West Highland Yachting Week - Overall
by Alison Chadwick 10 Aug 2015 08:25 BST
1-7 August 2015
Local team lift top trophy at WHYW
Oban sailor Steven Forteith and his team lifted the Peter Cocks Memorial Trophy at West Highland Yachting Week (WHYW) this year – the top prize for the best overall performance in the fleet.
Racing his father Billy's Beneteau First 31.7 in Class 3, the race team judged this was the most competitive class and the results proved this to be the case.
With a string of firsts and one second, Shadowfax finished the series on seven points.
A delighted Steven who is a former class winner at WHYW, paid tribute to his crew. "We have come so close in the past to winning this trophy and never quite made it so this is absolutely fantastic. I have to thank the brilliant crew work on board the boat and the sails that just worked so well this week over a range of wind conditions. It has been a brilliant event and this is just the best result!"
At the prize-giving ceremony Steven thanked the organisers of WHYW pointing up the amount of work done behind the scenes to organise the event.
Oban councillor Elaine Robertson presented the prizes and told competitors she had been connected with the event for around fifty years. Her uncle, who ran the former Commerical Hotel in Stafford Street, always took WHYW off to race his Dragon taking away a week's supply of boiled eggs and whisky.... an interesting combination she said, whilst her aunt held the fort at the hotel and she helped out.
She announced that progress was being made on the installation of a transit marina in Oban to a round of applause, recognition of the need being pointed up by all present.
Other special trophies for the week's racing were presented.
Bruce Douglas and crew on the J133 Spirit of Jacana lifted the MacBrayne Centenary Challenge Cup for the fastest passage from Craobh to Oban with Mike Johnston's big Freedom 35 Arran Comrades winning the Oban Bicentenary Trophy for the best corrected time in this race.
Craig Anderson's Moody 336 Cool Bandit 2 took home the Angus Meldrum Trophy for the best corrected time in the Gael Force sponsored Oban to Tobermory Race.
Oban boat Hot Toddy won the British Waterways Trophy for the best corrected time on the Thomas Tunnock Ltd passage race from Tobermory to Oban and the John G. Maxwell Trophy for the highest placed Royal Highland Yacht Club yacht in Class 8.
The prestigious family trophy judged by the committee for the best family boat was won by the Miller family on the Sigma 33 Mayrise.
Joint Regatta Committee chairman Andy Knox said, "It has been another very successful event with a variety of wind and weather conditions. We couldn't race on Tuesday but managed racing every other day so the fleet generally had good sailing. We have to thank our sponsors – Tunnock's, Argyll and Bute Council, Malin Waters and Tobermory Harbour Association as well as the support from Gael Force Marine, Dunstaffnage Marina, Caledonian MacBrayne, Flit Self Drive and West Coast Motors. We look forward to seeing everyone back again next year."
WHYW dates for next year are 30th July to 5th August 2016.
All results on www.whyw.co.uk