Fastnet Race Brechin – 22nd May 2010

Report by Anon

History

The Fastnet race was the Brainchild of Ewan Boyle who was the founder of the Drumpellier Model Yacht club. The idea was to have an endurance race (like the full sized Fastnet) around a course with each session lasting half an hour. At the end of each lap the skipper would collect a token. The race was open to all classes of yachts, and a handicap system was applied at the end to find the winner. Unfortunately the event was dropped from the district sailing calendar until Brechin was formed and they picked up the event which at the time suited their sailing water. Brechin have altered the handicap system by introducing factors such as the age of the skipper and the age of the design (to win you must be old and have an older design!!)

The 2010 race
On Saturday 22nd May nineteen skippers from all over Scotland converged on Brechin Castle centre to enjoy the hospitality of the local club and their superb on site café. Ralph Knowles and his race team of local members, Jimmy Rodger and Alec Burnett held the race briefing at 10:00. Ralph reminded us that it was a fun event and an endurance race.

The wind was from the Southwest and around 6mph, the course to be sailed was a rectangle with a gate to pass through at the end of each lap where the skipper collected a token.

Nineteen yachts lined up at the start gate (quite a squeeze) and the first session started in good wind and extremely sunny conditions with temperatures reaching 27c ideal for the day and most enjoyable. A launch break was called for at 12:30 and we set off to partake of the delicacies of the restaurant for half an hour or so, most enjoyable, but Ralph was soon calling us back to sail which we did until 15:30

One competitor at the start was heard to say, “It’s just like the auld days” meaning, there were five marbleheads : two Enigmas, Slick, Tempest, Stiletto and another wooden built – design unknown. There were two R6Ms, one RA (Sweet 6 – I think), various IOMs, some wooden built to the owners own design, and an Isle of Man Marblehead from around 1925. In all it was a fantastic sight.

The winner was Richard Ennos (who thanked the club for running such a superb event) with his wooden built R6M – he being old and having an even older design.

All skippers left for home with red faces (from the sun) and large smiles having enjoyed their day’s sailing.