IOM Scottish Travellers Event 3 – Buchanness -13th September 2014

Report by Ali Law    Score Sheet

Hosted by Buchanness RYC in Peterhead, this was the last of the three 2014 SD IOM Travellers events. The race team for the event was led by Race Officer Bill Odger helped by scorer Cathy Reid and line judge Bill Reid.

The team worked very well together and kept the racing going at a steady pace. Ten skippers attended the RO briefing.

The wind was initially from the south but gradually swung to the south east and eventually from the east with a steady strength of around 4 mph. The RO set a weather mark with an offset mark to starboard to reduce problems even though it was at a distance. A gate was set at the leeward end of the course which gave skippers a choice which could if chosen correctly give them good gains if not the opposite. This was changed when the course was set for the easterly wind and a port rounding windward mark was set close to the south bank near where the skippers were able to stand.

One Buchanness skipper, Steve Herridge, was sailing an IOM for only the second time. There was unanimous agreement by all skippers that he would be given a generous starting advantage. This he used to good effect and was down to scratch by lunch time! As the day progressed, while the RO wrestled with courses to handle the shifting wind direction, during the races the skippers were having to deal with a mix of shifts and occasional holes.

As the results show, this made for a much more challenging day than the 4 mph wind might suggest. Everyone suffered from the snakes and ladders that the conditions presented at some stage or other with seven different skippers recording one or more first places. Richard Rowan made the long journey from Dunoon and sailed a loaned Cheinz. He soon had his tune on the boat and began to see the Richard of old chasing for victory. However, Steve Taylor and Ian Dundas, recently returned from the UK IOM Nationals, were hard to beat and it was not long before it became obvious that they were fighting for first place.

After 15 races, it was Steve Taylor who won the day by two points over Ian Dundas with Richard third and Steve Herridge fourth.

In summary, a the event was sailed at a great venue with good weather and a very nice breeze which made for good radio sailing. The regatta was well controlled by the race team with the emergence of another RO from Buchanness which looks good for the future. Another new radio sailor making his debut was good to see. The regatta was sailed in good sportsmanship overall with only a very few incidents which were sorted out on the water.

Top placings were: