RS400s to travel to Dalgety Bay this weekend
by Keith Bedborough 18 Sep 2014 22:13 BST
20-21 September 2014
RS400 racing on the Forth © Keith Bedborough
Dalgety Bay Sailing Club on the northern banks of the River Forth will this weekend host a regatta extravaganza combining the Bart's Bash charity event with the penultimate Scottish RS400 traveller, Asymmetric/ handicap classes and a separate course for the local development fleet (which encourages beginner sailors to take their first steps into racing).
The sailing club is no stranger to large multi-class regattas having formerly been one of the most active clubs in Scotland, and is now rebuilding it's status having suffered a slight lull in membership over recent years. Set on a panoramic site overlooking the Forth against the scenic backdrop of Edinburgh with a spacious clubhouse and perfect camping the site is ideal for a weekend regatta trip.
Helping it on it's way are a huge army of volunteers (encouraged by the free canapés and champagne customarily served on the committee boat), a very healthy intake of cadet sailors (55 participated in the annual summer Youth Week event!), recent grant support for a new fleet of Toppers and Teras, and a very healthy home fleet of Lasers keeping the one-design spirit alive on Wednesday evening and Sundays.
With 22 RS400s pre-entered it should be a great event for this thriving class with top class racing, and most of the 18 Scottish boats who made the mammoth pilgrimage to Lake Garda reunited to consume Peroni and Prosecco and recap dodgy Italian phrases. Although currently lightweight maestros and 2013 Irish National Champions Roger Carter / EinStein Robertson are leaders at the top of the 2014 circuit leaderboard several others are within striking distance and with 2 events remaining it's all to play for. In general the standard of the 400s is improving as several teams are into their 3rd season sailing together and with shiny plastic sails throughout both boatspeed and boathandling have steadily been improving.
Forecast is looking lightish with that scarce Scottish commodity sunlight in attendance, so what better way to digest the consequences of Thursday's referendum than getting on the water this weekend!