Solway YC’s National 12 Class “Dinghy Shack” UK series round 7, the Scottish Championships, Lakeland Laser Grand Prix and Open event postponed, then cancelled.
Due to have been held over the weekend of 10th and 11th September, all was set for a particularly good event, the final Open of the year, until the very sad news came through from Balmoral on Thursday evening. The SYC Commodore, Scott Train, along with other members of the Committee had a difficult decision and needed to make it quickly. Out of the greatest respect for our dear late Queen and to express the Club’s condolences and deepest sympathies to the Royal family, agreement was quickly reached to postpone the whole event, including the planned Saturday evening social. By early Friday the Club’s Union flag and the nearby Village Hall flag were both flying at half-mast.
Entries had been received from as far afield as Perthshire to Suffolk with most expected to make the journey to Kippford on Friday. Fortunately, apart from the locals, only the National 12 Class Association past chairman, George Finch and his family, had already made the trip, planning to coincide a Scottish holiday with the event. The rest were all reached by a combination of emails and phone calls. National 12 entries had boats from all wings of the class with foiling boats, including N3519 the original, famous “Dead Cat Bounce”, to double bottom, Admirals Cup and Vintage boats, all due to have made the start line but it was not to be. The Laser entries included three from Sedbergh School as well as elsewhere North and South of the border.
It was left to the Race Committee to quietly remove race flags, course board, and collect the racing marks already laid out in the Solway and put “Alicat” the Club’s Committee Boat back on her mooring on Sunday. The inevitable clash of dates and unsuitable tides any later in the season meant the postponement of the event inevitably became a cancellation. It is just hoped next year’s event can be run in happier times and is equally well, or even better supported.
