Final preparations are being made for this year’s Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, Scotland’s premier yacht racing event. The Series is the biggest annual regatta in the UK after Cowes Week and this year takes place from 26 to 29 May 2006.

The Scottish Series attracts around 200 visiting yachts to the picturesque West Coast village of Tarbert, plus over 1,200 crew who truly bring the normally quiet village to life over the racing weekend.

Already 164 yachts have confirmed their entries, with three weeks still to go. The racing on Loch Fyne will be on three courses to suit a wide range of yachts, including IRC rating classes, CYCA rating classes, one design yachts, restricted sail yachts with a CYCA rating and sports boats.

The one-design classes are Sigma 33s, Impala 28s, Sonatas and Cork 1720s. There will be a variety of race courses, including windward-leeward triangle, windward-leeward and for some classes a day passage race. Daily prizes will be awarded each evening in the event marquee on the harbourside.

Like last year, there will again be stand-alone feeder races from Inverkip and Bangor. And new for 2006 is the Tunnock’s Trophy to be presented to the winning yacht in the feeder race from Bangor to Tarbert. This overnight passage race will take place on Wednesday 24 May 2006 and is being run in conjunction with the Royal Ulster Yacht Club. Tunnock’s have been a course sponsor at the Series for the past 20 years, and Boyd Tunnock will again be racing aboard his Moody 38 Lemarac. Yachts racing in the Inverkip feeder race, which takes place on Thursday 25 May, will compete for the Tarbert Shield.

As always, there’s an exciting shore-side activity programme running alongside the sailing in Loch Fyne.

This year for the first time, RYA Scotland is going to bring their ‘Sailing in the City’ initiative to Tarbert. The scheme aims to offer local and accessible sailing to young people all over Scotland and has proved really popular in its first two years of operation. Youngsters between the ages of 8-14 will get the chance to learn the basics of sailing.

Commenting on their seventh year of sponsorship, Fraser Gardiner, Director of investment managers, Bell Lawrie said: “We’re delighted to continue to support the Scottish Series. We work hard with the Clyde Cruising Club and other sponsors to make it an event to remember.”