Husband and wife battle it out in season’s opener
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STRONG winds were forecast for the start of Pentland Firth Yacht Club’s sailing season in Thurso Bay. The light winds in the early afternoon tempted four intrepid sailors out for the first three Spring Series races.
By the start of the first race, the catspaws around the edge of the bay had developed into a force 4 breeze, and the sailors had to work hard to cross the start line. Dave Lord, in his Laser 4.7, led from the start, with wife Marjory Lord, also in a Laser 4.7 following close behind. While Dave sailed the faster course, lightweight Marjory sailed a more direct course and often caught up on the upwind leg, but Dave’s extra weight allowed him to pull away when off wind.
Both sailed well in the winds that continued to strengthen, with gusts of up to 25 knots, with Dave eventually crossing the finish line first, followed by Marjory in second place and Martin Lord in third place, in his Laser Radial. Novice sailor Mark Hughes, sailing a Topper, was forced to retire shortly after the start of this race due to a broken tiller extension.
At the start of race 2, the sun had appeared and winds dropped to a pleasant 10 knots. Dave Lord was first across the start line again, this time followed by Martin Lord in second place. However, a mistake at the downwind mark at the end of the first lap meant Martin lost his second place to Marjory. Again, there was a mammoth tussle for first place, with Dave and Marjory frequently changing places. Marjory fouled Dave at the leeward mark and was obliged to take penalty turns – allowing Dave to get far ahead. Marjory made a valiant effort to catch up, but eventually finished a few seconds behind Dave in second place, with Martin again finishing third.
The start of the third race saw a sudden increase in wind speed, with sailors struggling to make their way up the first beat. Although less experienced than Dave and Marjory, Martin was able to use his six foot-plus frame and bigger sail to fare well in the harsh conditions. However, the strong winds prevented him from reaching the windward mark, and he eventually headed for the beach.
Marjory capsized at the windward mark, but recovered and managed to sail the two fast reaches in superb style. Having recorded gusts of 33 knots during this first lap, the rescue boat crew made the decision to cut short racing, and Marjory crossed the line first and headed for home. Meanwhile, Dave was waiting for a lull in a particularly strong gust to manoeuvre around the gybe mark. In the end, he decided to retire and head back to the beach, leaving Marjory as the only finisher in the final race.
After the three races, Marjory Lord is leading the series, with Dave Lord second and Martin Lord third.
