Bell Lawrie Scottish Series 26 to 29 May

by Sue McKichan on 5 May 2006 Final preparations are being made for this year’s Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, Scotland’s premier yacht racing event. The Series is the biggest annual regatta in the UK after Cowes Week and this year takes place from 26 to 29 May 2006.

Already 164 yachts have confirmed their entries, with 3 weeks still to go. The racing on Loch Fyne will be on three courses to suit a wide range of yachts, including IRC rating classes, CYCA rating classes, one design yachts, restricted sail yachts with a CYCA rating and sports boats. The one-design classes are Sigma 33s, Impala 28s, Sonatas and Cork 1720s. There will be a variety of race courses, including windward-leeward triangle, windward-leeward and for some classes a day passage race. Daily prizes will be awarded each evening in the event marquee on the harbourside.

Building on last year’s successful format, there will again be stand-alone feeder races from Inverkip and Bangor. New for 2006 is the Tunnock’s Trophy, which will be presented to the winning yacht in the feeder race from Bangor to Tarbert. This overnight passage race will take place on Wednesday 24th May 2006 and is being run in conjunction with the Royal Ulster Yacht Club. Tunnock’s have been a course sponsor at the Series for the past 20 years, and Boyd Tunnock will again be racing aboard his Moody 38. ‘Lemarac’. Yachts racing in the Inverkip feeder race, which takes place on Thursday 25 May, will compete for the Tarbert Shield.

As always, there’s an exciting shore-side activity programme running alongside the sailing in Loch Fyne. This year for the first time, RYA Scotland is going to bring their ‘Sailing in the City’ initiative to Tarbert. The scheme aims to offer local and accessible sailing to young people all over Scotland and has proved really popular in its first two years of operation.

Youngsters between the ages of 8-14 will get the chance to learn the basics of sailing. Pre-bookable taster sailing sessions will take place in Tarbert harbour, covering the first elements of the RYA Youth Sailing scheme, with the emphasis on safety and having fun. To book a taster session, contact Suzie Blair, RYA, Tel: 0131 317 4617, email: suzie.blair@rya-online.net

There will be more pontoon berthing for competing yachts this year, with an extra 60 metres of pontoons on the south side of the harbour alongside the fish quay. And those berthed on the pontoons on the north side of the harbour, will be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi broadband access for the duration of this year’s Scottish Series.

Commenting on their seventh year of sponsorship, Fraser Gardiner, Director of investment managers, Bell Lawrie said, 'We’re delighted to continue to support the Scottish Series. It has proved itself a valuable platform for us over the years and is a great event to be connected with; we work hard with the Clyde Cruising Club and other sponsors to make it an event to remember.'

The Scottish Series attracts around 200 visiting yachts to the picturesque West Coast village of Tarbert, plus over 1,200 crew who truly bring the normally quiet village to life over the racing weekend. Tarbert hoteliers estimate that on average they generate 15% of their annual turnover during the weekend of the Scottish Series and a economic impact study commissioned in 2005 by Argyll & Islands Enterprise estimated that visitors to the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series generated over £600,000 in expenditure to the local area.

Further details and Race entry forms for this year’s Bell Lawrie Scottish Series are available now from the Clyde Cruising Club website: http://www.clyde.org/