RS Aero Scottish Championships at the East Lothian YC Annual Regatta, North Berwick, Scotland
by Ian Renilson 3 Jun 15:44 BST
1-2 June 2024
RS Aero Scottish Championships at the East Lothian YC Annual Regatta © Steve Fraser
What a stunning weekend!
Just 8 weeks before East Lothian Yacht Club host the RS Aero 5&7 UK National Championships, the club held the RS Aero Scottish Championships as part of their annual regatta with 130 boats (capped entry because it is so popular, it sold out several weeks in advance). 11 RS Aeros took part - there could have been more had they entered in time!
Both club and venue delivered big time - as they do more often than not. Conditions were awesome with full sunshine and a cracking breeze. On Saturday there was a decent Easterly with lovely waves rolling in from the North Sea, and Sunday saw a Westerly that built to proper full-on conditions.
All 11 entries sailed RS Aero 7's and we were treated to a masterclass of all-round RS Aero sailing from Craig Williamson up from Staunton Harold in the Midlands, but there was lots of close racing and Craig had to work hard to get ahead of local experts Roo Purves and Rory Ferrier, with Ian Renilson from Dalgety Bay flying the flag for the oldies. The whole fleet had a great time with lots of big grins, aching bodies, and new friends. Roll-on the UK Nationals late July!
East Lothian Yacht Club at North Berwick is a fantastic sailing venue and it runs great championships. It sits on a knuckle of land that protrudes out into the North Sea, which gives it a special micro-climate that delivers the best chance of great sailing conditions.
North Berwick is also a great holiday resort with family-friendly beaches, various local tourist attractions, and a rail link to Edinburgh for those who want to do something different.
Don't miss the RS Aero 5 & 7 UK National Championships at East Lothian YC from 28th July to 2nd August.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Name | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 2719 | Craig Williamson | Staunton Harold SC | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2nd | 4027 | Roo Purves | East Lothian YC | 2 | (DNF) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
| 3rd | 1119 | Ian Renilson | Dalgety Bay SC | ‑4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 15 |
| 4th | 3444 | Rory Ferrier | East Lothian YC | 3 | 2 | (DNF) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 15 |
| 5th | 3575 | Taylor Peter | Dalgety Bay SC | 5 | 4 | ‑6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 25 |
| 6th | 2299 | John Wilcox | East Lothian YC | 7 | 5 | 4 | 8 | (DNC) | 7 | 31 |
| 7th | 4554 | Peter Craggs | York SC | ‑8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 32 |
| 8th | 3032 | Thomas Penty | Beaver SC | 9 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 7 | (DNC) | 36 |
| 9th | 1265 | Angus Boyd | East Lothian YC | 6 | 6 | 7 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 43 |
| 10th | 2527 | Keith Wise | East Lothian YC | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | (DNC) | 45 |
| 11th | 2737 | Andrew Rear | East Lothian YC | 11 | 10 | (DNF) | 10 | 9 | DNC | 52 |