Racing to continue at Wick Model Yacht Club with Kirkwall unable to attend
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MAY 4 and 5 should be the weekend of the inter-county challenge between Wick Model Yacht Club and Kirkwall Model Yacht Club. However, this year the islanders are unable to attend.
Nevertheless the Wick club will have two days of racing, starting at 11am on Saturday.
Recent reports:
April 6 was a breezy day with each competitor choosing mid-sized sails. From the startline they attached balloon spinnakers to the starboard side.
The Blue Haze eked a small lead. Running slack it headed towards the longside beyond the Chicken Rock with an adjustment, a tightening of the mainsail, to reach the returning goal. The trailing fleet, running tighter, followed the short shore and kept on good pace.
The lead acheived by the Blue Haze was short-lived. While removing the spinnaker for the return journey it was noticed that the mast had been dislodged. The time quickly passed while realigning the mast and sails, allowing the Restless Wave and Apollo to quickly gain position.
The Restless Wave and Apollo sailed towards the short shore approaching the shed. Both required a tack across the full width of the loch. This gave the high-sailing Blue Haze and the following Skua the opportunity to catch passing the Apollo but the Restless Wave was too fast.
Result: 1 Restless Wave, Graham and Adam Robertson, 26.50; 2 Blue Haze, Kevin and Lewis Paterson, 31.29; 3 Skua, Innes Scollay and David Sutherland, 32.35; 4 Apollo, Donald McWilliam, 38.29
The second race of the day was more predictable. With a minor wind shift at race start, the quickly moving Restless Wave and Apollo had an unimpeded run with the slower Blue Haze and Skua trailing.
Result: 1 Restless Wave, Graham and Adam Robertson, 26.24; 2 Apollo, Donald McWilliam, 28.22; 3 Blue Haze, Kevin and Lewis Paterson, 29.05; 4 Skua, Innes Scollay and David Sutherland, 39.10.
April 13 results – First race: 1 Restless Wave, Graham and Adam Robertson, 25.07; 2 Aurora, Archie and Fiona Miller, 28.43; 3 Apollo, Donald McWilliam, 28.44, 4 Skua, Innes Scollay and David Sutherland, 31.41.
Second race: 1 Restless Wave, Graham and Adam Robertson, 22.26; 2 Aurora, Archie and Fiona Miller, 23.18; 3 Apollo, Donald McWilliam, 28.36; 4 Skua, Innes Scollay and David Sutherland, 35.16.
April 20 brought a bright day with light winds. Everyone fitted large sails apart from Blue Haze with mid-sized.
The race began with small balloon spinnakers. As the sailors passed the Point there were two collisions which luckily did not cause anyone a problem. The boats running slack landed at the shed, requiring adjustment.
The further they progressed the lighter the winds became and the Blue Haze began to fall behind. The spinnakers were removed at the returning goal with the hope of a single tack to the finish line but the Restless Wave, Aurora and Apollo fell short, requiring a tack across to the longside.
The trailing Blue Haze narrowed the gap, continuing on the same tack, but with larger sails the leaders covered the additional distance with ease.
Result: 1 Aurora, Archie and Fiona Miller, 29.26; 2 Apollo, Donald McWilliam, 30.56; 3 RestlessWave, Graham and Adam Robertson, 32.35; 4 Blue Haze, Kevin and Lewis Paterson, 33.26.
For the second race the boats were set up in the same manner, although everyone’s mainsails were tighter. As before they followed the short shore.
The Aurora and Blue Haze, sailing side by side as they entered the returning goal, were quickly turned for the long tack back. But this time with the wind shift they pulled towards the Chicken Rock on the long side and with a slackening of the mainsail they landed in the Hole, closely followed by the Apollo.
The trailing Restless Wave, the only vessel fitted with a flat spinnaker, was moving quickly and caught the leaders for a close finish.
Result: 1 BlueHaze, Kevin and Lewis Paterson, 26.50; 2 Aurora, Archie and Fiona Miller, 27.15; 3 Apollo, Donald McWilliam, 27.50; 4 Restless Wave, Graham and Adam Robertson, 27.57.
