IOM Scottish Travellers 2010 Event 2 – Buchaness – 15th May 2010

Report by Ali Law      Score Sheet

The second Scottish IOM Travellers event was organised and run by the Buchanness Radio Yacht Club (Peterhead) at Inchgarth Reservoir home of the Aberdeen Model Yacht club.

Thirteen skippers entered the event representing five Scottish clubs Buchanness, Aberdeen, Brechin, Levenhall (Edinburgh) and Greenock. The race team was drawn from Buchanness and Aberdeen under the control of RO Ali Law.

The wind from the west varied in strength and direction leaving the RO with a very hard task to set a course that was both challenging and easily visible – in radio yachting this is an important factor for good fair sailing. A long windward / leeward course was selected. The windward mark had a spreader mark set to starboard and two off wind marks formed a gate. This was the course sailed in the morning session. The first few races were around a starboard hand course but this proved to be problematic and as soon as the wind direction allowed a port hand course was set. In the afternoon a new set of challenges were faced with shifting wind directions making course setting difficult but these were met and racing continued at a good pace.

Race 1 was called at 10am and thirteen yachts were on the line, three having twenty second starting advantages. Three of the IOM yachts entered were wooden built, two to Bantock Zig Zag designs while Richard Ennos was sailing his own design which proved to be very stable and fast. All skippers were a bit nervous wanting to do well but local knowledge came to the fore with Aberdeen skipper Steve Taylor winning the first two races, he was closely followed by David Stewart (Brechin) who also had a good event, he operates both yacht radio controls with one hand, David with three top three finishes soon lost his starting advantage.

Because of the shifting wind direction and strength, at times it became a drifter with skippers looking around and searching for the direction that the wind would fill in from. Beats would change to runs in a flick and change back as quick making it very important to read the wind patterns. What would look like a good way to go could turn out to be a disaster, the opposite was true also, with places being gained and lost on the flick of the wind, being in the right place could be a bit of good fortune rather than good judgement. Seldom did any skipper break away from the fleet such is the level of yacht design and skipper ability which made for very close sailing and caused many problems at the windward mark.

Eventually local skipper Ian Dundas with steady and skilful sailing came out a worthy winner with an eleven point advantage over next best placed skipper Steve Taylor.

Summary
The race team did a sterling job to cope with the conditions.
The sailing was challenging and the skippers rose to the occasion and met it.
The event was sailed in a sportsmanship and friendly manner

Race team : Ali Law (RO) Bill Reid (ARO) Ian Thomson, Tony Vaughan (Line judges) Sandy Forbes (Scorer)

Top placings were: