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West Highland Yachting Week 2020 – Notice of Cancellation

With much consideration the West Highland Yachting Week Joint Regatta Committee regret to announce the cancellation of West Highland Yachting Week 2020

With the on going Covid 19 pandemic the well being of our competitors, organisers and the communities that welcome the event must be our top priority. We want to thank our sponsors for their continued support, and all of those that help us to make the event what it is.

West Highland Yachting Week will return on 31st July – Friday 6th August 2021, we look forward to you joining us for what we hope will be another great event. 

In the mean time we hope you stay safe and thank you all for your support and understanding.

COVID-19 OUTBREAK
The Joint Regatta Committee are carefully monitoring the situation regarding the Coronavirus outbreak which has forced the cancellation of a large number of events such as the Scottish Series and Cork Week etc. we send our very best to the organisers and all competitors of these events.
We are deferring a decision on whether this years WHYW will be run or not and expect to make a decision on this by the end of April
In the meantime, stay safe and well and we wish you all the very best during this crisis”.
The WHYW Joint Regatta Committee

Let me introduce myself. I have recently taken over from Beppo Buchanan Smith as chairman of West Highland Yachting Week. Beppo described me as possibly the most landlocked sailor he had ever met, and as such I may not be best suited to the post. But balanced against that my entire family sail and for the last few years we have fielded some 8 family members from three generations (in two boats) helping to make up the fleet.
Your committee is already working diligently towards ensuring that West Highland Yachting Week 2020 is a good one and we are particularly interested in your feedback on how you would like us to improve the week.

As examples
– Do you like to race round an island or round the buoys?
– Would you like to see a “semi restricted sail class” which lets you use your spinnaker on the passage races, without the ungentlemanly hassle of coping with it round the buoys?
– Would you like a two handed class?
– How might you encourage your friends to join the event?

Please email any feedback to Laura at office@whyw.co.uk

We will look forward to seeing you on the water in 2020. Thank you for your continued support of this event, and my personal thanks also to all those who work so hard to make it happen.
Finally, I and the rest of the committee would like to wish you the compliments of the season!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Gavin Marshall

Today our challenge was to race Sola from Oban to Tobermory. Tessa was our timekeeper and counted us down to the start. We crossed the line in a good position and headed up wind toward the Lady Rock trying not to be intimidated by Glenafton charging up behind us.  Before reaching the lighthouse we were badly headed and almost the entire fleet sailed by to our dismay. However we made a good track through unfavourable tide where others seemed to be sailing backwards.

 The wind picked up in the Sound of Mull and we had a fun upwind sail, vying for position with the Wallace family on Gumdrop. Mum and I made a good team tacking the genoa, especially when the wind rose over 24 knots and Sola hummed with delight at such a good sail. We don’t know where we finished in the class but we all had a great day, with a friendly hoot from Chico as we crossed the line in Tobermory Bay.  

We are now rafted up on a mooring with Murray Caldwell from Owen Sails (today’s race sponsor) and his crew on Oyster Catcher.

Polly Quaile
Sola

Today’s race results published along with latest Points Series.

Today’s results published.

86 starters this morning. Showers and sunny patches during start.  Spinnakers flying up the east side of Lismore.  No recalls for the first time – well mannered fleet!  The Yeoman Bridge had a good view of the start.

We do not know if these vehicles are anything to do with the WHYW fleet, but if any of you are the owner/s of Toyota Yaris SL14 JHO or Citron Berlingo SM09 XZL which are blocking the access to the Seafood Temple bin (due to be emptied first thing Wednesday morning and is at present completely blocked), but if so, if they are not removed by  Tuesday afternoon they will have no choice but to contact the police and report the said vehicles for obstruction.