The visiting English Swan 65 Desperado owned by Richard Loftus leads the big boat class, IRC Class 1 after their third day of racing at the 195 boat Bell Lawrie Scottish Series on Loch Fyne yeserday.

With lighter and more unsettled breezes today Loftus and his team relied on astute tactics and slick crew work to keep the substantial ketch in touch with her lighter, racier rivals, and posted a second and third.

Able to sail their own race from the front Bob and Bairbre Stewart’s Dublin-based Azure, the Dubois 40, won the first race while Chris Bonar’s BH 36 atoned for starting very late in the first race, with a win the day’s second contest.

With south-westerly breezes proving light – between 3 and 10 knots – and shifty through both of the IRC classes’ contests, and the rain dampening down spirits in the afternoon, it was a day when a first leg lead often proved decisive.

Two wins today for the North of England team on a new Beneteau First 36.7 Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales, elevates them lead their class. They were sharp of the start lines today and rarely troubled by Hamish Oliphant’s Corby 35 Highland Spirit which won twice the previous day.

The 21-boat 1720 Cork One Designs is rich in talent and, with three past Scottish Series Trophy in the fleet, is considered on of the toughest to win. For their first ever time on Loch Fyne, Cork’s Anthony O’Leary and his team on Ford Racing have shown themselves to be at no disadvantage and lead by three points from local Tarbert ace Ruaraidh Scott on King Quick. Both proved their ability to come back from a big wind shift on the first leg of their second race. Ford Racing fought back to second and King Quick took fourth.

Results (after race three)

Series Results: IRC Class 1:

1 Desperado (R Loftus) 5 pts

2 Azure (B & B Stewart) 7

3 Closing Time (Riley/Yates) 17

IRC Class 2:

1 Crewsaver Dickies (N Biggs) 5

2 Highland Spirit (H Oliphant) 6

3 Jacana (B Douglas) 8

IRC Class 3:

1 Elanor (A Mitchell) 9

2 Tundra (D Sharp) 9

3 Salamander XVI (J Corson) 10

IRC Class 4:

1 Rapparee II (Hyde/Boulter/Woods) 4

2 Enigma (H Morrison) 10

3 Significant (Wilson/Lyall) 11

Sigma 33 Class:

1 The White Tub (D Aitken) 5

2 St, Joan (I Nicolson) 14

3 Pepsi (A Milton) 16

Cork 1720 Class:

1 Ford Racing (A O’Leary) 9

2 King Quick (G Scott) 11

3 Gul (Budd/Woosey) 14

Sportsboat Class:

1 Impetuous (Brown/Morton) 13 13

2 Hoot (G Purves) 16

3 Doh! (T Davidson) 19

Hunter 707 Class:

1 Doh! ( T Davidson) 6

2 Pond Life (C Holden) 9

3 Eh! (A Wright) 11

Sonata Class:

1 Jammie Dodger (H Gairns) 4

2 Tragedy (M Caldwell) 11

3 Pied Piper (A Harper) 13

CYCA Class 5:

1 Scanne (G Aikman) 4

2 Guilty (D Clow) 10

3 Swedish Lady (I Harris) 15

CYCA Class 6:

1 Vaila (P Watt) 4

2 Highpointer (L Shellcock) 14

3 Lindisfarne II (J pearson) 16

CYCA Class 7:

1 Obsession (E & N Sim) 6

2 Upstart (E Thomas) 7

3 Mellow Moment (A Rodger) 9

CYCA Restricted Sail Class:

1 Celidh Mara (Peter Dixon) 11

2 Starry Night (C Reeves) 12

3 Smarty Pants (H Kerr) 12

Sunday

Race 1: IRC Class 1:

1 Azure 02:00:34

2 Desperado 02:05:18

3 Toucan (G & M Vaughan) 02 05:39

IRC Class 2:

1 Crewsaver Dickies 01:59:13

2 Highland Spirit 02:04:26

3 Jacana 02:06:50

IRC Class 3:

1 Salamander XVI 02:00:10

2 Tundra 02:02:54

3 Elanor 02:04:34

IRC Class 4:

1 Enigma 01:31:59

2 Significant 01:33:19

3 Bambi (G Doig) 01:33:59

Sigma 33 Class:

1 Pepsi 01:10:56

2 St

Joan 01:14:24

3 Razzmatazz (J Fraser) 01:15:14

Cork 1720 Class:

1 Gul 01:28:14

2 King Quick 01:30:14

3 Ford Racing 01:30:42

Sportboat Class:

1 Impetuous 01:07:20

2 Lord of the Isles (Hull/Hathaway) 01:07:20

3 Winsome Lose Some (D Low) 01:07:55

Hunter 707 Class:

1 Doh! 01:22:55

2 Pond Life 01:23:13

3 Eh! 01:25:22

Sonata Class:

1 Jammie Dodger 01:21:04

2 Tragedy 01;21:56

So (McLure/Stewart) 01:23:56

CYCA Class 5:

1 Scanne 02:44:56

2 Border Reiver (Scott/Wilson) 02:46:47

3 Thornoxon A MacIntyre) 02:48:25

CYCA Class 6:

1 Vaila 02:41:05

2 Ailish II (W Malone) 02:47:36

3 Warhorse G Brown) 02:47:48

CYCA Class 7:

Obsession 02:01:49

2 Upstart 02:03:07

3 Mellow Moment 02P:03:33

CYCA Restricted Sail Class:

Fast Buck (D Lawson) 02:13:05

2 Celidh Mara 02:18:16

3 Skibbereen (B Pilkington) 02:25:54

Sunday Race 2: IRC Class 1:

1 Bateleur 97 (C Bonar) 01:27:53

2 Azure 01:30:09

3 Desperado

IRC Class 2:

1 Crewsaver Dickies 01:29:00

2 Jacana 01:31:59

3 Thomas O’Malley (N Spurr) 01:33:29

IRC Class 3:

1 Elanor 01:35:03

2 Salamander XVI 01:35:51

3 Hops (Bolton/McLean) 01:37:27

IRC Class 4:

1 Rapparee II 00:56:43

2 Enigma 00:57:32

3 Sosumi (Breen/Payne) 00:57:53

Sigma 33 Class:

1 Pepsi 00:52:58

2 The White Tub 00:53:46

3 St Joan 00:54:20

Cork 1720 Class:

1 Gul 00:47:08

2 Ford Racing 00:47:56

3 The Big L (C Frize) 00:48:07

Sportsboat Class:

1 Impetous 00:47:28

2 Hoot 00:47:55

3 Solaris (H Loudon) 00:48:42

Hunter 707 Class:

1 Eh! 00:58:44

2 Doh! 00:59:05

3 Scooter (R Yates) 00:59:26

Sonata Class:

1 Jammie Dodger 00:59:14

2 Pied Piper 01:00:01

3 Off Quay (G Reid) 01:00:59