Regatta 1998

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Longhope Regatta 1998

The regatta at Longhope on Saturday had to be cancelled due to very strong winds.

This was a great pity as there was a good turn out of boats from the Mainland and Longhope. The weather was favourable up to an hour before the first race was due to start, but the skies darkened, the wind increased and the race had to be aborted, with everyone hoping it would ease when the rain had passed.

After discussion it was agreed to change the course to nearer the pier for safety coverage if there was any sailing to be done.

A triangle was agreed for North Bay, twice round for all boats, starting with the Mirrors to be followed by Centreboards and Cats.

The Mirrors set off from the west side of the pier to line up for the start. They all managed to get away from the beach quite well considering the strong wind. Unfortunately there was too much wind and sea to continue, therefore the safety boats were called on to escort them in.

Meanwhile the bigger boats were getting rigged on the east side of the pier, hoping to have a go and see what conditions were like towards the fish cages and at the east side of the start.

With good safety boat coverage they set off from the beach at a great rate of knots and once clear of the pier they found the full strength of the wind. There was a good display of sailing from the Mainland boats that ventured out, one of which was a Laser.

The local boats Leviathan and Rock and Roll set off towards the cages but it wasn't long before Leviathan lived up to her name for being difficult to keep upright with her orange hull showing more than the white of her sails!

Rock and Roll put up a good fight to try to keep going but with minor damage to her rigging had to retire along with the visiting boats as the timekeeper signalled the sailing to be aborted and return to the shore.

It was decided that everyone should head off for lunch and review the situation later in the afternoon.

After lunch there was no improvement in the weather - if anything it was worse and therefore the sailing was cancelled. However the sailors were not going to be beaten so it was agreed that the regatta should be held on August 22.

The Longhope Sailing Club would like to thank all the sailors who turned out on Saturday for their support, Dave Lennie(timekeeper), RNLI (soup and rolls at the pier), Laura Taylor and company (crew catering), the safety boats for excellent coverage and everyone who supported the day.

An excellent dance was held in the evening at the North Walls Centre with everyone in good spirit.

22 August

Saturday saw Longhope Sailing Club celebrate their 65th birthday with a good turnout of boats from the other clubs and Longhope.

There was a fine selection of craft from Mirrors up to the yachts.

The morning race started off with the Mirrors going first heading towards the buoy at St. John's Kirk then over to a buoy below the Exchange, back through the start gate over to Myre Bay buoy across to Gray's Point and home making up a figure of eight course.

Following the Mirrors were the Snipes and then the mixed centreboards.

After lunch it was decided to reverse the course and go twice round for the Yachts, Snipes and mixed centreboards. A good wind stayed with the boats all day and everyone seemed to enjoy the sailing.

The sailing club would like to thank Audrey, Fiona, Theresa and Douglas for their excellent soups and buffet laid on for the boats crews, the timekeepers for all their help during the day, the rescue boats for giving first class coverage during all the events this season, the drivers for arranging transport for boats etc, and most of all many thanks to the visiting sailors who make it all possible.

Snipe

Mixed Centreboards

Allcomers Centreboards

Mirror Morning Race

Mirror Afternoon Race

First Snipe in Allcomers: Eldorado, F. Johnstone.

First local Allcomers: Tystie, A. Trickett.

Catamaran Open Cup: R. Thomson, Rip Tide

Local Yawl Cup: A. Budge, Pansy

Yachts

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Stronsay Regatta 1998

The light winds made for a challenging competition at Saturday's Stronsay Regatta.

The race officials remarked that in calm conditions, it takes great sailing skill to find the wind and make the most of it. Neither did the rain dampen the spirits of the visiting competitors who were joined by ten yachts, three of them from the Lossiemouth Cruising Club who have been spending the week visiting several of the northern islands. Many of the yachts stayed on for the dance to Victor and Co which went on until the early hours of the morning.

The results of the races were as follows:

The Papa Stronsay Cup for Snipe

The Seaports Shield for Mixed Centreboards

The Esperanto Cup for Catamarans

The Limpet Cup for Catamarans

The Holland Haulage Cup for Allcomers

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Stromness Regatta 1998

Stromness regatta was held on Saturday 19 July in near ideal conditions. At the 9 am race briefing conditions were anything but ideal with dead calm in the harbour and outside. It was decided to press on in the hope of better times to come and sure enough by the time all the boats were launched for the first race the wind had settled in the south east and was steady at about five knots.

After starting inside the harbour, racing continued outside around a triangular course, before finishing inside the harbour again.

