West Highland Yachting Week - Day 7

All to play for in Tunnock's Tobermory to Oban Race

The final day's sailing for WHYW competitors proved a race of 'two halves' with the final passage, from Tobermory to Oban, proving important for placings in the points series.

The race, sponsored by Thomas Tunnock Ltd, saw a promising initial breeze for the fleet starting off Calve Island on a close reach. The brave stayed high to set kites with some struggling at times to hold them in the gusts.

Racing to the Sgeir Savary mark the wind freed enough to allow the rest of the Tunnock's fleet to hoist spinnakers and these were carried down the Sound of Mull. However the breeze gradually lightened near Lochaline and the faster boats that had made excellent progress came to a complete cut off in the wind. Those leaders stuck in the blanket calm could only look back in frustration as the remainder of the fleet caught up. Tidal eddies and a complete lack of wind at times only added to the melee of yachts caught up at the Grey Rocks which saw the race starting again. Wind bands came and went on either side with some of the fleet opting to close the Morven shore. However those breezes off the land died and those who chose a centre course benefited most. The wind finally died here and all struggled to keep momentum with a few yachts being turned back in the direction of Tobermory. The wind finally filled from the south west for everyone and the slower handicap boats had the advantage of the time delay to boost results.

Spirit of Jacana secured their win to also take the overall in Class 0, J Fever finished the race in second with Duckwall Pooley third. However the final placings reversed this to give Duckwall Pooley the second place in Class. Roddy Angus with his team on More Misjif took the gun in Class 1 with First by Farr second. This boosted his placing in the series to finish tying on points with Carmen II who just took the edge on the leader board. John Murphy's Erin from Port Edgar took the third overall in Class 1.

Anne Campbell's Ajax lifted the silverware for the Tunnock's race in Class 2 with Alchemist second and Hoodlum third. Despite a fourth in this race Sunrise had a sufficient tally of firsts to win the points series overall for the week in Class 2. Robin Ferguson's Hoodlum finished second overall with Ajax third.

Another win for Shadowfax and Steven Forteith and team secured Class 3 honours. Finishing second in the Tobermory to Oban race was Brian Robertson's Celtic Spirit. In the points series it was fellow Oban sailor Graham Anderson in Lucky Ned Pepper second with Ian Hards' Hardslog from Port Edgar third. In Class 4 Joey Gough and Tangle o' the Isles won the Tobermory Race from the Hood's on Odyssey II and Mark Bradshaw's Busy Beaver. However this did not change the points position for Brian Young's Glenafton who won the Class overall from Busy Beaver and Odyssey II in second and third.

Alistair Gay with Orwell Lass won Class 6 from David McMullen's Steel Pulse and Poppy. This was the final points series position other than Colin Crawford's Dehler 34 from Oban, Nimrod, finishing third overall. A close tussle in Class 8 saw Hot Toddy being one of the lucky boats to catch the front of the class and win the Tobermory to Oban Race with Mike Johnston's Arran Comrades second and Darren Taylor's BlueFin, helmed by Findlay Clark, third. This changed the points position to give the win overall to Stargazer from Hot Toddy and Lucy Downie and Garth Wilson's GK 24 Zebedee third.

All results on www.whyw.co.uk