Pentland Firth Yacht Club greeted by sunny conditions as season gets under way
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Pentland Firth Yacht Club's new sailing season got off to a sunny start at the weekend.
Under a cloudless sky on Sunday there was a south-easterly breeze ranging from 8 mph to 15 mph in a gently changing direction to keep the sailors alert.
Being early in the sailing season, more time than usual was needed to get the boats ready for the water and only two – Marjory and Dave Lord – were ready for the start of the first race.
The rescue boat crew, Martin Lord and Thomas McAlonan, had gone out in good time and put the buoys in place to mark the course.
The racing was close between the two Laser 4.7 dinghies but it was Marjory who came out on top, just beating husband Dave to get off to a winning start.
For the second race the two Lasers were joined by the Enterprise dinghy, sailed by Malcolm Lord and Maja Redlowska. This involved close racing over much of the course, and there was a need for knowledge of the rules and careful manoeuvring to avoid collisions as the boats met at the various buoys around the course.
After allowance for the different handicap of the Lasers and the Enterprise, the winner by a clear margin was Marjory with Dave second and Malcolm and Maja third. Marjory was proving unbeatable with two wins out of two races.
The final race saw Malcolm and Maja getting to grips with the Enterprise but they could not get the better of Marjory, who made it three wins out of three. They did, however, just manage to beat Dave by one second.
As well as those taking part in the races, two Mirror dinghies also took to the water to be checked out in preparation for the season. These were crewed by Steve Foster, Ian Grant, Jane Foster and Keisha Sutherland.
The club is always looking for new members. Anyone who has an interest in sailing or who would like to become involved should contact pentlandfirthyc@gmail.com
