During the weekend of June 26th and 27th the Solway Yacht Club 2021 “Summer Series” dinghy racing competition was successfully completed. T
he annual sailing programme is gradually returning to normal after the severe restrictions of the past year. The Scottish government’s and the Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) Covid protocols were strictly adhered to at all times.
On Saturday June 26th thirteen dinghies of nine different classes competed on a pre- arranged course around Rough Firth. The winds were light to moderate and from a north-easterly direction. During the first race, lasting around fifty minutes, two laps of course were completed. Each lap was hotly and closely contested, particularly between the Flying Fifteen of Colin Filer, and the Finns of Stewart Mitchell and Mark Crowther. After two laps, lasting a total of 48 minutes, they all crossed the finishing line within one minute of each other. The other competitors also completed this race within the next fifteen minutes. During the second race a similar rush to the finish occurred with the same three boats crossing the line within seventy seconds of each other. The other ten boats again finished within the next seventeen minutes. Both races were expertly planned, set out, and supervised by the Race Officer of the Day Willie Patterson.
On Sunday June 27th the winds were much lighter and from a south-westerly direction. Once again two races were completed although with much shorter courses than on the day before. Two laps of the first race were completed. The fastest boat was again the Flying Fifteen of Colin Filer, closely followed three minutes later by the Finns of Mark Crowther and Stewart Mitchell. Because of the lighter winds it took twenty minutes more before for the others boats finished this lap. With the wind fading fast and the tide going out the final race was greatly shortened so that this could be completed within a maximum of thirty minutes. On this occasion the fastest boat was the Finn of Stewart Mitchell in just over seventeen minutes followed by the Laser of Rhys Williams and the Finn of Mark Crowther, both within the next minute and a half. The final boat crossed the line within a total of twenty six minutes from the start. The Sunday races were expertly planned, timed and supervised by the Race Officer of the Day, Lindsay Tosh.
At the end of a weekend of racing such as this the enjoyment and the friendly rivalry among all concerned was clear to see. The rest of this year’s sailing programme is eagerly awaited.
