MYA Scottish District IOM Wooden Boat Championship 2015

MYA Scottish District IOM Wooden Boat Championship © Bill Odger & Ali Law

MYA Scottish District IOM Wooden Boat Championship © Bill Odger & Ali Law

The MYA Scottish District IOM Wooden Boat Championship was hosted by Tayside Radio Sailing Club at Forfar Loch on Saturday the 13th June. The wooden IOMs are home built by in garages, garden sheds or even on the kitchen table. Some are self designed and at least one skipper make his own sails - all within the International One Metre class design regulations (an economic high performance radio sailing yacht). The result is some beautiful wooden yachts planked mostly in red cedar. The downside is that on the water they all look very similar and it is not uncommon for skippers to try sailing the wrong boat!

The wind blew at about 8 knots all day from the east with a touch of north at time making for great close racing on good windward leeward courses. Forfar Loch gives an elevated view of the race course from the control area which meant that the twelve entries were able to compete as one fleet without too much conflict and with few OCSs or mark contacts. All contacts between boats were also sorted out on the water between the parties without the need for protests make the work of the race team easier. The race team was led by Boyd Baird as Race Officer who managed to run twenty one races throughout the day with a couple of coffee breaks and a stop for lunch.

Steve Taylor took an early lead winning three out of the first five races, a lead he would not relinquish. Ian Dundas did come close by the end of day with the lads from Aberdeen Model Yacht Club again fighting it out for the top spots leaving Tich Summers from the host club to take the last podium position. The racing was closely fought all the way up and down the fleet with the standard of Wooden IOMs in Scotland clearly in good shape. Steve thanked the race team and Forfar Sailing Club for the exceptional catering. He also commented that he though his wooden Corbie was every bit as fast, if not faster, than his professionally built fibre glass IOM.

All who attended thoroughly enjoyed their day with great racing in good company agreeing that the wooden IOM class if alive and healthy in Scotland. Congratulations must go to the race team for making the day seem very relaxed but still managing twenty one races on quite a long race course.

Overall Results:

MYA Scottish District IOM Wooden Boat Championship - photo © Bill Odger & Ali Law