Report on the Gairloch Big Boat Event 6-7th July

Feast or famine – how many times have we heard that phrase in sailing? Those days before the event, the wind blew and blew and the Met office gave an increasingly negative prognosis. Our friends from Stornoway had intended to arrive on the Friday but went straight to Ullapool for the Skiffs. Who can blame them? Sailing into the teeth of F8 southerly is hardly recreational! Even Angus from Laide wouldn’t round Rubha Reidh from Isle Ewe to Gairloch.

So Saturday morning, the wind if anything had increased, and it was with some relief that the event was postponed to Sunday. The Saturday evening meal in the Shieling went ahead, and over £300 was raised for Highland Hospice and Clic Sargent.
Thanks as always to Donald for looking after us, and to Trish and the Gairloch Boat Club band for the usual singsong.

Sunday dawned and no wind! The course was unchanged as F2 southerly was forecast and 6 boats tootled around awaiting the start. The committee boat Mo Run – the lovingly restored wooden launch - signalled the commencement. A two lap race was scheduled around Gairloch Bay and the beat to the mark off the Youth Hostel proved as always deceptively difficult to make. The reach down to Badantionail was slow but the run to the mark back to Strath was improved by hoisting of the chutes. It wasn’t quick but at least it was colourful!

With the wind dropping, the mark to Kerry Bay was removed, and a time through the start line was recorded. So onto the second lap and for a while there was enough wind to sail. However, on the return from the Youth Hostel mark the wind dropped completely, and when Alistair from Anderson Affair remarked that they had been overtaken by a kayak, it was time to debrief in the Myrtle Bank and present the trophy.

Dave (Buddha) Monro in Hannahtinga – a Beneteau 42 - was first, and Alistair and Alison Swift in Anderson Affair - an Anderson 22 -  were second.

Martin Rowe