Loch Fyne beat the forecasters, serving up the 195 competing yachts at The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series a peach of a Highland spring day of fluffy clouds and sunshine, but with the modest breeze blowing from the west – off the Kintyre shore – it was riddled with shifts in direction and strength.

Racing across the picturesque Loch the action was at its most intense. Where the 21 boat 1720 fleet the 21 boat Sigma 33 fleet and the Sportsboats raced together on the same windward/leeward loop the turning marks saw a virtually continuous stream of boats rounding throughout their three short sharp races. The wind shifts dealt out some tough lessons to the leaders and some golden opportunities for those chasing.

After a string of wins in IRC Class 4 the Strangford Lough-based DB2 Raparee 2 had only one discarded 12th to blemish their scorecard and was among the top tips for the overall Trophy. Today their form slipped in the shifty breeze and a seventh and a third means they are now locked on a 14 points aggregate tally along with the Sigma 362 Significant, and so may now be out of the running for the overall Scottish Series Trophy.

The destination of the overall trophy is now very open. Being a subjective decision made by the sponsors and the Clyde Cruising Club’s senior flag officers it is never easy to second guess whether it will be a string of wins in a softer, smaller class which earns the main prize

or consistent podium places and the odd blemish in a tough division.

IRC Class 3 is the domain of the current trophy holders, Hamish Mackay and his team on an Elan 333 Elanor, past Scottish Series trophy winner John Highcock on Salamander XVI, sister-ship of the Slovenian-built Rob Humphreys’ design, the X332 Tundra which is steered by owner Donald Sharp

2001’s Clyde Master Helm, and international bowman turned co-owner Jimmy Houston and a good crew on the Jeanneau Sun Fast 37 2 Sassy. Mackay and his crew faltered in the first race today after the wind shifted right when they were out to the left on the first leg and earned a discarded sixth, but they came back with their third win of the series so far in the second contest and so lead the class by two points. “It’s a good, hard class to win with any of three or four boats which can win races, so were are just glad to be staying up there and leading the class.” Commented Elanor’s tactician Dave Kelly.

In the 1720 class Anthony O’Leary’s Cork crew on Ford Racing, who took third at last Autumn’s European championship and had never sailed on Loch Fyne before until this week, still lead the class after counting a fourth and a second today. They stared with a 15th in the first of their three heats today, which they discarded, but it could prove a punishing burden if they make any serious errors tomorrow. Mike Budd’s Gul lies in second with local helm Ruaraidh Scott lying third. Any one of these three boats could win the class tomorrow.

Two wins for Bob and Bairbre Stewart’s Azure, the Dubois 40, in what were very much their preferred conditions, 4 -15 knots of wind, earned them the overall lead in IRC Class 1. In contrast it was not a great day for the heavier Swan 65 Desperado who dropped to second overall.

Class 2 is still tight too. Nigel Biggs and Pete Evans on the Beneteau 36.7 Crewsaver Dickies scored a first and a second today and lead by just two points from Hamish Oliphant’s 1995 built Corby 35, Highland Spirit. Their first and third for day keeps them just two points behind the Beneteau.

Series Results:

IRC Class 1:

1 Azure (B & B Stewart) 9 pts

2 Desperado (R Loftus) 11

3 Cracklin’ Rosie 24

IRC Class 2:

1 Crewsaver Dickies (N Biggs) 8

2 Highland Spirit (H Oliphant) 10

3 Jacana (B Douglas) 16

IRC Class 3:

1 Elanor (A Mitchell) 10

2 Tundra (D Sharp) 13

3 Salamander XVI (J Corson) 23

IRC Class 4:

1 Significant (Wilson/Lyall) 14

2 Rapparee II (Hyde/Boulter/Woods) 14

3 Enigma (H Morrison) 18

Sigma 33 Class:

1 The White Tub (D Aitken) 2 St Joan (I Nicolson) 21

3 Pepsi (A Milton) 36

Cork 1720 Class:

1 Ford Racing (A O’Leary) 14

2 Gul (Budd/Woosey) 18

3 King Quick (G Scott) 19

Sportboat Class:

1 Impetuous (Brown/Morton) 10

2 Hoot (G Purves) 16

3 Lord of the Isles (Hull/Hathaway) 23

Hunter 707 Class:

1 Doh! (T Davidson) 9

2 Pond Life (C Holden) 11

3 Eh! (A Wright) 13

Sonata Class:

1 Jammie Dodger (H Gairns) 5

2 Tragedy (M Caldwell) 13

3 Pied Piper (A Harper) 15

CYCA Class 5:

1 Scanne (G Aikman) 8

2 Guilty (D Clow) 11

3 Sewdish Lady ( I Harris) 13

CYCA Class 6:

1 Vaila (P Watt) 4

2 Ailish II (W Malone) 17

3 Michael (D Jamieson) 19

CYCA Class 7:

