Heavy wind disrupts sailing regatta

Jan 8 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

STRATHCLYDE Loch Sailing Club held their annual Christmas Regatta on December 21.

The event, sponsored by Vallourec Mannesmann Ltd, saw 51 boats take part in five fleets.

With a steady wind speed of 24mph and gusts of up to 51mph, the conditions were testing for all sailors and there were several capsizes. Five or six boats were also blown aground on the beach opposite the Watersports Centre.

Amid the mayhem, the race officer managed to finish the race and record the results before sending everybody back ashore for some respite.

Later, after assessing the conditions and consulting with park personnel, it was decided to abandon races two and three.

The results were:

Topper Class: 1 - Angus Grey-Stevens; 2 - Andrew McGowan; 3 - Samantha Foster.

Optimist Class: 1 - Alistair Grey; 2 - Jamie Calder; 3 - Ross Stanley Whyte.

Laser Radial Class: 1 - Andrew McKeown; 2 - Ross Carmichael; 3 - Morag Clark.

Slow Handicap Class: 1 - Roy McLean; 2 - Robin Jarvis; 3 - James Logan.

Fast Handicap Class: 1 - Stewart Gibson; 2 - Crawford Reid; 3 - Kevin Gibb.