BUCS Team Racing Championships 2022-23: Scottish Qualifier 1 at University of Glasgow Sailing Club
by Jake Miller 22 Nov 2022 03:41 PST
19-20 November 2022
BUCS Team Racing Championships - Scottish Qualifier 1 at University of Glasgow © Lachlan Morrison
The BUCS Team Racing Qualifier series kicked off this weekend at Bardowie Loch. The University of Glasgow Sailing Club were our hosts and they did a fantastic job launching RIBs, rigging boats, running changeovers, and most of all keeping us fed and sheltered, so thank you!
On arrival at Bardowie on Saturday morning we were greeted with the standard glass millpond. The forecast was for 2-4 knots SW but this was Bardowie so anything could have happened. Sailors were held ashore and at 1045 the aura filled in and it was time to go sailing!
Throughout the day we completed 69 races before the fans were turned off again at 1530, just as the sun was beginning to set.
The top three teams at the end of day 1 were Edinburgh Pink, Strathclyde Pink, and Strathclyde Red, all on 100% race wins. Strathclyde University were in strong form, also locking out the second row overnight with 4th place.
Sunday morning was much the same, no wind on arrival at Bardowie at 0815. The forecast was for 6-7 knots Westerly at 0900, as well as 2.4 mm rain. The westerly direction and combination of rain made race management un-hopeful for launching at 0900 but sure enough at 0900 the breeze filled in and a course was able to be set.
Racing got under way at 0945 but unfortunately the rain also filled in; a morning of rather true Scottish weather!
Racing was close but conditions were light and shifty which meant the teams with better boat speed were reaping rewards! At 1130 the rain stopped, but so did the wind.
After waiting on the water form an hou, sailors and volunteers were brought ashore for lunch and a break.
Time passed on and the chances of going sailing again did not seem hopeful. It was announced at 1300 by the PRO that a final decision would be made at 1500 as to whether or not we would go sailing again.
Waves of pressure were passing through but none of them were holding. Then! At 1400 a steady 4 knots rolled in and we were back racing at 1430, Thank you to all the volunteers and competitors for jumping into action so quickly! A final hour of racing was completed, finishing on race 91 at 1530.
On behalf of Scottish Student Sailing and all the competitors, thank you to Principal Race Officer James Logan and Chief Umpire Iona Smith who, along with their team of volunteer race officials, managed to squeeze 91 races into the two days of unforgiving conditions.
Finally, thank you to Tunnocks who supplied us with prizes for the top three teams.
The next stage of the Qualifier series will take place on the 28th and 29th January 2023 at Loch Ore, hosted by the University of St Andrews, where we will be continuing with the round robin and then progressing into leagues.
Full results after 91 races: (*Not BUCS eligible)
1. Strathclyde Pink
2. Edinburgh Blue
3. Strathclyde Red
4. Strathclyde Blue*
5. St Andrews Yellow
6. St Andrews Pink
7. Strathclyde Green
8. Edinburgh White
9. Edinburgh Green
10. Glasgow Yellow
11. Glasgow Purple
12. St Andrews Red
13. Edinburgh Pink*
14. Dream Team 2*
15. Dundee Black
16. Dream Team 1*
17. Glasgow Red
18. Aberdeen Blue
19. Dundee Red