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Solway Yacht Club’s Easter Eggstravaganza
All over the Easter weekend, the Solway Yacht Club launched its 2024 sailing season. With both on shore challenges and competitive racing on the water, in weather that varied from low temperatures and strong winds to warm spring sunshine, Easter 2024 had just about everything.
Cadets Fun Day:
First off on Good Friday, the cadets started the season by taking part in the brand-new local RNLI 200 Walking Quiz throughout Kippford. In the very mixed weather conditions the Cadets stayed positive, racing against one another. This was the trial run of our lifeboat’s quiz which will be available for everyone from the Lifeboat Shop. The cadets’ completed answer sheets have been handed in to the RNLI for marking, with the winners to be declared later. The quiz is one of three compiled by the local RNLI, comprising of short, medium, or long courses around and in the hills above the village. After the cadets did the short course, it was Easter Eggs all round and good wishes for those taking part in racing over the following two days.
Competitive sailing 2024 launched:
Saturday dawned foul with strong bitter-cold wind and the promise of better weather later. The Easter series of five races was under the expert eye of Race Officer John Broadbent who set challenging triangular courses in the bay. A couple of crews never launched given the conditions while two others had a capsize or broken gear before even reaching the start.
A clean start to race one by those that did make the line, didn’t last long. Only a few seconds into the race and close in-shore, toe-strap failure on the RS Vision of James Bishop and Noa Crowley pitched James backwards in the cold salty stuff followed by the inevitable capsize. Taking avoiding action, Scott McColm in his Finn narrowly avoided both a collision with the capsized Vision’s mast and the very close-by rocks. However, Stewart Mitchell in another Finn and the welcome return of Alec Glendinning in his Laser Vortex led the fleet before another gear failure, this time to the Vortex, forced his retirement and a pit stop back at the pier. Not too far back the Cadets Finn Harris and Toby Iglehart were having the first of several closely matched races in their ILCA4 (Laser 4.7s). This was Iglehart’s very first sail in the 4.7 having moved up a class from his previous Topper.
Race two and a depleted fleet again had 2023 Club Champion Mitchell continuing from where he left off, disappearing into the distance. By Race three the sun was now shining and the wind dropping, and both Glendinning and the Bishop/Crowley crew had returned, the latter switching to a GP14 for the rest of this series. Really enjoying his first ILCA4 sailing, Iglehart now got the better of his fellow Cadet Harris to take second in the race.
Day two of the series and Easter Sunday welcomed wall to wall Spring sunshine but still with a now gusty Easterly blowing straight down from over the nearby hills. The non-starters and retirements from day one joined the fleet together with several additions making for a crowded start line. Again, the Mitchell Finn and Glendinning Vortex led the fleet with a big gap between the leaders and a gutsy Lucy Leyshon sailing hard in her Topper to a strong fourth overall never far from the rest. Iglehart now really going well, again got the better of Harris in the ILCA4 while Keith Veasey was 6th in the second Finn beating McColm in another Finn into 8th, the two split by James Colbeck in another ILCA4. A better result for Bishop/Crowley GP14 was spoiled by the jib sheet coming loose, handing 9th place to the Firefly of Ian Purkis and Ida Iglehart.
Race five and for once Mitchell was one of two boats over the line at the start so were recalled, starting late but soon off giving chase but Mitchell was still OCS, spoiling what could have been a clean sweep of five out of five wins. Nevertheless, it was congratulations all round but “Sail of the Eggstravaganza” had to go to Toby Iglehart finishing second overall.
The Club’s annual Open Day is now not far off on Saturday 11th May when the Club looks forward to welcoming the local community to sample the delights of all types of boating in our beautiful surroundings.
Article by Ian Purkis - All images by Margaret Purkis
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Down for the first time in 50 years, and four hours later, back up!
A well-known local landmark along Rough Firth in Kippford, the Solway Yacht Club’s Race Officer’s Box mast, had stood for over fifty years marking the end of the Club’s start and finish line. However, its rigging was showing its age and while previous minor maintenance had been done off a ladder, more substantial work was needed that required it at ground level. Made of a heavy metal section that was once part of a large ocean-going yacht, lowering it safely without a crane was potentially tricky. After careful preparation and in fine early Spring sunshine, a team of experienced members were briefed, and work started, rigging temporary ropes at key points secured to the shoreline rocks.
Saturday morning visitors to Kippford then watched the mast slowly lowered before coming to rest on trestles set up to receive it. Once down, the team set to, checking the fittings, most in surprisingly good condition, and replacing fewer than anticipated. With new shrouds fitted and securing bolts replaced, it was time to raise it once again. The process was reversed and with the help of one particularly strong member, seemed easier than anticipated. Shrouds were then secured, and the halyards safely fed and cleated inside the “Starting Hut” ready for the new season, starting over Easter. The team then enjoyed a well-earned break with one or two younger ones looking forward to doing it all again in another fifty years!
Ian Purkis
Mast Team Leader
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Cadet Week 2024 is Sunday July 21st – Thursday 25th
Kippford Week 2024 is Sunday August 4th – Thursday 8th with the RNLI Regatta on Saturday August 3rd.
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Recently, the club had need of a repair to a fixed VHF radio. A search of the internet revealed a number of companies but all wanted around half the value of the set just to look at it. Fortunately, a mountain rescue pal put me onto Willie Macpherson of Highland Signals Ltd. and they agreed a no fix no fee job. As it happened, it was not a big job but, even so, the price of £25 (plus VAT and carriage) seemed very reasonable indeed. They even threw in a new fuse holder and some connectors. Everything came back looking very neat. Their email is
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The club came away from the RYA Scotland Awards evening with one direct success and one indirect.
The trophy for Club of the Year was brought home to Kippford and the honour was all the sweeter when you consider the quality of the other two clubs on the shortlist; Royal Northern and Clyde YC and East Lothian YC. East Lothian now head for London as a shortlisted club for the UK awards and we wish them well.
Our one time cadet captain Jock Wishart was successful in the competition for Performance of the Year. Jock took the trophy with his Commodore's Cup team, who went to Cowes and came back not only victorious but very clearly the top team. Jock was kind enough to mention the club in his acceptance speech.
One thing we learned was that, should you be at a Burns Supper and Jock is addressing the Great Chieftain o' the Puddin Race, you'll hear and see a lively address; just keep out of claymore range! See Jock in full cry on the Facebook page.