2018

West Highland Yachting Week 2018.

The Joint Committee has arranged with Ron and Graeme Cowan of www.yachtingimages.co.uk that jpegs of the photographs taken during WHYW18 can be downloaded free of charge for personal use by WHYW officials, helpers and participating yacht owners and crews until 28^th. September 2018.

The copyright of all images remains with Yachting Images but owners and crews may download images of their own yachts and general views for their own personal, non commercial, use.   A ‘Restricted Use’ licence will be included with the download and this will allow each file to be posted on the downloader’s own personal social media site(s).  The images must not be shared with any other person, commercial firm or organisation, or used on the internet except as mentioned above.

As usual high quality prints can be ordered through www.yachtingimages.co.uk  and any enquiries regarding any commercial use, including yacht sales & brokerage, press, publication in print and on the internet , etc. should be addressed to ron@yachtingimages.co.uk . A charge may be made for such use.

For access to the link to download your own files please contact – office@whyw.co.uk

This link may be privately shared with those who crewed with you during WHYW18 but must not be shared with others, or published anywhere.

Kind regards

Joint Regatta Committee
West Highland Yachting Week

Congratulations to Leaky Roof II – one of three getting all answers correct, but judged the winner on their anagram of West Highland Yachting Week – Decathlete Whisky Whanging. 

ANSWERS

1. Maiden Island
2. Oban bay
3. Crinan Canal
4. Sron Beag
5. Ardrishaig
6. Craobh Marina
7. Lismore Light
8. Sound of Mull
9. Firth of Lorn
10. Tobermory
11. Loch Linnhe
12. Bach Island
13. Easdale Island
14. Cutter Rock
15. Great Cumbrae
16. Island of Kerrera
17. Island of Luing
18. Ardluing Buoy
19. Island of Shuna
20. Dubh Sgeir
21. Island of Fladda
22. Insh Island
23. Sgeir Savary
24. Fuinary Rocks
25. Calve Island
26. Morvern Shore
27. Ardnacross Buoy
28. Ardmore Point
29. Yule Rock Buoy
30. Dunstaffnage Marina
31. Hutcheson Rock
32. Skervuile Light
33. Ledaig Pier
34. Largs Marina
35. Garroch Head
36. Barmore Island
37. Sgeir Nuadh
38. An Acairseid Bay
39. Ardencaple Bay
40. Sligneach

Tobermory to Oban passage race                                                                               3 August 2018

View from the back – first time sailing West Highland Week (first time racing) as a family.

After a great time crabbing and playing cards and looking for Lego Men in Tobermory with some of the other kids we woke up thinking that maybe we won’t come last today, we were wrong. Unfortunately at the start we were just over the line because we were distracted by a passing seal. We turned and back over the line we went, which put us last already.

We were the first class to set off. We thought of this as an advantage, we were wrong. Slowly as the race progressed, every boat passed us with spinnakers of all colours cracking like thunder as the wind came and went until we were at the back, again. There was singing on the rail, sandwiches sat on, Grannies baking and Tunnocks tea cakes – yum.

As the second last boat crossed the finish line, they were only a dot on the horizon. Once we had finished we cheered and were grateful for the cheering too from the committee boat. We thanked the committee for being so patient waiting for us and started to motor to Dunstaffnage where we are looking forward to a BBQ and the rest of our holiday.

Eilidh (14) and Mairi (12) McPhee – White Lady

Day 5

Thursday 2 August. Class 5

Race 1 

It’s time for Leaky Roof 2’s Thursday caramel log *pun intended!* 

As the race started we were dubious of our position but the roof managed to find a reasonable position after a Tunnocks snowball fight of a start. The race officer then decided to pull the plug due to an unfair wind-shift. This allowed the crew time to have a coffee and a Tunnocks Teacake, cause as you know ‘there’s tonnes of taste in a Tunnock’s!’

After a short time the race officer decided to give it another go, the roof had a chaotic restart but managed to dig themselves out and worked hard to claim second place behind Sea-Pie of Cultra.

Race 2

There was a wafer cream thin chance of us having a perfect start and we ended up pushing shadowfax and ourselves over the start line, because of this we had to jibe putting us on the port tack which actually benefited us in the long run. The rest of the race was mainly traffic management over the four rounds before we bagged ourselves a cheeky first place, you could even say the roof was on fire !

On the way back to Tobermory we put the tunes on, laid back and had a wee ‘daydream with a wafer cream’!

Name: Rachel Harper

Age: 15

Boat Name: Leaky Roof 2

Class: 5

Day 4

Wednesday 1 August. Class 5

Race 1

So what’s the story in Balamory wouldn’t you like to know. Well, today was a 23 mile passage race from Oban to Tobermory with an extremely early start time of 07:55 that was as horrible as it sounds but once everyone was up and changed into their water-proofs we were ready to go !

