Regatta 1949

Top

Stromness Regatta 1949

Kirkwall Takes the Cups Home

Stromness regatta this year was a personal triumph for Mr. J. Laird, of Kirkwall, who with his 13-ft Orkney dinghy DX carried off three first prizes out of a possible four.

But for the success of Ariel, sailed by Mr. Hector Stout, which won the "Wood" Challenge Cup, it would have been a very sad day for Stromness.

"We hope to do better at Kirkwall" said Mr. Wm. Towers, Commodore of Stromness Sailing Club, at the evening presentation.

From just after nine o'clock in the morning there were scenes of great activity inside the South Pier where the committee were hard at work measuring boats, handing out sail numbers and meal tickets to visiting crews, and then the pinning on of the numbers.

Some competitors were in such great need of time, having just arrived at Stromness from various parts of Orkney that they had not the opportunity of doing this before the first race was due to start.

Eventually all was ready, and without any break for the committee, except the short walk from the South to the North Pier, the five minutes signal was given for the first race- that for centre-board dinghies for the "Wood" Challenge Cup.

Dinghy Racing

The starting gun was out of action but a visual signal was made, which did not lend itself to giving a good start. Away they went with DX well ahead and to weather. The last of the started boats was out at the Holm when Elisabeth came in sight, making for the line. She was later followed by Snipe, which had been felayed through the non-arrival of the crew.

Saga very quickly established a lead and was closely followed by Sunshine and Orcadian. These three racing type boats increased their lead steadily and it was only on the run home before the wind that the remainder of the fleet came within striking distance. Neither Sunshine nor Orcadian set spinnakers.

At the end of the first round it was seen that Saga was leading, closely followed by Orcadian and Sunshine, neck and neck, and Ariel, which overhauled and passed Sunshine on the reach up the harbour, rounding the buoy first.

On the wind once again Sunshine went in front of Ariel and from then on was almost a repetition of the first round.

Saga crossed the line first about a minute in front of Orcadian. They were chased by Sunshine, Ariel, DX, and Ira, all within six minutes, while Hazel, Golden Miller, Shangani, Elizabeth and Snipe brought up the rearguard.

At the end of the first round, Bonito, which had damaged its bowsprit had to retire. Pomona also retired.

On corrected time DX was first, Ariel second and Ira third. As DX was a non-centreboard dinghy she was eligible only for the prize money, the trophy going to the first eligible dinghy the Ariel.

Time and placing were:

Dinghies with Centreboards Wood Challenge Cup

Other Boats

At one o'clock six boats in this class went to the starting line to compete for the "Corrigal" Challenge Cup.

On the starting signal Daisy, a three-sail yawl, was first away, closely followed by Dot and Laverne. Before the harbour mouth was reached Dot and Laverne went ahead but until they reached the Bu buoy there was not much to pick and choose between them.

However, on the long beat to windward to reach the Clestrain mark buoy Dot gradually increased the distance between and rounded the mark well ahead of Laverne which was closely chased by Orcadian. Laverne was seen to be having some trouble with its foresail about this time, but very soon got it fixed and were on course again.

With spinnakers set and everything drawing Dot increased her lead on the run home.

As with the first race, the second round was very like a procession with the leading boat increasing her lead.

On gybing round the red buoy at the mouth of the harbour on the last leg of the course, the rudder of Dot was wrenched clean off and she flew up into the wind, almost grounding on the Outer Holm. After some trouble she was eventually got off before the wind again but could not make very much of the reach back to the finishing line.

As she passed the pier it was seen that she was being steered with a paddle.

Time and placings were:

Corrigall Challenge Cup

Dinghies Again

The race for dinghies without cerntreboards started at 1.30. The wind was a good deal fresher by this time and the flood tide was just starting to run. The effect of this was to make it pretty heavy going for the class.

However, all went away to a fairly good start and for a long time there was not very much between any of them. DX and Ariel gradually pulled in front and managed to stay there until the finish.

From the spectators point of view this was the best to watch as all the boats were so much of one size that the handicaps were small, the biggest being only 3 minutes 21 sec. The effect of this to the uninitiated, was that, with the exception of Elizabeth and Golden Miller, the placings on corrected times was the same as the actual finishing places. Golden Miller took third place from Elizabeth through this.

Placings with times, are as follows:

Dinghies without Centreboards

Commodore's Challenge Cup

All-comers' Race

At 5.30pm, sixteen boats jockeyed for position before the start of the allcomers race. On the signal, all went away. The flood tide was by now very strong at the back of the Holms, and as the wind had risen, the sea had risen accordingly.

Many boats were seen to be carrying just a little too. much canvas, but not many seemed inclined to reef, probably owing to the fact that the time lost in doing this would be very hard to regain in only one round of the course.

Laverne was wellin the lead on rounding the Bu' buoy. Dot was disqualified at this point, while lying fourth, for touching the mark.

It was very interesting to watch the many different tactics employed by the various boats to get the most advantage from the tide and at the same time to reach the smoother water under the Clestrain shore.

Laverne and DX stood away into the shore. Laverne stayed and went out in the eddies between the strongest rate of the tide, but DX held on until one would almost have thought she would go ashore. When she stayed she was so far to the inside of the tide that even though sailing more or less directly against it she just managed to get it under her lee bow, and fairly flew up to the Clestrain mark, overhauling the Laverne hand over fist and a great distance to weather of her..

It was in this race that DX's crew adopted, for them, entirely new tactics. They were both lying on the weather deckto hold her up against the wind.

Afterwards her skipper said that it was not done so much for experiment as from sheer necessity. "But it certainly helped her" he said.

Laverne was carrying too much sail at this time, as were most other boats, but she managed to stay inm front until the weather buoy was reached, when her extra spread of sail told its tale.

She came away from that mark like a scalded cat, and ran home leaving a wake behind her like a steamer, but even with this extra speed she just left the thirteen foot dinghy DX six minutes behind. Orcadian, a merlin type dinghy, was third and very close behind.

There were three trophies at stake in this race: The "Orcney Herald" Cup for all boats; the "Rae" Cup for the first placed dinghy, and the "Blue Riband" for the local boat making the fastest time.

DX was the deserving winner of the two cups, while Laverne won the "Blue Riband".

Times and placings to boats of this race were:

Allcomers - All boats

Orkney Herald Challenge Cup

Saga, Shangani and Dot retired from the race. Ira was disqualified.

Allcomers - Dinghy Class

Rae Challenge Cup

Top

Holm Regatta 1949

Without Churchill no Holm Regatta

"Many people in this parish have been wondering for the past six of seven years why these barriers were constructed. Some thought they were to keep German submarines out of Scapa Flow. Others thought they were to provide a nice smooth roadway to the South Isles. Today we have seen the real reason... Churchill sanctioned the barriers so that a regatta could be held in Holm!"

With this humourous comment, Mr. P. N. Sutherland Graeme, Lord Lieutenant of Orkney, presented the prizes at Saturday afternoon's successful regatta at St. Mary's, the first ever held in Holm. There were 30 entries.

Many of these were highly tuned racing dinghies while others had their colourful, barked working canvas with fishing registration numbers stencilled on. All were welcomed and everyone entered into the spirit of the day.

First Arrivals

The first party of visitors arrivd at about 11 am- a waggon with a dinghy on board and another on a trailer behind, this was shortly followed by another lorry with a dinghy a nd then a third lorry with two dinghies and towing a trailer with three up.

All hands set to with a will and using a low two wheeled trailer, all the boats were very soon afloat and rigged for the day. That was Kirkwall's contribution to the day's entry- eight dinghies.