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| Tuesdays are the favourite racing nights at Forfar Loch |
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| Written by Graeme Knox | |
| Monday, 18 August 2008 | |
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Tuesday continues to be the favourite racing night and on the 12th there was the best turn out of the week. For some time easterlies have been the prevailing winds, and Tuesday evening was no exception but a promising afternoon breeze soon faded during the race.
Tony Walker (Enterprise) and Peter Tait (Laser) jostled for position at the start and continued the tustle up the windward leg at the front of the fleet. Brian Finnie (Europe) also found a clear patch while the two Solos of Jim Green and Nick White mixed it with Garry Rucklidge, unusually out on a weekday, in his Firefly. The Enterprise made a hole in the air and despite brief incursions from Graeme Knox (Laser) the leading pair stayed in front throughout. Brian Finnie took advantage and tactically kept clear but within sight of the leaders to take second. Peter made a last minute error and was pitched into third while Tony Walker took a deserved first. Thursday 14th August was a complete contrast in numbers from Tuesday and was a battle of the Grahams. Graeme Knox (Laser) and Graham Topping (Heron) launched in a reasonable east wind. Graeme waited for a seeming age at the start watching Graham virtually lap him before he was given the gun to get underway. The wind then quickly died. Neither Graham saw much of each other and were glad when it was over. Both finished on the same leg, but Graham was still a couple of minutes at least ahead of Graeme. Once again the wind on Sunday 17th in the afternoon was mainly from the east and threw in nasty gusts and twists, and it was these that decided the outcome of the races. The first race start was chaotic and only Graeme Knox (Laser) got away with clear air and pulled clear of Peter Tait (Laser) and Charlie Wintle (Radial). The Aberdeen contingent, Garry Rucklidge (Firefly) and John Main (Mirror Miracle) had a good squabble until Garry mistimed a gybe and capsized in a gust which forced his retiral at which John got away. The squalls and shifts were horrendous and another mistiming by Peter caused the second capsize of the race when he went over to windward and got his mast stuck on the bottom, taking a long time to get unstuck. Peter did recover to take second while Charlie Wintle stayed upright to get third and Graeme Knox bucked his usual trend and stayed upright to take first place. The second race took place in slightly lighter conditions but still with horrible gusts and twists. Peter and Graeme got clear away from the rest at the start and looked like having an interesting race, until Graeme repeated Peter’s error, took his eye off the wind and went over downwind. The best duel was again between John Main and Garry Rucklidge who sailed in close formation for most of the race and had a great time. Graeme got lucky and was closing fast on Peter who had to accelerate to cross the line in first both actually and on handicap. Graeme was second and John made the handicap timing for third. |
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