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| RMR15 fleet heading up the Sound of Mull |
OBAN Sailing Club’s 2015 Round Mull circumnavigation was a
race of complete contrasts and winds varying from zephyrs to a full gale on
Saturday.
Sponsored by Owen Sails and Ardfern Yacht Centre, the island
circumnavigation of around 100 miles had an entry of 41 boats and the Friday
start off Oban Sailing Club looked promising with a steady breeze in the Bay.
However outside in the Firth of Lorn it was a very different
picture with windless conditions prevailing to Lismore Light. Principal Race
Officer George Seaton opted to take the fleet out to start near the Light but
with a lack of breeze had to motor further north to Fuinary before starting the
four competing classes.
A short race to Tobermory
Bay
In Class 1 John Fraser’s Dufour 40 Wookie II was first with Scott
Chalmers in Sunrise ,
the Sigma 400, second and Ewan Mackenzies’s Elan 40, Ceol Beag, third.
Class 3 was won by Marian Austin in Scintilla of the Sea from
Lochaber Yacht Club with Oban’s Derek Greer and team in Al Harija second and Iain
Gibson’s Nicholson 32 Tegumai taking third place. Alan Gent-White’s An Sulaire took
the restricted sail class with Paul Moorhead’s Tupelo Honey second and Brian Robertson’s
Celtic Spirit third.
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| Brian Wiseman (Sorr of Appin) collecting the Mishnish Bucket (Photo by Ardfern Yacht Centre) |
Saturday dawned breezy with a run for the fleet from
Tobermory to past Caliach. The building breeze saw challenging conditions with spectacular
broaches and some retrials back to Tobermory. After kites were dropped for the long
beat into Bunessan the breeze was gusting up to 40 knots and some sails blew in
the building breeze.
In the slow handicap class it was the Moody Whigmaleerie of
Donald Philips that revelled in the conditions to take first place with
Scintilla of the Sea keeping the results up with a second and the Contessa 32
of Alistair Pugh in third. Sorr of Appin sealed another victory again making
light of the conditions with Amber Haze second and Colin Crawford’s Dehler 32
Nimrod third. Fast class honours went to Sunrise
with Requiem placed second and Roxanne from Skye third. In restricted sail it was Mystic Sun taking
the honours with Celtic Sprirt second and Ionare third.
The majority of the fleet made it to Bunessan where the
village hall committee laid on an excellent buffet and entertainment raising
funds for the Ross of Mull Historical Society. The last leg of the race on
Sunday saw a brisk spinnaker start with the fleet on a run to the Sound of
Iona, then a tight reach through the Torran Rocks. The wind held for the
majority of the passage until a mile or so from the finish at Frank Lockwood’s Island . Frustrating conditions prevailed as places were
lost and won in the last hour or so of the race contending not just lack of
breeze but a strong and adverse tide. Sorr of Appin came through to complete
the hat rick of three firsts and lift the overall Bank of Scotland Cup for the
medium class handicap yachts. In second place on leg 3 was Sarah with Alan
Moore’s Delinquent third. In the slow handicap class Marisca won from Scintilla
and fellow Contessa 32 sailor Mark Hillman in Milly Brown in third. This gave the class overall to Marisca from
Scintilla of the Sea and Milly Brown.
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| David Walter (Requiem) enjoying the challenging conditions on leg 2 Tobermory to Bunessan. (Photo by Mark Taylor) |
Ionare won the restricted sail class with Celtic Spirit
second and Calvador third. This ensured a win for Damon Lindsay’s Dufour 44Ionare
overall lifting the Brian Shellcock Memorial Trophy.
Class 1 was taken by David Walters with his Arcona 430 Requiem
winning the Glencoe Trophy for the best corrected time from Bunessan to Oban,
the fastest circumnavigation on both elapsed time and corrected time - the Mull Plaque and the Torran Rock as well
as the fast handicap class – the Antique Schweppes Trophy.
The Bilgewater Shield for the fastest circumnavigation on corrected
time went to Kevin McGrath’s Calvador.
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| Close racing at the start of the third and final leg. (photo by Jon Lloyd) |
Race organiser Billy Forteith said it had been a very
successful event despite the varying winds and welcomed the new boats that took
part. ‘We hope to see everyone back next year with even more entries – this
race is always varied and one of the most popular events on the west coast.
Congratulations to all the winners and a big thanks to Forteith Food Service for
the buffet preceding the race as well as the Village Hall committee in Bunessan
for their gsnuloud hospitality. Thanks also to our other sponsors including
T.Barbour Fuels, Forteith Refrigeration and Heat Pump Solutions and Dimension
Polyant. Last but not least to Dave Sturrock for providing the committee boat,
our race officers George Seaton and David Preston and Duncan Martin.’
The main trophies are awarded at the OSC prize-giving in
November.