The fleet of 28 boats was made up of Snipes, 505s, cats, mixed centreboards, yachts and ballast boats. These made a fine spectacle for the many spectators watching from the piers and closes.

After the first race all competitors came ashore and enjoyed an excellent meal before once again taking to the water.

During the interval the wind increased to a steady 10 knots from the south east. These were as near ideal conditions as could be hoped for and provided excellent racing, over the same course.

Many thanks went to the rescue boats, timekeepers and lady helpers, who once again provided an excellent meal.

Snipe

Yachts Morning Race

Yoles

Mixed Centreboards

505

Catamaran Morning Race

Catamaran Afternoon Race

Yachts Afternoon Race

Yoles Afternoon Race

Allcomers

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Westray Regatta 1998

Westray Regatta proceeded under very good sailing conditions - a brisk SW wind and dry above with no 'chop' on the sea.

To supplement Westray's own skiffs there was a large variety of visiting craft - Snipes, Rockets, 505s, Lasers, Albacores, Mirrors, Catamarans, Sailboards and even two dipping lugs from Papay.

Events were livened by a parade of fancy dress floats through the village and daft-raft races in aid of the RNLI, whose new Kirkwall lifeboat attended the regatta.

The day ended with the usual regatta dance to the music of the Scratchers band under the leadership of J. P. Drever.

Skiffs

Merlin Rocket

Snipe

Mirror

505

Catamarans

Allcomers

Mixed Centreboards

Skiff Afternoon Race

Yacht Race 1

Yacht Race 2

Snipe Special

Merlin Rocket Special (Amazon Cup)

Lug Sailed Yoles

Daft Raft Race

Other Awards

The sailing club thank all who contributed in so many ways to make the day a success.

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Kirkwall Regatta 1998

Orkney Sailing Club held their annual regatta on Saturday in Kirkwall Bay with the QE2 providing what must be the best ever backdrop to the races.

The starting committee fired the start gun from the Coriander at 10am to start the yachts on their first race. In a change to the normal programme with the class races in the morning it was agreed to have the centreboard event first and to incorporate the QE2 Quaich donated by Captain Spence of John Jolly in this race.

Using the QE2 as what must be the largest and most expensive weather buoy the club have ever used, the mixed fleet set off into a fresh NW wind.

This wind soon took its toll of boats and crew when Blue Mink went over near the line, but the award of capsize of the day must go to Noringa, the crew of which gave the passengers a view of the upturned hull, of a snipe when it capsized 50 yards off the bow of the liner. This casualty took most of your correspondent's morning so little more can be reported of the morning's event.

After lunch the Commodore introduced Staff Captain McNott who made a short speech of introduction followed by the presentation of the morning's prizes including the QE2 Quaich by Mrs Kim Warwick, the wife of Captain Warwick, QE2's Master.

The sailors took to the water for a 2pm start for the yachts, skiffs and class races. In another change to tradition the start of the class races was different with the slow handicap class boats going together, then the fast handicap boats away. The cats set off after all this on their own race. These races were followed by another skiff race, then the Allcomers.

Winner of the QE2 quaich was D. Foulis. In the centreboards Kissing the Pink took the honours with Best Kens second and Barbarian third.

Winner of the morning yacht race was Gambler followed by White Magic and Kerry Lass.

Jual was first Snipe home with Eldorado second and Lady Midnight third.

The Wayfarer class was won by 6k, OSC1 second and Viad third. This class was entirely crewed by student sailors.

D. Foulis came first in the Lasers, Skellum second and M. Foulis third.

In the Albacores, Barbarian came first, Samara second and D. Stevenson third. First 505 was Evil Edna, Best Kens second and White Knight third.

J Middlemas took the sailboard race with M. Holgate second and T. Wright third.

Gambler also won the second yachts race, but this time second and third honours were reversed, Kerry Lass beating White Magic to the line.

Winner of the first catamaran race was Plum Crazy, with Dire Straits second and Banana Split third.

The second catamaran race was won by Banana Split, Plum Crazy second and Dire Straits third.

Onward won the Harcus Cup for Skiffs, Alice coming second and Red third.

In the last race of the day, the Allcomers, Best Kens came first, Evil Edna second and Barbarian third.

Of note, is that Jual was first Snipe home in both the Centreboards and the Allcomers.

This year the Commodore joined the starters on the Coriander to witness and assist in their black art which is a mystery to most sailors and commented at the prizegiving he would never criticise them again. Without their help and that of all other non-sailing people, ie rescue staff, ladies, and everybody who gives their time, not forgetting Mrs. Raeburn and her helpers who organise the raffle at night, the regatta could not take place.

