Shopping Week Frozen Food Centre Trophy

Snipes at Stromness SC competed on Thursday, 21 July for the Shopping Week Frozen Food Centre trophy. Six boats took part in the competition which was decided by the lowest cumulative points achieved over three races. There was a fairly stiff breeze from the north which meant that for a change there was a good long beat. Long beats mean more opportunity for tactical decision-making and plenty of scope for getting it right or wrong.

In the first race most of the fleet made a good start and it was Hassfang who led at the first mark. Go Faster Blue had been left behind at the start but sailing in clear air managed to pull up to near the front by the mark. From then on racing between those two was close until Go Faster Blue managed to gain the lead and go on to win the race, while the other four boats competed for the minor places.

In the second race, Humdinger and Scooby had flying starts but crossed the line before the starting signal and had to return to restart the race. Again it was Go Faster Blue and Hassfang who competed for first and second place but this time it was Hassfang who went on to win. 

So, it was all to play for in the third race. The boats had just rounded mark 7 when the Hamnavoe arrived at the harbour entrance.  The skipper of Go Faster Blue was leading and made the tactical decision to stay south of the Hamnavoe wake for a time before putting in a tack. Meanwhile, the skipper of Hassfang decided to cross the wake immediately and tack later.  This proved to be a decisive move and Hassfang went on to win the race and the Frozen Food Centre Trophy which was presented after sailing by Commodore Donnie Hall.

Race 1:  1 Go Faster Blue (Pete Tipler and Thorfinn Johnston), 2 Hassfang (Chris Moore and Harvey Dunnet), 3 Noringa (Gordon Hill and Sheena Taylor), 4 Humdinger (Barry Jones and Malcolm Tipler), 5 Scooby (Donnie and Finley Hall), 6 Double Dutch (Kenny Holland and Dave Bews).

Race 2:  1 Hassfang, 2 Go Faster Blue, 3 Humdinger, 4 Noringa, 5 Double Dutch, 6 Scooby.

Race 3:  1 Hassfang, 2 Go Faster Blue, 3 Noringa, 4 Humdinger, 5 Double Dutch, 6 Scooby

Points count also towards the points series.  

Isobel Tipler was the race starter.  Mark Taylor and Ian Johnstone combined manning the support boat with carrying on the training of four youngsters in Toppers.