Regatta 1984

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Holm Regatta 1984

Shortened course for Holm Regatta

Almost 40 boats took part in the Holm Regatta on Saturday, July 28, on a rather grey and blustery day.

The course was shortened so that boats did not have to go out beyond the shelter of the Ness where a heavy sea was carried towards Glimps Holm by the fresh north-west wind.

When all boats were sailing the conditions were a little congested. There were a few spills with several boats going over but little serious damage was sustained and apart from a few soakings and some sore muscles, no one was hurt.

The various rescue boats had plenty to do and were always there when required.

In the afternoon, between races, a meal was served in the Community Centre by the Ladies Committee and after the last race Commodore Leslie Johnston thanked all who had helped to make the day the success it had been: the ladies committee; the crews of the rescue boats and coastguards for safety duties; and the officials on the pier who had come from Kirkwall and Stromness to keep things running smoothly. He asked Mrs. Norman Johnston to present the prizes to the successful sailors.

Later in the evening a very successful supper dance was held in the Commodore Motel to the music of John and Kenny Rich.

Snipe

Merlin Rocket:

Albacores

Bosun

Other Boats

Lasers

Keel Boats:

Catamarans Race 1:

Catamarans Race 2:

Centreboards

Allcomers

Points Races

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Burray Regatta 1984

Ideal conditions for Regatta

Thirty boats took part in Burray and South Ronaldsay Water Sports Club's Regatta in Water Sound on Saturday June 39.

For the class races in the morning the wind was light north westerly giving ideal sailing conditions.

Yachts sailed to Nevi Skerry, around the Grinds buoy then back to finish at the pier.

Dinghies and catamarans sailed twice round the start at the pier to St. Margaret's Hope, a beat across towards Hunda and a reach to the 4th Barrier.

Four windsurfers made an interesting 'Le Mans' type start from the beach and sailed a triangular course between the pier and the Barrier.

Between races, Wylie's Tearoom of Harray provided an excellent lunch for crews in the Burray Hall.

The wind backed westerly and freshened for the start of the afternoon's racing. This gave the dinghies and catamarans a beat on the first two legs of the course followed by a run to the Barrier.

The Water Sports Club would like to thank the starting committee and those who manned the rescue boats, especially Orkney Sailing Club and Pentland Coastguard for providing such good cover with their fast dinghies. Thanks are also due to those who collected entrance money, sold raffle tickets and donated trophies and raffle prizes.

Trophies were presented outside the Sands Bar at the end of sailing.

Snipe

Lasers

Albacores

Merlin Rocket:

Other Centreboards

Catamarans:

Keel Boats:

Windsurfers:

Allcomers

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Sromness Regatta 1984

Stromness Regatta held over two days

The annual regatta took place in Stromness on Saturday and Sunday. A colourful fleet of yachts, dinghies, ctaamarans and windsurfers completed the first race in light winds. These conditions provided for. During the windsurfers race the lead changed four times before Penny Wilson crossed the line first to become the first lady to win a windsurfer event in Orkney. An excellent meal was then served.

Unfortunately the wind dropped completely and it was decided to hold the second series of races the next day.

Sunday's races took place in superb conditions with a light to moderate breeze occasionally strengthening sufficiently to allow boats to plane over the water.

Sunshine and the many brightly coloured sails combined to make quite a spectacle and a good days racing was had by all.

Once again the Stromness Sailing Club's ladies produced a fine spread of food. The prizes were presented by Mrs. Lennie.

Thanks are due o the many people who helped in various ways before and during the regatta. In particular to Tom Breck and Alan Coghill for carrying out the complex task of time keeping, Mr Arnold Caller of P & O for making their premises available, HM Coastguard for providing a fast rescue boat and the Stromness Harbour staff.

A special word of thanks to Mrs. Pat Black and her excellent team of helpers who provided a superb meal on the Saturday and then again on the Sunday.

The club is also very grateful for the raffle prizes which were donated by Flett's the butchers, the Brae's Hotel, Mr. and Mrs. Merriman and an anonymous donor.

Merlin Rocket:

Snipe

Other Centreboards

Lasers

Yachts:

Sailboards:

Allcomers Dinghies

First over the line Lintie, 505, Ian Pole.

