Skiff Scottish Championships at Prestwick Sailing Club
by Alan Henderson 25 Sep 2007 10:23 BST
22-23 September 2007
37 boats from all over the UK came to Prestwick on September 22/23 to compete for the Skiff Scottish Championship, the RS300 Scottish Championship, the 505 Celtic Cup and a Finn Scottish Travellers event. The event was kindly sponsored by dinghy company Scottish Sailing.
The weekend was a great test of sailing skill and endurance, with five races sailed on Saturday and another three on Sunday, all sailed in awe inspiring conditions of fresh winds and big waves. The biggest class was the Skiff class, made up of a variety of fast skiffs from 49ers down to a Vortex, holding their Scottish Championship for the second time in three years at Prestwick.
After Saturday’s five races, the leaders were Ross McKerchar and Stuart Gardiner in an RS800, with Ian Renilson second in a Musto Skiff. The closeness of the racing was seen by four different boats winning a race, with only McKerchar and Gardiner winning two. However Renilson fought back with top three finishes in all three Sunday races to take the Scottish Skiff Champion title, with McKerchar and Gardiner second, while father and son Stewart and Ben Robertson steered their 49er into third place.
Five race wins gave the RS300 Scottish title to Ian Baillie, with John Wilson second and his father Ian third.
In the 505 Celtic Cup, Rob Napier and Kimball Morrison, the furthest travelled competitors, from Bowmoor, counted seven wins, with Jim Blyth and Alan Sinclair second.
In the Finn Traveller, Dave Harcourt managed even better by winning all eight races, with Prestwick’s Stuart Glover second. Councillor Margaret Toner gave the winners their prizes after a memorable event.
Overall Results:
Skiff Scottish Championship
1. Ian Renilson, Musto Skiff (Dalgety Bay)
2. Ross McKerchar & Stuart Gardiner, RS800 (Dalgety Bay)
3. Stewart & Ben Robertson, 49er (Royal Forth)
4. Howard Steavenson & Adam Ovington, International 14 (Tynemouth)
5. John Evans, Musto Skiff (Derwent Reservoir)
RS300 Scottish Championship
1. Ian Baillie (Dalgety Bay)
2. John Wilson (Prestwick)
3. Ian Wilson (Prestwick)
505 Celtic Cup
1. Rob Napier and Kimball Morrison (Bowmoor)
2. Jim Blyth & Alan Sinclair (Largo Bay)
3. Fergus & Niall Duncanson (Loch Lomond)
Finn Scottish Traveller
1. Dave Harcourt (Dalgety Bay)
2. Stuart Glover (Prestwick)