The day was rounded off by an extremely well attended dance in the Girnel.

Sailors are reminded sailing will commence at 7pm as from tonight, Thursday. Kirkwall Club's next event will be the Port to Port on the Sunday after the Holm Regatta followed by a barbeque at Scapa. OSC extend a warm welcome to all clubs to participate.

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Holm Regatta 1998

Saturday 15 August was to be the Holm Regatta. However, due to our predictable summer gales, it had to be rescheduled for the next day.

Sunday turned out to be more friendly with a fresh southerly wind. The forecast gave rising winds for the afternoon so class races were sailed off as soon as everyone got organised.

Lunch was manufactured and served by the club's unsung heroes and once again appreciated by all after an exhilirating morning battle.

The afternoon Allcomer race started in a freshening breeze, but settled down to give good white knuckled thrills and a few spills.

The 33 assorted sailing craft gave spectators some good entertainment, with dinghies, catamarans and sailboards - not forgetting the gallant crew of three this their yole who ventured east from Longhope, combined to make this regatta once again a resounding success.

Snipe

Wayfarer

Laser

505

Mirror

Mixed Centreboards

Catamaran

Afternoon Races

Allcomers

Snipe in Allcomers

Catamaran Afternoon Race

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Kemp Cup 1998

The last event on Kirkwall Club's 1998 calendar, the Kemp Cup took place on Saturday. Being so late in the season, the weather is always a concern to the organisers, but luck was with them this year when a calm morning turned into a superb sailing day.

With an excellent turnout, for the time of year, of five yachts, 17 dinghies and three catamarans the racing started at 1040 with the yachts doing the Scargun, Thieves Holm course twice round. The dinghies set off next at 1050.

The cat race was delayed by the lack of one skipper who had to dash off to man the Kirkwall Lifeboat which had been called out to ferry an injured fisherman to Kirkwall.

Also involved was one of the rescue boat's crew, Steve Mansori, being the launch authority.

The dinghy race was twice around the Crowness, Greenfield, Coastguard course, with the cats doing the same.

When all the senior races were away a race between the junior sailors of the club took place on an inner course laid and supervised by the Commodore.

The youngsters' ages range between eight and 14 and have been training on Sundays on the Club Toppers and the new Picos.

The enthusiasm and competition shown in this race shows the benefit of the summer training programme. In the senior racing some of the more mature students are starting to show in the race placings.

The junior race is an aggregate of two short races and winner of the DAG Kynoch cup for this event was Kazia Tait followed by Matthew Butcher second and Sam Craig third.

Winner of the Centenary Cup for yachts was G. Ratter in Gambler with R. Moar in Jigsaw second and M. Cooper in Kerry Lass third.

A new name on the Tennent Cup for Dinghies will this year be Solitaire, sailed by R. Bruce. Second in this contest was Dr. A Ellery in Kissing the Pink with D. Pottinger in Dog Woof coming third.

With a replacement skipper in Dire Straits the cat race finally got under way and the tankard was won by R. Flett in Plum Crazy. M. Holgate, the stand in skipper of Dire Straits came second, the third cat being disqualified for missing the start gate.

After a cup of soup and a roll served in the Girnel, the yachts were off again at 2 followed by the dinghies at 2.10 and the cats at 2.20. The yachts did the same course as in the morning, but for the prestigious Kemp Cup it was the long course as usual, Scargun, Thieves Holm, Start, Crowness, Greenfield and finish. A similar course was sailed by the cats.

Winner of the Baikie Yachts Cup was Gambler, followed by Kerry Lass and Jigsaw. E Tait in Banana Split nade no mistake this time in the second cat race and made off with the Errol Bruce Cup.

Plum Crazy had to make do with 2nd in this race and Dire Straits retired.

The Maxwell Cup for Merlin Rockets had not been sailed as usual on Regatta Day so it was decided to run the race in conjunction with the Kemp Cup. Ella sailed by H. Hutchison coming out the winner.

As with the Tennant Cup there will be a new name on the Kemp Cup this year when at the presentation, it was proudly held high by the skipper of Dog Woof, Davy Pottinger.

Other winners in this race were Smyril skippered by J. Clouston, second and D. Sabiston third in Evil Edna.

After the presentation the band started to play, and with the dancing in full swing and the cups being filled, the members of teh club celebrated yet another enjoyable season's sailing. This enjoyment it must be said would not be possible without the support of the background crew, i.e. the ladies, starters, rescue, and of course the committee themselves.