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Sportsboats at Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series attracted
15 mixed sportsboats to Loch Fyne over the May Bank Holiday
weekend. Racing as part of the Lewmar Fleet with the 1720s and
Sigma 33s supplied testing and at times hair-raising conditions.
Day One
Racing on the first day was excellent. With a moderate cool
Northerly breeze blowing and the sun shining, the committee
set an Olympic triangle on the east side of the loch. From the
start the Melges 24 Highland Enterprises Clapped Out Toy Boy
was away in front on the water. As scratch boat in the fleet,
she was soon leading the fleet into the back of the Sigma 33s
to begin the major task of finding clear air and flat water.
As the race progressed, the leading 1720s came through the Sportsboat,
leaving all three fleets well mixed together causing problems
for the slower boats. Getting into clear air and out of the
slop kicked up by so many wakes was at a premium. On Re-Tex
Dickies Yacht Sales, the Checkmate Sailing Team with Peter Evans
on the helm made the best of the conditions which suited their
Beneteau 25. Making decisions that kept them in clear air away
from the fleet was at times unnerving, but the tactic paid off
as they avoided the worst of the problems to take the first
race from Highland Enterprises.
With the conditions remaining steady, the same course was used
and the fleet got of to a clean start. Once again Highland Enterprise
was in front from the start with the First Class 8 Bootneck
leading the rest of the fleet. Trying to work out who was in
which position was as difficult as ever in a handicap fleet,
with the 707s looking good led by Eh!. Working left of the fleet
on the last beat, Dickies Yacht Sales took advantage of better
pressure that lifted on port to take the race, once again with
Highland in second and Bootneck in third.
Next... Day Two
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