Results / RS Racing Circuit & Scottish Series Largs SC - 04/07/2009

15 boats arrived at Largs SC for the Scottish leg of the nationwide series. This was also a www.JPwatersports.com 200 Scottish Circuit event. Unfortunately only one English boat had made the trip up.  A shame because the racing was excellent.  Light shifty breeze lead to some seriously challenging conditions.

Race one started in 10 knots of breeze with a relatively slack tide.  John Reekie sailing rounded first, closely followed by Roy McCubbin, David Hivey and Robbie Burns.  By the bottom mark, David had taken the lead.  McCubbin had other ideas about loosing this race and headed into the shore to pick up the convergence.  This tactic worked and he lead by a comfortable margin at the windward mark.  He was never caught and won easily from Hivey, Reekie and Burns.

Race 2 started in similar conditions with a strengthening tide.  Hivey managed to get away from the start and finished firsts comfortably from Burns with Reekie coming home third.

For race 3 the wind had started to drop.  McCubbin lead around the windward mark, closely followed by Hivey and MacDonald, having her best race of the weekend.  Hivey managed to pass McCubbin down the run to win by a boat length at the gate, where the race was shortened. 

On Saturday night, the clubhouse was as lively as you would expect from the Scottish hosts.

On Sunday we arrived to similar conditions.  Race 1 started after the wind had settled and it was Reekie again who lead around the windward mark, closely followed by Burns.  Hivey again managed to gain the lead by the leeward mark and with the others tussling, managed to extend to a lead of over a minute.  The places behind changed regularly due to the fickle winds.  Burns managed to secure second with Reekie coming in third.

Race 2 stared in about 12 knots and gave the fleet an opportunity to stretch their legs upwind.  The female pairing of Macdonald and Marsden, showed some outstanding height and pace off the line to lead round the windward mark.  Unfortunately they were swallowed up near the leeward mark when they missed the final shift leaving the Hivey's to disappear to their 4th victory.  Reekie claimed second with Burns pulling back through the fleet after a shocking first beet to secure second.

The final race saw the fleet tack onto port straight after the start and follow a progressive shift to the starboard lay line.  MacDonald again showed some incredible pace that had some of the competitors checking her spreader lengths and deflections.  Downwind Hivey managed to soak low into first place and Reekie sailed high with speed over the top and they both extended to finish comfortably in that order.  On the final reach to the finish, the boats battling for third exchanged places several times with Burns eventually timing his kite hoist to perfection to sail over the others and claim third.

Overall, The Hivey’s won comfortably from Burns and McCubbin. Thanks must be paid to the sponser JP watersports and to the host club Largs who did a fanatastic job given the shifty condtions.

Lets hope next year a few more make the trip from south of the boarder because the racing was excellent.