Scottish Islands Peak Race

Tuesday, 20 May 2008

Dear John, For the first time since we had a new mainsail, we have been sailing competitively with other boats. I knew that the performance was transformed, but I had not quite appreciated how dramatically. The race included an F28 trimaran, and F27 trimaran, a dragonfly 920 and keelboats up to 50 feet. As you know the race is shorthanded, with three sailors and two runners. There are three stops, the first being the island of Mull, and we left Oban in 10 or 12 position, and arrived on the Mull in third position. Our runners were a little slower off Mull than any of the preceding yachts, and we passed six or eight boats to arrive in Jura in first place. A particular delight was rowing past the F28, the wind then coming up on a beam reach, and overtaking the dragonfly 920 at 14 or 15 kn. We left Jura in fifth or sixth position, as the F28 runners in particular had done a storming run, and we never saw them again, however we overtook Beneteau 50 (whose runners had ovrtaken ours) in a beat to windward in 20 to 30 kn of apparent wind in a very nasty sea created in 10 miles of wind against tide. We arrived in Arran in second place. Our runners kept us in that position, running the whole course in the dark. We drifted out into the sunrise with a spinnaker just drawing, but soon had to row, and then had a very light headwind never more than 6 kn which meant that we were passed by one boat after about 3 miles, and with only two or 3 miles to go, the Beneteau 50 and Hanse passed us to go into fifth place. I cannot describe how pleased we are with the performance of the new sail. It was a revelation to pass these small multihulls in conditions that should have suited thim perfectly. I attach a couple of photographs, none of which I think does the sails justice. I am copying Mike into this, as the boat equalled or excelled every expectation that we may have had. The sails were a perfect complememnt to the boats overall performance No other boat was able to provide a piping hot shower for the runners after every run, no one was seasick, and beating well sorted sports multihulls in light airs and well sailed monohulls in really quite bumpy windward conditions while staying warm and dry, was a complete revelation. I attach a couple of photographs, the one in particular that signifies the race, and was the reason for having performance sails is the one opposite Salen pier where the screecher has not been sheeted in properly yet, the dinghy is only just aboard, and the main is pulling away strongly with a tiny rooster tail already apparent. This would be no more than half a minute after the runners "handed in the batten " back to the sailors to start the second leg. Anyway I am happy to put on record what an excellent job everyone has done. Gordon