Yachts:

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Rousay Regatta 1984

Ideal conditions for Rousay Regatta

This was a gala day with 21 boats turning out in sunshine and ideal sailing conditions for the annual regatta on Saturday July 21.

These boats came mostly from Kirkwall and Rousay, and their multi coloured sails on the blue waters of Wyre Sound against the background of the Rousay hills blended pleasantly into the surrounding scenery.

In the pier area various other sports and diversions were provided for the entertainment and amusement of spectators. There was a greasy pole slung precariously between two adjacent piers, and another pole equally greasy and even more precariously placed with a drop of some 10 feet into the sea was the venue for pillow fighting.

A raft race between home made rafts created keen interest and fierce competition, despite the unseaworthiness of these extraordinary craft.

In the sailing races which was the main event of the day there were various classes of boat: Wayfarers from the local Rousay Club, Albacores, Merlin Rockets, Catamarans from Kirkwall, as well as 5 Lasers, these remarkable single sailed little craft that nip round the course at sometimes astonishing speeds.

Before the start of the races an excellent meal was provided by the local ladies and later in the afternoon tea and sandwiches were provided.

This was a most enjoyable occassion and thanks are due to all those who participated in the events and to the people behind the scenes whose efforts contributed so much to the success of the day, particularly the local regatta ladies providing and serving the meal, the Ladies' Lifeboat Guild and Mr. Tom Gibson, the piermaster, whom everyone consulted when in doubt.

Mention must also be made of the local Youth Officer, the Kirkwall lifeboat and crew for enhancing the occasion with its presence and the Coastguard and local safety boats whose attendance was so reassuring to the competitors.

Time keeping was conducted by members of the Orkney Sailing Club out from Kirkwall for the occasion.

The day was rounded off with a dance in the hall which was greatly enjoyed by everyone.

Wayfarers:

Merlin Rocket:

Lasers

Other Centreboards

Catamarans:

Allcomers Dinghies

Raft Race winners were Egilsay and longest on the greasy pole, Jacky Kennedy.

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Kirkwall Regatta 1984

Grey Skies but plenty of spills and thrills

Despite grey skies, heavy showers and a blustery north westerly wind, Kirkwall Regatta on Saturday was an unqualified success with around 40 boats keenly competing for various trophies and cups.

They came from Rousay, Shapinsay, Stromness, St. Margaret's Hope, Holm, and from Orkney Sailing Club's own fleet of many classes, Catamarans too were to the fore; these swift twin hulled craft that make short work of long races round Thierve;s Holm, Scargun and back, especially in conditions such as prevailed on Saturday.

There were thrills and spills galore as boats surfed and planed before the strong wind, some colliding here, others capsizing there, and one or two limping home waterlogged.

Keeping a watchful eye on this fleet of eager competitors and giving assistance when required was a miscellany of boats- Coastguard inflatables, RNLI rescue craft, the Club's own safety boat and several privately owned motor boats, whose owners had volunteered their services.

The races began in the morning with different classes for their class trophies- Merlin Rockets, Albacores, Wayfarers, Snipes, Lasers, etc. By lunchtime, the number of boats was somewhat depleted with casualties arising from capsizes, collisions, water logging, gear failure and other causes.

The excellent lunch in the Girnel prepared by the Ladies Committee for crews and others taking part was a great morale booster and much appreciated.

In the afternoon racing continued for Centreboard boats and Catamarans, with a short but welcome break for tea and sandwiches before the start of the Allcomers Race.

The Allcoemrs is the 'Big One'; the high point of the day's sailing at all Orkney Regattas and not surprisingly one of the most sought after and keenly contested trophies.

With many classes taking part, it runs on a handicap system, so that the first boat across the finishing line is not always the winner, although in Saturday's Allcomers the first across did in fact win the race.

Twenty-two boats lined up for this race on a course twice round the Greenfield and Crowness buoys, and in a very sharp northerly wind gingered up by frequent showers they made a spectacular sight as they surged over the start line with foam creaming at their bows and their multicoloured sails and brightly painted hulls contrasting pleasantly with the sombre grey of the sea and sky.

The longest race of the day (5 or 6 miles round Greenfield, Thieve's Holm and Scargun buoy, and back round the Greenfield, Crowness course) was for Catamarans. They sailed superbly and made short work of it.

