Regatta 1985

Holm Regatta 1985

32 Boats compete in Holm Regatta

Under grey skies with a stiff easterly breeze the annual regatta was held at St. Mary’s Holm on Saturday July 27.

A total of 32 boats took part in the various class racers and when all got together for the centre board and allcomers races it was a fine sight as they all vied for the best position at the start of the races.

After the class races and the centre board race, competitors, officials and rescue boat crews gathered in the Community Centre where a hot meal was served by a ladies committee, then back for the last race of the day. As the last boat came in, down came the mists.

At the prize giving in the Community Centre at the end of sailing Commodore Leslie Johnston paid tribute to the Coastguards who had given invaluable assistance with their fast launch, also Messrs Sutherland and Norquoy who had all helped in looking after anyone unfortunate enough to require assistance.

He also thanked the visiting officials from Kirkwall and Stromness, without whom the regatta could not have taken place, and the ladies who had supplied the hot meal, and asked Mrs. W Laughton to present the prizes.

On behalf of the visitors Mr. J. Hourston from Stromness thanked the Holm Club for their hospitality and for an excellent day’s sailing. Later in the evening very successful supper dance was held in the Commodore Motel with music supplied by the Wyre Band.

Snipe

505

Albacore

Laser

Cats

Other Boats

Mixed Centreboards

Allcomers

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Burray and South Ronaldsay Regatta

Burray and South Ronaldsay Water Sports Club held their annual regatta in Water Sound on Saturday July 6.

Altogether 29 dinghies and catamarans including three yachts enjoyed exciting sailing in fresh to strong WNW winds.

Rescue boats were kept busy with numerous capsizes and retrials but fortunately serious damage or injury resulted.

After a most welcome break for lunch and other refreshment in the Sands Bar the clockwise course sailed in the morning was reversed.

This gave a rather long and punishing beat to Wha Taing but two very fast reaches on the other legs of the course with a gybe at the ‘Hope buoy. These conditions particularly suited the trapezius boats with spinnakers.

Many people worked hard to make the regatta a success and thanks is due to them including the starting committee, those who manned rescue boats, the divers who recovered dagger boards and spectacles from the sea and in particular the owners and staff of the Sands Bar for coping so well with large numbers of soaking wet sailors.

Results

Snipe:

Laser:

Albacore:

505:

Other Boats:

Bosun:

Keel Boats:

Catamarans:

Allcomers:

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Westray Regatta 1985

Ideal weather for Westray Regatta

Under ideal sailing conditions in Pierowall Bay, a fresh breeze from the south west with a flat sea, thirty one boats took part in the Westray Regatta on Saturday. Twenty five were visiting craft, six being local Merlin Rockets and Mirrors.

It is regrettable that the old traditional craft, the Westray Skiffs have ceased to grace the day. However, “the old order changeth...”

Nevertheless, it is very satisfying that a group of young men, students of Kirkwall Grammar School, sailed the three Mirror dinghies belonging to Pierowall School, in which they learned to sail while still pupils at the school in Westray.

For every function, whatever it may be, there has to be a great deal of “behind the scenes” activity to ensure smooth operation of the event.

Consequently, when thanking those who have participated, it is difficult to mention names in case one omits, inadvertently, the name of a person who has contributed in some degree to the success of the operation.

However, in this case, some people and organisations have to be mentioned: the ladies of the Lifeboat Guild, along with wives and mothers of Sailing Club members, who provided teas for the yachtsmen during the afternoon, and of course, the caring people who supplied the sandwiches and stuff for the occasion.

Also, the officials from the Orkney Sailing Club, who participated in the recording and checking of the events: Tom Brough, Brian Watson and David Lennie from Stromness, deserve high commendation for their long day’s workout a job which so often goes unnoticed.

Dave Hume, the manager of Westray Processors Ltd., who has provided his factory for the use of the Sailing Club on Regatta days for many years, well deserves to have his name recorded in print.

Thanks are due also to the young ladies who rattled collecting tins under the noses of unsuspecting victims and sold them raffle tickets for a bottle of whisky (donated by R. Rendall, Floss) and a box of chocolates (donated by Myrtle Drever).

While I hope that this not mentioned by name do not take offence at the omission, I must single out a very special contribution made by John and Jean Fergus of the Pierowall Hotel. They undertook, at their own expense, to provide lunches for all the sailing people who came to our Island. This was no mean undertaking - the provision of approximately 60 lunches in addition to a heavy demand from other visitors. Not only that, they put up a very valuable contribution in the form of two “40 ounces” of whisky which were raffled on behalf of the Sailing Club. Also, they provided a Cup for the Mirror class of dinghies. Could any club have better support?

Mrs. Fergus completed the sailing activities by handing over the cups and trophies to the successful competitors, and after this ceremony she was presented with a box of chocolates on behalf of the Club by Miss Doris Leslie.

After the departure of the M. V. Orcadia at 8.00pm, the islanders of Westray adjourned to the Community Centre where the Regatta Dance, to music by the ‘Harbour Lights’ band, completed the day’s activities in a festive manner.

N.C.

