A Morning at Sea

Yesterday was the first day of the world-renowned West Ardnamurchan Regatta, a day when the first sailing races, and the windsurfing race take place.  In some ways the day started badly, with the elegant Sea Cloud II passing down the Sound on her motors, an indication that conditions might not be too favourable for a sailing race.

There were no competitors for the windsurfing event - which was just as well in view of an almost dead calm - and only three skippers reported for the sailing briefing, ably presented by Commodore Alastair MacColl - from left to right, Tom Colville, Alex Hester and David Syme.

Despite a small technical hitch with Alex's Laser (right) - a bung had become detached so it was briefly in danger of sinking - the  boats were soon jockeying for position at the start - the signal flags can just be seen between Tom's green-hulled Dracombe Coaster and Alex's boat, with David's Drascombe Dabber to the left.

My thanks to Chris Gane for taking me to sea in the rescue boat. We were inevitably bothered by various tourist boats which kept getting in the way of our serious rescuing business, this one with Hughie MacLachlan aboard. I understand that they may have been acting as a back-up rescue boat, but they seem to have spent most of their time sunbathing, mackerel fishing or stealing prawns off....

....a much more serious fisherman, Alasdair MacLachlan, in his neat little creel boat Poppy.

The three competitors passed close along the Ormsaigbeg shore but, because of the light winds, the leg across to Ardmore Point was omitted. The racers rounded a buoy below the Twin's House before heading across Kilchoan Bay to a buoy off Glas Elieann and then back to the start line.

It was glorious if gentle sailing, with the sun coming in and out and occasional seals and dolphins surfacing to watch.

A second sailing race took place in the afternoon, and a further sailing race follows at 10.00am this morning, the rowing, kayaking, raft and power boat races then starting at 10.30.