Solway Yacht Club Cadets Adventure Day
by Ian Purkis 5 Sep 2023 10:24 UTC
2-3 September 2023
Fun in the Sun: competition and adventure, afloat and ashore
At last! Late summer sunshine and pleasant breezes to welcome much action and activity on and off the water in Kippford, and ashore on Hestan Island. Long planned, the Solway Yacht Club had three separate events running over the weekend, a flotilla of larger cruising yachts heading over the Solway Firth for some harbour hopping on the English coast, competitive racing for the dinghy fleet and the Cadets Adventure Day.
First away from Kippford on Saturday were the bigger yachts, heading across the Solway for Whitehaven, joined on the passage by other yachts from Kirkcudbright. Next to launch was the racing dinghy fleet with a strong entry, including several of the more experienced cadets. Race Officer Ian Purkis set a long course out to "Nets" buoy off Almorness before the fleet crossed back across the bay to the buoy off the South of Rough Island. Out in front from the start the Flying Fifteen keelboat of Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne led the way but never far behind the Osprey of Steve and Linda Gaughan, the Finn of Keith Veasey and the GP14 of John and Val Broadbent were all in contention. Further back in the slower rated boats a gaggle of senior sailors and cadets were having their own race with the very experienced Stewart Biggar in his ILCA4 Laser 4.7 leading. After handicap corrections, the win went to the Broadbent GP14, the Filer/Gascoigne Flying Fifteen second. Of the Cadets, Toby Iglehart came out on top in seventh.
Race two, a shorter course and a similar pattern at the front but the top four were now joined by the Buzz of Richard and Emily Colbeck. In the lighter wind, the revelation was Toby's young sister Ida Iglehart getting a big advantage in mid fleet over the other cadets. At the finish it was another win for the Broadbents with the Filer/Gascoigne crew second, Biggar third and Ida Iglehart fourth, and first cadet, her best result yet when competing with the seniors.
All change on Sunday, the Cadets' Adventure Day. Organised by former Cadet Officer Willie Patterson, the objective: Hestan Island!
With twenty-four cadets and a similar number of adult volunteers, including the crew of Club's cruising catamaran "Alicat", Robbie Cowan's "Marika" and other power boats, plus several RIBS acting as safety boats, the very mixed fleet set off from Kippford. Led by David Reilly in his big RIB "Tango" with Kippford RNLI crewman James Howie in a Club RIB, the original plan was to motor around the island but given the sea state judged as "uncomfortable", it was decided on plan B. This involved viewing Hestan's resident elephant, or rather the rock in the shape of an elephant, before anchoring off the North end of Hestan and going ashore on the sandy beach using the RIBs as ferries.
Once all ashore and given the hazardous cliffs, the expedition to the summit set off with adults keeping the team together on the safe path. Once at the top the views were amazing, looking across to the Galloway hills and the apparently tiny boats now at anchor, way below. Back down to the beach for a picnic before reboarding the boats, up anchor, and away, but still time for a stopover in Horse Isles bay for a swim off "Marika". With the tide ebbing it was home back to the pier in Kippford for final yummy treats and massive thanks to Willie and his team for a very special day.