At the Girnel in the evening the Club Commodore, Mr. David Kemp, thanked the visiting crews for their attendance, the coastguard, RNLI and private boat owners for carrying out rescue and safety duties so efficiently, the pierhead committee for recording and timekeeping and by no means least the Ladies' Committee for producing and serving such excellent meals.

He then called on Mrs. J. Milne to present the prizes.

There followed a social and dance with music by Kenny Ritch. It turned out to be a pleasant and well attended occasion, greatly enjoyed by everyone.

Merlin Rocket:

Albacores

Lasers

Wayfarer

Snipe

Other Centreboards

Catamarans:

Centreboards

Catamarans: Long Race

Allcomers

Snipe in Allcomers

Catamarans: Scollay Cup

Captain J. Sinclair Cup for the first boat home in Allcomers Race with skipper under 18 years old: Thor, Bosun, Magnus Bain.

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Kemp Cup 1984

Mini Regatta marks end of season

The Orkney Sailing Club's Summer Season ended on Saturday, September 1 with racing for three major trophies, the Kemp Cup, Tennent's Cup and Errol Bruce Cup.

These races, sailed over distances much longer than for normal points racing are open to boats from other clubs and not surprisingly the trophies, which are highly prized are keenly competed for.

The race for the 'Kemp Cup'is the 'Big One' one round Thieve's Holm and Scargun buoysadded to a circuit of the Greenfield Crowness course, and that for the Tennent's Cup twice round the Greenfield Crowness circuit. They are open to all classes of boats except catamarans and run on a handicap system so that it is not necessarily the first boat across the finishing line that wins.

The Errol Bruce Cup for Catamarans is over the longest distance of all- twice round Thieve's Holm and Scargun buoys.

Saturday's conditions were good with sunshine and blue skies but a slightly stronger wind than the moderate north-east breeze would perhaps have been welcomed by most of the competitors.

Tennant's Cup

Twenty-one boats, some from Stromness lined up for this race and though Marion Olwen, Mizpah and Malcolm Foulis'Laser made a quick getaway, Lintie had established a substantial lead at the Greenfield mark with the nearest group of boats comprising Ella, Marion Olwen, Samara, Skidbladner and Mizpah a good distance astern. Lintie maintained her lead round the Crowness mark but at this point Ella was challenging strongly and on the run to the pier buoy with spinnaker set she began to creep up on the leader.

At the start of the second time round the same group of leading boats were still retaining their relative positions, and at Greenfield Lintie seemed to be extending her lead but not sufficiently to shake off Ella.

At Crowness Ella was posing a serious threat to Lintie on handicap and as the results showed this turned out to be the case with Lintie crossing the finishing line first but with insufficent time in hand to overcome her handicap.

Kemp Cup

Ninteen boats entered for this race but with wind by now falling off steadily it was obvious it was going to be a slower race than many of the competitors would have wished for especially over so long a course.

Zendik led round the Thieve's Holm buoy but after this mark Lintie began to overhaul her and just managed to round Scargun buoy slightly in the lead. At this point Ella began to make her presence felt and along with Mizpah again began to pose a challenge to the two leading boats.

Ella and Mizpah expertly and doggedly maintained this threat thoughout the second round of the race and for the second time Ella secured a convincing win on corrected time with Mizpah a good second.

Errol Bruce Cup

Three catamarans entered for this race which was scheduled for twice round Thieve's Holm and Scargun buoys, but with a steadily falling wind the course had to be shortened to once round Scargun and once round the shorter course.

This was a straightforward race with no change in the relative positions during the 2 hours and more that it took to complete the course. Gemini established a convincing lead from the start and held it throughout the race.

John Findlay Cup

This cup was awarded to the boat with most points over a series of races held during the four weeks since the Kirkwall Regatta.

In the evening at a social and dance in the Girnel the trophies were presented by Mrs. Coxon on the invitation of the Commodore Mr. David Kemp, who thanked all who had contributed to the success of the day's racing and the season's sailing.

He particularly mentioned the coastguard services for being so helpful with rescue craft and radio equipment. A framed colour photograph of Kirkwall lifeboat by Willie Watters was raffled with half the proceeds being donated to the RNLI.

The dance was enjoyable and well attended and pleasantly rounded off an interesting and highly successful sailing season.