1 Obsession (E & N Sim) 6

2 Mellow Moment (A Rodger) 9

3 Upstart (E Thomas) 10

CYCA Restricted Sail Class:

1 Starry Night (C Reeves) 4

2 Smarty Pants (H Kerr) 11

3 Skibbereen (B Pilkington) 14

Race 1 Results:

IRC Class 1:

1 Azure 01:34:17

2 Cracklin’ Rosie 01:36:07

3 Desperado 01:36:09

IRC Class 2:

1 Highland Spirit 01:34:51

2 Crewsaver Dickies 01:35:44

3 Finale (D Walters) 01:36:01

IRC Class 3:

1 Megawat (P Watson) 01:33:15

2 Tundra 01:35:24

3 Hops (Bolton/McLean) 01:36:03

IRC Class 4:

1 Enigma 01:36:17

2 Significant 01:36:34

3 Valhalla of Ashton (F Dunnet) 01:37:09

Sigma 33 Class:

1 Sigmatic (D McLaren) 01:10:52

2 Carmen (P Scutt) 01:10:52

3 St Joan 01:11:09

Cork 1720 Class:

1 Goacher Sails (C Ducker) 00:49:16

2 King Quick 00:51:00

3 Corwynt IV (S Evens) 00:51:37

Sportboat Class:

1 Impetuous 00:46:31

2 Lord of the Isles 00:47:21

3 Solaris (H Loudon) 00:47:35

Hunter 707 Class:

1 Eh! 00:57:15

2 Pond Life 00:57:25

3 Blue Funk (Stuart/Ram) 00:59:29

Sonata Class:

1 Jammie Dodger 01:27:10

2 Scruples (C Tait) 01:27:10

3 Pied Piper 01:28:00

CYCA Class 5:

1 Crusader of Rhu (D Cameron) 01:11:02

2 Swedish Lady 01:11:25

3 Local Hero (G Howison) 01:11:43

CYCA Class 6:

1 Vaila 01:09:14

2 Michael 01:11:20

3 Trillian (I Laidlaw) 01:14:11

CYCA Class 7:

1 Odsession 00:56:36

2 Mellow Moment 00:57:27

3 Upstart 00:58:58

CYCA Restricted Sail Class:

1 Starry Night 00:56:24

2 Smarty Pants 00:56:53

3 Fast Buck (D Lawson) 00:59:00

Race 2 Results:

IRC Class 1:

1 Azure 02:45:11

2 Bateleur 97 (C Bonar) 02:50:09

3 Cracklin’ Rosie 02:51:10

IRC Class 2:

1 Crewsaver Dickies 02:50:51

2 Finale 02:51:06

3 Highland Spirit 02:52:24

IRC Class 3:

1 Elanor 02:12:22

2 Tundra 02:12:49

3 Megawat 02:13:44

IRC Class 4:

1 Significant 02:15:09

2 Jezebel (P & S Howell) 02:15:48

3 Rapparee II 02:16:50

Sigma 33 Class:

1 Sigmatic 00:54:45

2 St

Joan 00:55:09

3 Cataline (W Bower) 00:55:20

Cork 1720 Class:

1 Gul 00:53:27

2 Martin Reilly Motors (D Maguire) 00:53:53

3 Red Green (S Douglas) 00:54:12

Sportboat Class:

1 Impetuous 00:30:33

2 Doh! (T Davidson) 00:30:40

3 Hoot 00:31:02

Hunter 707 Class:

1 Doh! 00:36:33

2 Eh! 00:37:37

3 Pond Life 00:38:26

Sonata Class:

1 Jammie Dodger 01:47:14

2 Tragedy 01:50:26

3 Pied Piper 01:50:52

CYCA Class 5:

1 Guilty 01:40:04

2 Border Reiver (Scott/Wilson) 01:40:05

3 Swedish Lady 01:40:48

CYCA Class 6:

1 Vaila 01:35:27

2 Michael 01:35:44

3 Mosika Alma (Spall/Goodwin) 01:37:18

CYCA Class 7:

1 Sula (Davidson/Hubbard) 01:14:35

2 Obsession 01:15:35

3 Mellow Moment 01:15:30

CYCA Restricted Sail Class:

1 Starry Night 01:39:59

2 Skibbereen 01:46:03

3 Dansa (C Shelly) 01:49:27

Race 3:

Sigma 33 Class:

1 The White Tub 00:58:37

2 St Joan 00:59:22

3 Pepsi 00:59:49

Cork 1720 Class:

1 Wet n Black (Paul Reilly) 01:19:46

2 Ford Racing 01:20:38

3 Aquatack (D Faherty) 01:20:39

Sportboat Class:

1 Impetuous 00:54:06

2 Pond Life (C Holden)00:54:10

3 Hoot 00:54:43