2006 Scottish Skiff Racing Championships

The 2006 Scottish Skiff Racing Championships were held at Largs Sailing Club over the weekend of the 31st September / 1st October. The event was also the last of five in the Scottish Skiff Grand Prix Circuit and attracted an amazing turnout of 39 skiffs. In the biggest individual class 8 Scottish Mustos were joined by three from England, including last years UK champion Ian Trotter who had already wrapped up 1st place in the Grand Prix prior to this event.

Race 1 got underway in a light 5-8 knot easterly and at the windward mark Trotter was leading from Ian Renilson (Dalgety Bay) and John Reekie (Largs) with Andrew Hooton (Largs) and Steven Forteith (Oban) not far behind. A snapped tiller extension at the leeward gate ended Reekies race allowing Hooton through. By the last lap Trotter still lead from Renilson but confusion at the finish line meant they both went through the wrong line and ended up DNF. Hooton was next to the finish and made the same mistake but realised in time to head back upwind and cross the line. By that time though Gavin Homer (Dalgety Bay) had finished to take the win, with Hooton just holding off Forteith to take 2nd. Ian Ellis (Findhorn) was 4th with Richard Cumming 5th.

With the wind swinging right race 2 was delayed while the course was re-laid. After a general recall the fleet got away with Trotter and Renilson making the best starts at the starboard end. With a heavily skewed course most boats were picking the shifts up the starboard side of the beat with places changing constantly. Trotter was again first to the mark followed by Renilson, Hooton, Ellis and Forteith. By the leeward gate the positions remained the same but an interesting 2nd beat, due to a wall of skiffs heading downwind, saw Ellis overtake Hooton and that’s the way it stayed to the finish with Forteith in 5th.

Conditions for race 3 were identical to race 2 and again it was Trotter who took the win followed this time by Ellis in 2nd and Homer in 3rd. Close racing between Forteith, Hooton and Evans saw Hooton just taking 4th from Evans on the last run.

Even lighter winds on Sunday morning made just getting to the race area a challenge for the competitors. There was a bit of a wait for the wind to fill in and settle but the race 4 got underway with a black flag flying.

Forteith was unlucky to get caught and his race was over. In the fickle wind it was important to get the balance right between taking shifts and looking for pressure. Coming up the last beat it was Ellis leading Cumming with Trotter in 3rd. Not far behind Reekie, Evans and Hooton were scrapping it out. Just as the leaders were rounding the mark the breeze filled in from the left and backed about 60 or 70 degrees to the great annoyance of those on the right. With an armada of skiffs now bundling up and reaching to the windward mark with kites flying, the inevitable carnage ensued when they all tried to round at the same time.

When the dust had settled Reekie was a good ten boat lengths ahead of Evans with Hooton on his tail. It was a straight close reach drag race to the finish now with Hooton coming out on top after taking the high road.
With the course now re-laid, for the new northerly breeze, race 5 got away first time. Reekie looked to have got a great start at the pin end but got caught up in a pack and fell back to 5th. Only boat lengths separated Trotter, Ellis, Hooton and Forteith at the windward mark, and as it turned out for the rest of the race. In one of the most competitive races yet places changed frequently and only 30 seconds separated 1st from 4th going on to the last run. In the end it was Trotter who took the bullet with Ellis 2nd after pushing Forteith wide of the line, forcing Steve to round up and back through. Hooton was 4th with Reekie 5th.

Race 6 started in slightly lighter winds with Reekie again getting a perfect start at the port end and leading from start to finish, although pushed hard by the chasing pack in another fiercely fought race. In the end Trotter just held off Forteith and Hooton who were going at it blow for blow. The pair had already exchanged places 3 or 4 times when on the last run Hooton managed to get the depth just behind Forteith to prevent him from gybing When the hit the layling and gybed Hooton was able to cover Forteith and squeeze past him. It proved to be in vain though as up the next beat he was caught on the outside of a massive lift that allowed Forteith back through to take 3rd.

When all the results were totted up it was Ian Trotter who came out on top in the mustos and also won the mixed skiff fleet to become the 2006 Scottish Skiff National Champion. Ian Ellis finished 2nd with Andy Hooton taking 3rd.

RESULTS
Name R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Total Nett
1 Trotter DNF 1 1 3 1 2 20 8
2 Ellis 4 3 2 1 2 DNC 24 12
3 Hooton 2 4 4 5 4 4 23 18
4 Forteith 3 5 6 BFD 3 3 32 20
5 Homer 1 6 3 7 8 7 32 24
6 Cumming 5 7 7 2 6 5 32 25
7 Evans DNF 10 5 6 7 6 46 34
8 Reekie DNF DNF DNF 4 5 1 46 34
9 Haine 6 8 8 8 9 8 47 38
10 Alderson 7 9 9 DNC DNC DNC 61 49
11 Renilson DNF 2 DNC DNC DNC DNC 62 5