HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Bardowie

HD Sails Scottish Solo Traveller at Bardowie © Diane Whyte

HD Sails Scottish Solo Traveller at Bardowie © Diane Whyte

The Scottish Solo fleet came to Bardowie, just outside Glasgow, for the first of the 2023 HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers events.

As we rigged up at the windward end of the loch conditions looked lovely with the sun shining and the wind blowing down the length of the loch. David Whyte, the local Solo class captain was a bit more cautious, saying the wind would be pretty gusty as the wind was a little north of east. He was to be proved right. In the changing room Paul McCombie, a commercial pilot, was telling us how he had flown around the world over the previous few days. Usually at our first event of the season event everyone is at pains to claim how little sailing they had done recently. This year several of us claimed to have been out a few times and your scribe was forced to admit that he had been sailing since January.

With six months since the last event everyone had had plenty of time to get their boat sorted. All except Bruce Birrell it seemed as he broke the tail of his halyard hoisting the sail! As we launched and ran down the loch it was clear just how strong the wind actually was - this was going to be interesting.

At Bardowie races are usually started from a pontoon giving a stable space for the race team. The loch is narrow which restricts course setting. The course was a short beat followed by a short tight reach then another run and reach followed by a beat up the length of the loch. This meant three gybes every round so it was going to be an exciting day in a wind that at times was barely F2 but seconds later could be F5 in a gust. With a hard afternoon ahead it was as well that we were sustained before sailing by pies and soup courtesy of David Sword and his bakery.

As we lined up for the start it seemed that Paul McCombie was still suffering from jet leg as he lost control with 10 seconds to go and bore off into a spectacular windward capsize right on the start mark. Willie Todd had nowhere to go and screamed at Ross Watson below him for water. Fortunately they emerged unscathed and these two led round the windward mark. Ross's stint in the lead did not last long as he went high and a gust to leeward let several boats past. For the rest of the race it was a close contest between Kevan Gibb, Stuart Gibson, Willie Todd and Malcolm Worsley. Conditions were tough upwind and down. Upwind there were viscous headers that had all of us half in the water and frantically trying to bear away at times. The lifts could be just as bad and it paid to have a boat slightly ahead so we could be prepared for the next gust. The windward mark was near the shore in less wind but the shifts were just as severe. Downwind the worst gusts, as usual, seemed to arrive 50 yards before the gybe mark, or alternatively bring the boats that you thought were safely astern roaring up alongside. At the end of the race Kevan Gibb was the leader followed by Stuart Gibson from the home club and Malcolm Worsley in third.

HD Sails Scottish Solo Traveller at Bardowie - photo © Diane Whyte

The second race began shortly after with same course and conditions. At the start it looked like the starboard end of the line would be favoured but a big heading gust seconds before the start changed things. Willie had to tack to clear the starting pontoon and just cleared Ross. Stuart Gibson missed his toestraps which was definitely slow. At the windward mark Kevan led Ross and these two were close at the start of the next beat. Willie and Malcolm gained from a big shift in the middle of the loch. Ross forgot about passing through the start/finish line and only a friendly shout brought him back with the loss of a place. There were several capsizes in this race and the course was shortened after two rounds rather than four. Kevan won again with Malcolm second followed by Willie.

For the third race there were no dramas on the start line but plenty of shouting as we approached the windward mark, which left Ross doing turns. The race was once again close with Kevan just holding off Wille at the finish. Further back Malcolm approached the last gybe (of thirty over the three races) all set to pick up a place only to capsize, invert and watch his centreboard fall right back into the case.

So with three first places Kevan Gibb had proved the master of the conditions, although he had to work hard in every race. Behind him it was very close with three boats each with a second and third. This was resolved in favour of Willie Todd flowed by Stuart Gibson and Malcolm Worsley.

Prize winners in the HD Sails Scottish Solo Traveller at Bardowie - photo © Ross Watson

After a great day's sailing well organised by the host club we departed with most of us carrying some bruises and everyone remembering the excitement of being hit by a big gust 50 yards from the gybe mark with several boats around you! The next event in the HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers is on the sea at Largo Bay where we can hope for some good waves, and steadier winds.

Overall Results: