Cramond open meeting

National 12 Lairwell Trophy Travellers Series 2014
 
The first of the three events scheduled in 2014 to compete for the Lairwell Trophy was held at Cramond Boat Club on Sunday 25th May. 25, 14. After spending Saturday night in the Cramond Inn and in the Boat Club clubhouse where there was a live music event, a tribute to Burt Bacharach, the competitors arrived on Sunday morning to weather slightly different from that forecast. Whilst the wind direction…..a North Easterly blowing straight
up the River Almond, was correct, the strength appeared considerably underestimated….the forecast Force 3 to 4, was at the low end of reality with 25mph winds being recorded out in the race area.
 
Nevertheless all five competitors set off for the race area…after a tricky launching exercise off of a lee shore, the competitors found conditions out in the race area not much easier with a difficult quartering swell making the reaches more than exciting!

Angus Beyts and Andrew Harris sailing N2153, the last to leave the shore, decided that discretion was the better part of valour and were the first to also return ashore! As the OOD Drew Pratt attempted to finalise the start line and starting sequence the rescue crews were called in to action as Will Mitchell and Lois Spooner sailing N3479 fell in shortly followed by Piotr Wojtczuk and Anna Basista sailing N2620. Whilst Will and Lois managed repeat the trick several times and also attempted to dredge the Firth of Forth with their mainsail, covering themselves in dollops of mud; Piotr and Anna were not so lucky as their buoyancy bags decided to detach from their hull. Thankfully the rescue team of Euan, Lawrie and Reginaldo were more than up to the challenge and successfully recovered them and their boat to the safety of the shore. Whilst this was going on Alex and Denise Tulloch in N3223 and Ed Willett and Sarah Smith in N1833 planed up and down awaiting the commencement of proceedings. However with the wind showing no signs of decreasing, the rescue teams fully occupied and with only two boats remaining it was decided to abandon the race.
 
Once all safely ashore the competitors concluded that discretion was indeed the better part of valour and decided to abandon any further racing for the day. A lunch of soup and rolls was enjoyed by all amidst some the post race chat and craic! The bottles of wine which were to be handed out at prize giving were distributed to all entrants…for turning up! It is hoped to re-schedule the event to later in the year. Watch this space.
 
Sincere thanks to all Cramond Boat Club volunteers who did an excellent job in difficult conditions….and to Will and Lois for making the journey north and showing the local sailors with their wooden boats what a modern Carbon fibre National 12 looks like…although poor old N3479 went home with more holes than she arrived with!

"Lto R, Piotr Wojtczuk, Lois Spooner and Alex Tulloch assist Will Mitchell (back turned) to pack up Not Another Aardvark"....  
 
Competitors