Cove Sailing Club duo win Loch Long One Design national championships

The pair, from hosts Cove Sailing Club, won one of the championships’ nine races on board Tik Hai (42/109), backing that up with five second place finishes and a fourth to set a low overall score of 15 points after discards to secure the winner’s trophy, the Clyde Cup.

An impressive fleet of 18 boats took part in the event, held over the course of six days from July 23-28, hosted by Cove Sailing Club and sponsored by RB Marine, local businesses and private individuals linked to the class.

The fleet comprised 10 local boats and eight boats who made 500-mile trip north from Aldeburgh in Suffolk, all competing for the Clyde Cup, which was first presented in 1953 – and with five previous winners in this year’s fleet, it was always going to be competitive.

Eighteen boats and crews competed in the Loch Long One Design National Championships, hosted by Cove Sailing Club (Photos: Ewan Turner and Simon Jackson)

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A total of nine races were successfully completed and race officer Kevin Rickerby set some fantastic windward-leeward courses in different race areas.

The majority of the races were sailed in wind of 12-18 knots and the competitors were treated to a mixture of wind directions, making for competitive start lines and good, tight racing right through the fleet.

With the quality of the race teams competing, it became evident that being consistent was going to be a real struggle.

Behind Alan and Robbie, second place went to visiting boat Fiona (141), which was raced by Robert Mulcahy and Tom Robertson, who scored an impressive three race wins and finished on an overall score of 22 points. They also secured the coveted Traveller’s Trophy for the best-placed visiting boat.

Eighteen boats and crews competed in the Loch Long One Design National Championships, hosted by Cove Sailing Club (Photos: Ewan Turner and Simon Jackson)

Pied Piper (20) and Dolphin (70) were tied on 25 points at the end of the week, having each secured two race wins. Pied Piper, helmed by Alan McLeod and crewed by Robert Walker, secured third place after a countback, with Dolphin, raced by Murray Caldwell and crewed by young Ru Hall, having to settle for fourth.

Cove’s Alan Harper, crewed by daughter Rachel in Capricorn (66), rounded out the top five on a score of 28 points.

A special mention goes to Annie Burden on Moonshine (102) and crew Joey Lyon, who scored a great race win on the last day of the event.

The Vanduara Trophy for the most improved boat during the regatta was awarded to Zoe Robinson-Frood and Kirsty Robertson who managed to mix it with the lead boats this year, scoring very creditable second and third place finishes during the week.

Eighteen boats and crews competed in the Loch Long One Design National Championships, hosted by Cove Sailing Club (Photos: Ewan Turner and Simon Jackson)

The Jimmy’s Cup for Endeavour was awarded to Adam MacDonald in Grey Goose (124), crewed by several cadets who pulled out all the stops to get out on the water, while the James Powell Cup for the best white sail boat went to Charles and Liz McDowell in Eden (138).

The week was rounded off with a prizegiving and buffet at Cove Sailing Club, where Cove Commodore Wells Grogan thanked all those involved in putting on such a successful regatta which had great racing and some excellent social events.

Eighteen boats and crews competed in the Loch Long One Design National Championships, hosted by Cove Sailing Club (Photos: Ewan Turner and Simon Jackson)

Eighteen boats and crews competed in the Loch Long One Design National Championships, hosted by Cove Sailing Club (Photos: Ewan Turner and Simon Jackson)

Eighteen boats and crews competed in the Loch Long One Design National Championships, hosted by Cove Sailing Club, with Alan and Robbie DeVenny (main image) winning the Clyde Cup (Photos: Ewan Turner and Simon Jackson)