IOM Scottish Events 2011 IOM Summer Regatta at Buchaness – 30th July 2011

Report by Ali Law  Score Sheet

This open club IOM event was organised and dedicated to celebrate the MYA centenary year.

Fourteen skippers entered the event representing six Scottish clubs: Buchanness, Aberdeen, Brechin, Levenhall, Paisley and Ayr Bay.

The race team was drawn from the Buchanness and Aberdeen Clubs and comprised Race Officer Colin Brown, Scorer Peter Lowe and Observer Jim Bisset.

Initially the wind was from the north and was light and shifty leaving the RO with a very hard task to set a course that was easily visible and challenging. The course for the first race was windward – leeward, comprising a weather mark with an offset mark to port and a gate at the leeward end. This course was sailed around twice finishing on the start line. After two races, as the wind continued to shift to the right, the course had to be continually tweaked until on the last race the wind was coming from the southeast. Through out the day the fickle wind direction gave the skippers no end of challenges.

Three of the yachts taking part were of wooden construction. Richard Ennos, an innovative designer and builder, had his latest design named “Kelpie” on the water – it went very well in the shifty conditions winning three races during the day. Ian Dundas was sailing his Eco Jeff Byerley (Australia) design boat which was alos going very well in the conditions. Colin Deakin made up the third wooden boat with his Zig Zag design.

At 1015 the first race was called. Ian started the day well with a win followed closely by Ali Law sailing a Blackbird. Steve Taylor managed a third with his Robot design.

There were a number of realtivel new skippers taking part. Brian Summers, an accomplished dinghy and keelboat sailor from Brechin, was competing in his first away radio sailing event and eventually came sixth. Club mate Clive Wedge who had been radio sailing for only a few weeks came eleventh. From Peterhead there was Arthur Geddes who had only been sailing for a few months, this being his first big event. Furthest travelled were Gordon Neil and Gordon Winton who travelled up from Irvine on the west coast.

In the shifty/light wind conditions it was very easy and frustrating to sail into a “hole in the wind” and be overtaken by yachts from all around. On the contrary there were also large gains to be made by being in the right place at the right time. By lunch Steve Taylor had built up a six point lead over Ali Law who in turn had a two point lead over Ian Dundas.

The afternoon session started with a course change as the wind continued to shift around and Ian Dundas was the first to get into it by winning the next two races. Brian Robertson who had won a race in the morning now won his second in race eight, race nine was won by Richard Ennos who had also won a race in the morning and would win the last race of the day. All of the races were won by the top five skippers.

In the afternoon Steve Taylor started to fall away slightly and Ian Dundas started his push with Ali Law just hanging in there but after a hard days sailing and a total of 14 races Steve managed to hang on and win the event by three points from Ian Dundas who was only one point ahead of Ali Law with Richard Ennos taking fourth. In fifth place was local skipper Brian Robertson and in sixth place was Brian Summers from Brechin.

The regatta was a hard fought event with all skippers sailing in a sportsmanship and friendly manner. There were only four shouts of Protest and all penalties were done on the water.

The race team were thanked by all for the good job they did keeping the racing moving along at a steady pace as the wind permitted.

Top placings were: