The penultimate meeting of the 2008 Lairwell series took place on 23
and 24 August 2008. Sailed as part of Largs Regatta Week, the 12s
sailed in the 27 boat strong handicap dinghy fleet and enjoyed a day of
racing round the cans on Saturday with a single long distance race on
Sunday. This was a new meeting for the 12 calendar and one which
looks like becoming a regular fixture in the Scottish calendar.
Conditions on Saturday tested and tired the sailors – a steady force 5
meaning that the predominantly young crews struggled to hold their jibs
on the beat at times. The course was a straight forward
windward-leeward one, and this provided some white knuckle downwind
sailing which tested the helms too! Three races were held back
to back and were scored on average lap times, with different crews
winning each race – Ken and Andrew Mitchell took race 1, Bernard Clark
and Chris Towers took race 2 and Brian Kelly and Michael McLennan took
race 3.
Sunday’s race involved one lap around the island of Great Cumbrae in
slightly lighter conditions. It turned out to be a race of varying
wind conditions, with the first beat undertaken in a steady force 4,
leading to light winds in the channel between Great and Little Cumbrae.
The run to the end of the island was in predominantly light winds with
the sail back to the start/finish line once again in stronger winds.
Bernard Clark and Chris Towers won the race overall, with Brian and
Michael 2nd in the 12s and 4th overall, Ken and Andrew 3rd in the 12s
and 5th overall. Angus and Rohan Beyts were 4th in the 12s and
11th overall.
Overall results
1st Bernard Clark/Chris
Towers, Ripon SC
2nd Brian Kelly/Michael McLennan,
Clyde CC
3rd Ken Mitchell/Andrew
Mitchell, Helensburgh SC
4th Angus Beyts/Rohan Beyts,
Loch Tummel SC
A total of 6 boats have qualified for the Lairwell series so far, and
the final meeting takes place at Loch Tummel SC on 20 and 21 September,
with the Border trophy (best overall placing based on combined results
for Annandale and Derwent Reservoir open meetings) being decided the
following weekend.