The racing results were as follows:

Wayfarer:

Merlin Rocket:

Laser:

Mixed Centreboards:

Mirror:

505:

Catamarans (1st race):

Mirror II:

Catamarans (2nd race):

Allcomers:

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Rousay and Wyre Regatta 1985

The sunshine and moderate westerly breeze on July 20 heralded the annual Rousay and Wire regatta.

The crews of the 16 visiting boats joined the local sailors for a loely pre-race lunch prepared by the ladies of the Regatta Club. Although there were boats from Egilsay and Wyre, most visitors came from Kirkwall many having sailed from Tingwall that morning.

The triangular course began with a beat from Rousay pier to the Point of Trumland followed by a long run to the Point of Skersie, a reach to the point of Avelshay and finally a beat back to the pier.

The course with a long beat and run and the moderate winds did not favour any particular tyope of boat - one sailor was heard to say that ‘there should be more wind and less waves.’.

Rivalry reached new levels in the Laser class when one sailor caused his brother to capsize on the start line!.

After a break for tea, sandwiches and cakes kindly donated by the Ladies Lifeboat Guild the racing continued with the second catamaran race and the Allcomers.

Mr Tommy Gibson (piermaster) had, as usual, organised entertainment for the spectators on Rousay Pier. Tyste the only Wyre boat in the regatta provided entertainment for the Wyre spectators by capsizing and subsequently being rescued after gybing near the Wyre Pier.

After the presentation of prizes Mr. Eddy Firth thanked the ladies for the catering, the rescue boat crews and the timekeepers who came from Kirkwall.

A Dance followed in the Community Hall.

505:

Laser:

Wayfarer:

Mixed Centreboards:

Catamarans (1st Race):

Catamarans (2nd Race):

Allcomers:

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Kirkwall Regatta 1985

Exciting racing at Kirkwall Regatta

Kirkwall Harbour took on the air of a gala date on Saturday, August 3 as no fewer than 45 boats assembled in the basin and along to the Hatston shore in readiness for Orkney Sailing Club’s annual regatta.

Boats from clubs as far as Westray, Holm, Stromness, Rousay and Wyre were there all of them Easter to compete.

The day got off to a grey and somewhat uncertain start with blustery showers and a strong westerly wind heralding wet and windy conditions. As it turned out however the clouds soon disappeared, the sky turned to blue, and most important of all the wind remained crisp and strong.

Individual Classes

The regatta quickly got under way with individual races for the various classes of boats present and as each class crossed the start line the harbour began to fill up with boats of all shapes, sizes and colours, shepherded by rescue craft speeding to and fro among the competitors. An excellent lunch in the Girnel prepared and served by members of the Ladies Committee was a welcome sequel to the morning activities.

centreboards

Not unexpectedly the larger boats held chase with spinnakers took the lead with Abra steadily pulling ahead of her main rivals Zendik, Lintie and Knot-e-Buoy. The substantial lead of these larger boats in no way detracted from the performance of the smaller boats whose sailing was quite spectacular, often planing on the runs and reaches and showing times on handicap that were well on par with the leaders. Meanwhile the spectators were enjoying it all.

Catamarans

The longest race of the day was the Catamarans’ race round Thieve’s Holm, Scargun buoy and once round the shorter Greenfield Crowness triangle a distance of approximately 10 miles. It was sailed in a particularly strong wind and produced some of the fastest sailing of the day with these twin hulled craft surging through the sea as if jet propelled.

Half way through the afternoon there was a welcome break for tea and sandwiches in the Girnel.

Allcomers

This was the last event of the day and the most prestigious race of the regatta with a highly prized and keenly contested trophy. Being open to all classes it is sailed on handicap. Thirty boats sped across the start line in this grand finale several beating the gun in their eagerness to get underway - but - having to be recalled.

In brilliant sunshine with billowing brightly coloured sails they presented a superb spectacle to the gathering spectators at the pier end and along the Hatston shore. Although far from slow, the Allcomers was not the fastest race of the day but it produced spills and thrills galore, not least the exciting tussle between Zendik and Knot-e-Buoy ending in a photo finish as they surged neck and neck across the finishing line.

Prize Giving

At the prize giving held at the Girnel in the evening the Club Commodore Mr. David Kemp invited Mrs. E. Linklater to present the prizes. He had a special ‘thank you’ for the ladies whose excellent meals and catering had been so much appreciated. He also expressed the club’s appreciation of the work of the Coastguard services, safety craft private and club owned, the pierhead crew and many others who through unseen performed vital service. Drawing attention to the Club’s Grand Prize Draw he thanked Mr. And Mrs. David Sabiston for their very hard work which had been so important a factor in the success of the draw.

Finally Mr Ed Firth from Rousay on behalf of the visiting clubs thanked the Commodore for the welcome and hospitality they has received.

The dance which followed the prize giving was enjoyable and well attended, pleasantly rounding off a highly successful occasion.

Results

Centre Board Boats

First Over the Line

Handicap:

Catamarans (Long Race):

Allcomers

Catamarans (Schollay Cup):

Merlin Rockets:

Albacore:

Laser:

Wayfarer:

Snipe:

Other Boats (Handicap):

505:

Catamaran Class: