picking their way thorough advancing Lasers. Having got out in front Gordon stayed there during the remainder of the race, which was by now a procession of reaching legs. Further back in the fleet Europe newcomers Kathryn and Catriona were having trouble dealing with the interference from the other classes, allowing the more experienced Pete Dowker and Brian to catch up and stay ahead to the finish. Race 2 With the wind now in the south-west at 10 knots the Race Officer put in a short delay to move the marks. At the start everyone went right to catch the continuing shift to the west and Gordon demonstrated the perfect start to arrive first at the mark but there the wind dropped and moved back to south. Val and Pete were best placed of the rest to recover from this and followed Gordon round the mark. From there it was an uneventful procession down the reaching legs. On the second beat, this time without so much interference from the other fleets, Kathryn was much happier and sailed a well controlled leg, keeping focused on the long port tack to pull ahead of Fiona and Pete by the mark. While Gordon and Val were keeping their places out in front a closely fought race developed for third place and after having sailed as a gaggle for most of the race, Fiona, Kathryn, Pete and Brian tacked furiously to gain advantage on the short windward leg to the finish. All four crossed the line within seconds of each other and Kathryn and Brian managed to put Fiona and Pete behind them, almost reversing the order at the leeward mark only just before. Race 3 The wind remained in the south for the third race but had dropped again to 6 or 7 knots. Somehow the shifting wind managed once again to fool the Race Officer into setting a start line that could barely be crossed on starboard tack and everyone tacked quickly to port on the gun and headed to the right. Gordon once again made a clean start, followed by Val, and the two leaders soon pulled clear of the rest with Fiona and Pete well placed behind. By the mark, Gordon still had the lead but the remainder of the fleet caught up on the first reaching leg with Fiona and Kathryn now chasing Val. Fiona made good speed on the reaching legs to pass Val and round the leeward mark second behind Gordon, still closely followed by the others. Before Brian and Catriona could follow Pete and Kathryn round the mark, they were separated from the other Europes by two 5o5s coming in from behind and occupying the mark space. One was so attached to the mark that it went round twice! Back in the race, Fiona continued to work on catching Val and by the final reach to the wing mark had overtaken her. A sudden gust then surprised Val into capsizing, allowing Pete through to third place. This left Val and Kathryn in a tussle for fourth and fifth places while Brian and Catriona, who had not recovered from their earlier hold-up, had a private battle at the back, with Brian only just pipping Catriona on the line. There was no racing on Sunday and with only three races completed there was no discard. Gordon was the clear winner with three firsts. Val was runner up with two seconds and her uncharacteristic fourth following the capsize in the third race. Fiona, during her first traveller outing for some time, had a good third place, let down only by her losing places in the sprint to the finish of the second race. Pete, Kathryn and Brian were separated by only one point each in the second half of the fleet, while Catriona was always closer to the other Europes than her final places suggest. Results
While the weather on Sunday was disappointing, Loch Lomond SC is the perfect place to spend a sunny, windless day and the opportunity was taken for sunbathing, chatting and comparing boat set-ups. With four of the six Travellers now complete, both Gordon McGeorge and Val Ludlow are well placed to take the series, but Gordon needs a result in both remaining events to stay in contention, while Val has a discard in hand. Scottish and North of England Traveller table here.
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