HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Newburgh Sailing Club

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Newburgh © Linda Harold

Most of the venues we sail at as part of the HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers series are either on the sea or on relatively big lochs. Newburgh is very different, being sailed on the tidal river Tay near to Perth.

You get to the club down winding streets and pass the local football ground. Sailing is restricted to about three hours each tide so there are few Saturdays in the season that will fit. We usually get a good turnout helped by the local boats. With the Nationals finishing at Hayling Island the day before it was unlikely many of the six Scottish competitors would make it to Newburgh. Huge kudos then to Kevan Gibb who got home at 3.30am after driving back from the Nationals and was already rigged up when I arrived. He showed no signs of tiredness!

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Newburgh - photo © Linda Harold

The welcome when we arrive at this small club is always warm and the smell from the galley definitely tempting, we rig our boats only yards away from the clubhouse. My request for a bacon roll was thwarted as the Commodore had not arrived with the rolls, so my bacon came free! When the rolls did arrive I returned to the galley and decided on a Lorne sausage (look it up) and another cup of tea which seemed to hit the spot.

The narrowness of the river means that the course options at Newburgh are a bit restricted. When we arrived the wind was mostly south west which meant the first leg was likely to be a fetch, and so it proved. The wind was stronger than we normally seem to get at Newburgh with sharp gusts to F4 which caught out a few sailors, Ross Watson and Bruce Birrell both checking out the water before the first race.

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Newburgh - photo © Linda Harold

Just before we launched the committee realised the lights in the race box were not working so it would be sound signals only. Might this cause confusion? It did, as I thought I heard a hooter with three minutes to go on a 5-4-1-go sequence. The leaders set off to the first mark with Kevan Gibb best placed having started a bit to windward of the outer end of the line. Although the tide was still flooding there was enough wind to ensure it had little effect on tactics. Then the confusion started as a minute after we started two hoots were heard and the leaders looked round to see two local boats crossing the line. Ross Watson went back immediately but others hesitated and a few minutes later we all started again. No issues this time and again it was Kevan Gibb who made the best start about 50 yards from the outer end. Stuart Gibson and Robert Taylor started near the outer end and initially Robert looked best placed before Kevan was able to free off near the mark and take the lead. The leaders were Kevan, Stuart and Robert. It remained this way down the run which was followed by a short beat then a tight reach across to the leeward mark. On the second run Robert gybed and rolled in to windward in spectacular fashion, his mast making quite a sound as it hit the water. This allowed Ross up to third. On the last short run Stuart gybed inshore whilst Ross sailed straight to the mark which proved faster and he rounded the next mark a few feet in front, just holding this for the rest of the race.

The second race started quickly with Ross on the wrong side of the line having heard only the 1 minute hooter. The race started in similar fashion to the first with Kevan again judging the line best and leading the entire race by about 50 yards. Behind him the racing was very close on the small course. The wind was shifting a lot and the short beat gave opportunities for gains and losses. Ross managed to get past Stuart on the last beat. These positions were the same as the boats started the last short leg to the finish. It should have been a fetch but a big header led to Stuart tacking and capsizing which let Bruce Birrell up to third. With two wins Kevan had already won the event - a good reward for his keenness to get to Newburgh.

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Newburgh - photo © Linda Harold

After a short break we were off again and this time everyone got the timing right. The water was now very smooth showing that the tide had turned but again the wind seemed easily strong enough to offset it - or so it seemed at the start. Ross started at the outer end and came off best being a few lengths ahead at the mark. He gybed immediately and was followed by Kevan who closed the gap steadily. At the start of the beat Ross was just ahead but Kevan was only feet behind and to windward preventing Ross from tacking. In what was the strongest wind of the day Kevan timed his tack perfectly and laid the mark with Ross just behind. The next leg was a tight reach and Ross caught a gust to get an overlap at the leeward mark. This mark was so close to the shore that there was barely enough room for the two boats to get round overlapped. The positions stayed the same for two rounds as Ross rounded the last mark with only a short fetch to the finish. The wind now dropped and headed meaning Ross could not lay the finishing line, which seemed ok until a late lift meant Kevan could lay the line. This meant some anxious moments for Ross as he hung on hoping to lay the line. Luckily for him the lighter wind meant that Kevan was now struggling to stem the tide and he had enough time to tack round the mark. You can never relax at Newburgh!

It was only a few yards to get ashore and pack up. At the prize-giving Kevan thanked the club and encouraged the local boats to come to the HD Sails Scottish Solo Championships at St Andrews SC on August 19/20. Entry is only £5 so we expect a good turnout.

HD Sails Scottish Solo Travellers at Newburgh - photo © Ross Watson

After three eventful races on a race course where you can never relax for long we were all packed up and away by 3.45, a good day out!

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