Conditions for the second day of the 32nd West Ardnamurchan Regatta could hardly have been better, with a light to moderate southwesterly blowing into the bay - a perfect following wind for the inshore races - and bright, sunny intervals, so the big spectator turnout was no surprise.
It was a day of....
....rafts that set off with high hopes but sank before they reached the start line....
....boats that veered off course into the path of their fiercest rivals....
....races where, although the course is a good fifty metres wide, everyone tries to follow the same line....
....with the result that, not only do boats collide....
....but there is blatant sabotage of one's opponents and even....
.....attempts to board the rival, even after the finishing post has been passed.
It was a great day for digging deep as the finish approached, to find the last ounce of energy to surge across the line....
....of trying to get an outboard to start, an outboard which, on any other day, would roar into life at first tug of the lanyard....
....of near swampings....
....and raw power once this big engines were started....
....and lonely moments out in the deep blue sea when the outboard packed up.
It was a day for the younger spectators....
....the younger competitors....
....and the older prizewinners.
It was a day thoroughly enjoyed by the large crowds that attended....
....a very special day which would not have been possible without the efforts of the Regatta Committee, led with great panache by Mr Alastair MacColl of Portuairk, and the many people who helped behind the scenes.
Finally, it was a memorable day for the many prizewinners.
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