Tuesday, March 8, 2011

CM 60

Boat: CM 60

Builder: Carroll Marine

Designer: Bruce Farr

More: CM 60 Specifications

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Tarbert Scottish Series - Sportsboats Overall


Author: Peter Evans

The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series attracted 15 mixed sportsboats to Loch Fyne over the May Bank Holiday weekend. Racing as part of the Lewmar Fleet with the 1720's and Sigma 33's supplied testing and at times hair raising conditions.

Racing on the first day was excellent. With a moderate cool Northerly breeze blowing and the sun shining the committee set an Olympic triangle on the east side of the loch. From the start the Melges 24 Highland Enterprises Clapped out Toy Boy was away in front on the water. As scratch boat in the fleet, she was soon leading the fleet into the back of the Sigma 33's to begin the major task of finding clear air and flat water. As the race progressed, the leading 1720's came through the Sportsboat, leaving all three fleets well mixed together causing problems for the slower boats. Getting into clear air and out of the slop kicked up by so many wakes was at a premium. On Re-Tex Dickies Yacht Sales, the Checkmate Sailing Team with Peter Evans on the helm made the best of the conditions which suited their Beneteau 25. Making decisions that kept them in clear air away from the fleet was at times unnerving, but the tactic paid off as they avoided the worst of the problems to take the first race from Highland Enterprises.

With the conditions remaining steady, the same course was used and the fleet got of to a clean start. Once again Highland Enterprise was in front from the start with the First Class 8 Bootneck leading the rest of the fleet. Trying to work out who was in which position was as difficult as ever in a handicap fleet, with the 707's looking good led by Eh!. Working left of the fleet on the last beat, Dickies Yacht Sales took advantage of better pressure that lifted on Port to take the race, once again with Highland in second and Bootneck in third.

After a quite night in the pubs and marquee, Sunday again bought a cool moderate/fresh breeze to wake everyone up. The committee laid a windward/leeward course with spreader mark, guaranteed to get as many boats as possible into one space at the same time. From the first beat, the usual font runners of Highland and Dickies were joined by the Beneteau 25 Verve to finish in that order on the water, with Dickies taking first on corrected, Highland second and Verve third. The second race started under the same conditions, most of the fleet heading left from the pin end with confusion on Dickies seeing them take a fine start from the committee end! As the fleets became more confident on the water and the beat more one sided, mark roundings were placed at a premium. Dickies used skills gained on the European Grand Prix circuit to gain at every mark and by the last beat had got back into contention. As the all Sportsboats continued to suffer from disturbed water and dirty air, the Sigma 8 Double Gin pulled through to push for second on the water and set up a fine battle on the last beat with Bootneck and Dickies. At the gun they took fourth on corrected, with Bootneck third, Highland second and Dickies first. The final race of the day took place over the same race track with the fleet heading left off the start line. On board Dickies, tactician Simon Pritchard-Jones had other ideas and called for the right hand corner. Leaving the fleet soon after the start, Dickies headed for the hills for the reward of being headed all the way in. As the fleet tacked over, they dropped down on to Dickies line, who tacked on to the lift and control of the fleet. Highland Heritage again took line honours but was pushed in to second by Dickies. The Bull Nobull Pursuit took advantage of the right hand side to take third place from Double Gin who sailed well to take fourth, pushing Bootneck down to fifth.

It was obvious that Monday could bring a big change to the proceedings, with a fresh wind blowing from the North. Re-Tex Dickies Yacht Sales had taken five firsts from five starts, but in conditions that are generally considered to suit the Beneteau 25. With the increased breeze, things could and did change.

To add to the new scenario, the committee set a trapezoid course for the first race. A shift to the left made the race a one sided affair and supplied a fetch along the top leg, reach along the downwind leg and a close reach along the bottom leg. Highland Enterprises took best advantage of the conditions to take her first bullet of the series, her better speed helping to keep her clear of the worst of the congestion. The battle behind was fought on a messy race track, with many pushing the limits to reduce any disadvantage caused by a boat from another fleet. The increased breeze better suited the 707 fleet, who were having a battle of there own for the Scottish Championship. In a close race the 707 Eh! pushed Dickies hard and were unlucky not to have got clearer air on the last two legs. Dickies fought hard to get the most from their boat and were relieved to take second place, having been involved in a few loud moments with the 1720's and struggling to carry the spinnaker on the closer legs. For race two, the committee reverted to a windward/leeward course and the fleet got to grips with each other on the start line. With a heavy bias to the pin end a port tack pin end start was an option but the fleet got there early and were pushed over by Dickies, who had been slowly edging that way. At the re-start, Dickies took the committee end of the line and forced the 707 Hale Bopp to tack off at the gun. This proved a pivotal moment as the right side of the course paid and Hale Bopp crossed the fleet after half the beat! For Highland, this was their worst race of the week as they struggled to make up the lost ground on the 707. The battle was on for second place, with Eh! enjoying the conditions and pushing both Bootneck and Dickies hard. Once again, the other fleets were pivotal to the results as Dickies had a better last round and managed to pull away to finish in second place to Hale Bopp, with Eh! in third.

As the last night festivities got under way and with the discard in place, Dickies led with 7 points from Highland Heritage on 11. The overall was still wide open, as with only one discard no one could afford a bad race. The breeze for the day was forecast as light and from the West, straight out of the harbour mouth on to the course. The committee opted for a triangle sausage course with the windward mark off the harbour entrance. The first beat was a mixed affair, with Nobull Pursuit taking a cracking start as the breeze filled from the right to make huge gains for committee end starters. The main players for overall were at the pin end and started to work the shifts to get back in to the race. As the last round started, Highland Heritage was ahead with Dickies, Hale Bopp and Bootneck all in contention but in a dropping breeze Heritage crossed the line and watched as any challenge dissolved. Dickies took second, leaving Bootneck unlucky to drop to third and Hale Bopp fourth. At this time, Dickies had won the regatta but did not no for sure, so the last race was as important as any to them. The committee set a windward/leeward in a fresh breeze, with a very short run. Taking a middle line start, Dickies showed excellent speed of the start line to put themselves at the front of the fleet. Highland Heritage worked hard out to the left with Dickies and Hale Bopp. Bootneck went out right and at the mark the front of the fleet was close together. A quick gybe at the spreader mark as the wind went right put Dickies second on the water, chasing Highland to the bottom of the run and a windward drop. Keeping clear air up the beat and an eye on any boats taking fliers in the shifty breeze, Dickies gybe set at the top to get away from the fleet and then set off after Highland. At the finish, Highland was beaten into second place by two seconds on corrected by Dickies, with Bootneck third and Hale Bopp fourth.

With racing this close, it was not until the results board was seen that the Re-Tex Dickies Yacht Sales (Beneteau 25) crew of Peter Evans, Simon Pritchard-Jones, Jerry Ibberson, Rory Barr and Iain Hepplewhite were convinced they had won. Second place went to Highland Heritage Clapped out Toy Boy (Melges 24) with Bootneck (First Class 8) third. Hale Bopp was fourth and also received the 707 Scottish Championships.

More Information: Event Website

See also: ALO 28 for sale