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