Some misleading information about the position of the start line from a certain team member meant that we weren’t as early as we would have liked, but, we still made it in time. 

Leaky Roof 2 had a great start after class 7 had a general recall giving us clear air and plenty of space to work our way up the Lismore shore with Shadowfax and Leaky Roof 2 tacking off early for fresh breeze, this led to them establishing an early lead.  

Whilst trying to go round the outside of the Sgair Nan Gael island, we noticed Shadowfax sneaking through the inside of said island and Lismore light, after some deliberation we decided to follow the local knowledge through the small gap without once taking our eye off the depth ! 

Very shortly after squeezing through we put the kite up and were off to Tobermory where we worked extremely hard to get clean air stopping the big boats from going to windward of us. 

Leaky Roof 2 briefly gained on close competitor Shadowfax before they managed to escape again in their own wind finishing first in our class. 

Once back in Tobermory we settled down for T and medals. T being Tennents and medals being the extra boxes of Tunnocks Caramel Wafers thrown over to us.

Name: Rachel Harper

Age: 15

Boat Name: Leaky Roof 2

Class: 5 

Day 4 of West Highland Yacht Week for Blue Jay, Class 1:

An early start for all classes led to an interesting mix of conditions with wind speeds building and dropping off throughout the day with a building tide against the passage through the Sound of Mull. All onboard shook off the clutches of sleep and put on a happy face ready for racing! 

Racing started on time for all classes, bar class 7 who seemed almost too keen to get their pontoon berth in Tobermory… All competitors had passed through Lady’s Rock by around 8:45, after this the pace really began to snowball. With wind just aft of the beam many of the fleet hoisted reaching kites with these being exchanged or peeled for their larger running equivalents as the wind continued to track back. At this stage class 1 began to separate with many of the class heading high to get the early benefit of fresh wind whilst others sailed a straighter course risking the effects of the tide. 

The sail through the sound, past Salen, really took the biscuit with a gradual bear away and the first signs of Tobermory appearing off the bow. Most of the fleet chose a shoreline route, sticking to the wafer thin shallows with several gybing battles ensuing. Although the wind looked favourable in the main channel, many yachts stuck to this tactic as they likely feared the deeper water would be like sailing through pure caramel with no hope of rolling across the competition. A few yachts ventured out into the channel and it paid dividends as the wind swung forwards and filled in strongly, giving the boost they needed to pull away from those behind to close the gap to the front runners. After this it was only a short round up outside the bay at Tobermory and across the finish line. 

Racing finished in high spirits with all competitors happy with their performance and ready for a well deserved pint in the Mishnish (other brands of Tobermory hospitality are available). 

A special mention to Wildwood, with the youngest helm barely able to see over the wheel! They prove that West Highland Yacht Week is still truly a family business. And also to our great friend and crew member Fiona Rae who celebrates her birthday today!

Thanks to all racers, organisers and sponsors for what has been a brilliant week so far with more yet to come! 

Cheers

Blue Jay, GBR 2068R

Day 2

Monday 30 July. Class 5

Race 1

Once again it was another dry departure from Craobh with the champagne sailing southerly winds reaching 24kts at times. Lots of boats made the decision to add a few reefing lines to their mains and number 2’s.

With a lively and gusty start the class 5 boats were off on a very splashy 3 mile beat with lots of serious hiking involved! 

Heading round the Isle of Shuna we had a 17 mile spinnaker run toward Oban which thankfully stayed dry for the whole stretch.

During this time Warrior from class 1 had a rather exciting turn of events when their kite breached and knocked their jib into the water which they didn’t realise until quite some time later.

On board Leaky Roof 2, there were no repeats of yesterday’s head smashing and again using the Tunnocks kit for inspiration. 

Name: Rachel

Age: 15

Boat Name: Leaky Roof 2

Class: 5

Craobh to Oban Passage Race- Class 6

Today I went sailing with Mummy on Granny and Grandad’s boat. I woke up nice and early to prepare for a serious day of racing, but I was too excited and peaked early so had to be put down for nap as we left the dock.

I’m told that the start was nice and windy without too much drama, and that the windward leg went off without a hitch. I decided to join the rest of the crew about half way down the Sound of Luing, at which point a delicious lunch was served. I remember eating a particularly tasty bit of cheese as the first of the Class 1 boats started to overtake us. Their sails have lots of pretty colours.

I chewed on ropes for a bit and had a good play with a winch then daddy sailed past in his boat Satisfaction and I got to wave at all my friends.

I got to see a pretty boat called Chico with lots of flags when we finished the race. Mummy said I had to wave nicely at the race committee because they work very hard to let us go sailing. Then Mummy tried to make me have another nap… but I decided I didn’t want one.

   By Emily Marshall, Celerity (7 months, 3 weeks)