Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series 2009

En av de tuffaste regattorna på de brittiska öarna är Scottish Series. Man samlade i år 160 båtar, vilket var ungefär lika många som förra året. Corby-fantasten Fredrik Bergström lyfter såklart fram heta klass 3 där alltid snabba J/109 Christie Cancer Care piskade Corby 33 Salamander XX. Way to go! Foto: Marc Turner.

Appropå Corby, så ryktas det förresten att svenska Corby 33 Inga from Sweden till nästa säsong skall bli en ny Corby 36. Och vi som går igång på Rosie, förra årets vinnare, förstår varför!

IRC1
GBR51R Argie Bargie, King 40, 1.110
GBR603R Playing FTSE, First 47.7, 1.129
GBR9641R Local Hero, BH41, 1.120
IRL1335 Spirit of Jacana, J/133, 1.114
GBR941R Bjaysus, J/124, 1.108

IRC2
GBR7737 Impetuous, Corby 37, 1.087
GBR9369R Bateleur 97, BH36, 1.069
GBR731T Tan It, Sydney 36, 1.067
GBR4334L Absolutely 2, Mumm 36, 1.075
GBR8811R Now Or Never, First 40.7, 1.064
GBR5991T Prime Suspect, Mills 36, 1.071
GBR6969T Grand Cru, First 40.7, 1.064
GBR8383R Mighty Max, Prima 38, 1.079
GBR9963 First By Farr, First 45F5, 1.064
GBR3949R Deja Vu, J/120, 1.084
GBR9408R No Sense, First 40.7, 1.068

After more than 20 years competing on Loch Fyne, Nigel Biggs and the Checkmate Sailing Team from the North West of England won the overall Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series Trophy, the top award for the annual regatta. The event took place from 22-25 May, off Tarbert and attracted 160 boats racing in 14 different classes. Sailing a 35 foot J/109 in the highly competitive IRC Class 3, Biggs and crew won by a single point from two past winners of the overall trophy.

Winning with a stock production boat named Christie Cancer Care to publicise the Manchester centre of excellence which cared for Biggs’ late father, it was a poignant and appropriate year for the crew to get their hands on the top award. The nine strong team endured a tough final pair of races today when they started prematurely in the final race of the series and were hampered by slower boats in the first race to post a second and third, their weakest scores of the regatta.

While Cheshire based Biggs cut his teeth as a racing helmsman as a member of the Scottish 470 Olympic class squad in the mid 1990’s, the crew came together originally at Scottish Series as the core team on Welsh based 38 and 40 footers before racing a 25 foot Beneteau Sportsboat when the Checkmate Sailing Team won their class for the first time.

“I’ve been to the prize giving so many times and been disappointed and so I really was not expecting to win, so I am pretty much lost for words. It is fantastic to win at last.” Said Biggs, “Our philosophy has always been to sail hard, to try and win but with friends and to have a good time doing so.”

Conditions for the final day were typical of one of the less pleasing faces of Loch Fyne: wet, grey and a mix of light winds peppered with periods of difficult gusty breezes.

Other contenders for the top award, which is appointed by an executive representing sponsors and the organising club, the Clyde Cruising Club, included the IRC Class 1 winning King 40 Argie Bargie, a King 40 owned and skippered by Allan Hogg and the IRC Class 2 victor Impetuous, a Corby 37 
from Wales which scored six individual race wins with South Queensferry’s Hamish Mackay serving as tactician.

”This has been another excellent regatta which I really feel brought the event back to the heart of the village of Tarbert,” commented Jamie Matheson of Brewin Dolphin.

IRC3
GBR66R Christie Cancer Care, J/109 : 1.020
GBR1433R Salamander XX, Corby 33, 1.040
GBR7508R A-Crewed Interest, A-35, 1.031
2377C Tigh Soluis II, J/109, 1.018
GBR9740R Sloop John T, Swan 40, 1.036
IRL29213 Something Else, J/109, 1.030
GBR1952L Animal, Elan 380, 1.042
IRL17200 Antix Beag, TBA 1.005
IRL1666 Carmen II, First 36.7, 1.024
GBR8089T Wizard, Elan 40, 1.034
GBR3470C Airtricity, First 34.7, 1.004
GBR9794 Dancer, First 34.7, 1.012
GBR1340R Margarita, Swan 40, 1.033
IRL1348 Hayley’s Comet, Grand Surprise, 1.026

IRC4
IRL9292 niJinsky, J/92S, 0.999
GBR8747T Movistar-Bleu, Elan 333, 0.978
GBR3742 Hops, Davidson 36, 0.991
GBR1371R Freebird, First 33.7, 0.978
GBR8272 Enigma, Sigma 38, 0.985
3330C Good Craic, Elan 333, 0.979
3401C Rogue Trader, Elan 340, 0.993
GBR5831 A Neat Djinn, A-31, 0.988
2416C Hoo-Ha, Elan 333, 0.977
2483C Pinot Grigio, Salona 34, 0.985
IRL11124 Rainmaker, Finngulf 331, 0.994