Racing began yesterday (Friday) in the three day 18 foot Skiff National Championship, based at the Sport Scotland National Centre on the island of Great Cumbrae, which lies off the Ayrshire coast.

Courses for the day’s three races were laid to the north of the island, with shifty winds that were mainly in the Force 3 range. Hermes, sailed by Grant Rollerson, Mark Tait and Lachlan Torrance dominated Race 1, with Andy Richards, Andrew Fairley and Dave Richards second on Radii, and Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Richard Stenhouse on Henri Lloyd third, after a temporary lull in the breeze was reponsible for the race being shortened.

Race 2 went to the Radii team, who finished well ahead of Hermes, with Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Drummond Sydenham on Base 1 in third place.

Radii initially took the lead in Race 3, but they were gradually reeled in by the Hermes team for their second win of the day. Henri-Lloyd finished behind Radii in third place. This meant that after the day’s three races, Hermes lies just one point ahead of Radii, with Henri-Lloyd a further five points behind in third position.

Today’s racing is planned to include a long distance race which, weather permitting, will be set on a figure of eight course around Great Cumbrae and the smaller island of Little Cumbrae. The series will conclude on Sunday.

Results (race 1)

1. Hermes, Grant Rollerson, Mark Tait and Lachlan Torrance

2. Radii, Andy Richards, Andrew Fairley and Dave Richards

3. Henry-Lloyd, Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Richard Stenhouse

4. SP Systems, Richard Hall, Justin Biddle and Sandy Wright

5. Base 1, Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Drummond Sydenham

Race 2

1. Radii, Andy Richards, Andrew Fairley and Dave Richards

2. Hermes, Grant Rollerson, Mark Tait and Lachlan Torrance

3. Base 1, Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Drummond Sydenham

4. Henri-Lloyd, Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Richard Stenhouse

5. Tyrell Wines, Martin Wilkie, Andy Rae and Iain McCafferty

Race 3

1. Hermes, Grant Rollerson, Mark Tait and Lachlan Torrance

2. Radii, Andy Richards, Andrew Fairley and Dave Richards

3. Henri-Lloyd, Peter Barton, Martin Borrett and Richard Stenhouse

4. Base 1, Rob Dulson, Paul Constable and Drummond Sydenham

5. Link Associates, Tim Penfold, Matt Alvarado and Will Penfold

Positions after 3 races (no discard)

1. Hermes, 4 points

2. Radii, 5 points

3. Henri-Lloyd, 10 points

4. Base1, 12 points

5. Tyrrell Wines, 18 points

6. Link Associates, 20 points

6. SP Systems, 20 points

8. Onica, Alister Kinsman, Alan Moss and Alasdair Hendry, 23 points

9. Largs, Bunny, Colin and Lil, 24 points