A very healthy turnout of 15 boats contested this year’s Piper Class Championship, affectionately referred to among the local cognoscenti as “The Worlds” over the weekend 13/14th August at the Royal Gourock Yacht Club.
This was an increase on last year (surely a commendable boast in these ravaged economical times) and was partly due to a welcome return of “old” faces to the Piper family. After several years of the competition comprising boats from the Holy Loch and Gourock fleets, two yachts from the resurgent clan in the Gareloch attended this year and one of them, Lillium, was making her debut to the regatta circuit as she has spent her whole life in Ullapool and only ever day sailed (briefly) there. For 35 years she lay in a barn and it took the indefatigable enthusiasm of Alan Armstrong, now with his fourth Piper, to restore her to her present commendable condition, as her results over the weekend admirably showed. Another helmsman only seen rarely in the fleet, but nevertheless a very experienced and well informed follower of the Pipers, is Duncan Munro, who made a popular return to the class at the helm of last year’s champion Dougie Campbell’s boat, Tamarind.
As in previous years, Bill Aitchison organised an experienced Gourock team to help him with the race organisation from his yacht, Iota, and their skill in such matters was evident throughout the weekend with excellent courses. The wind, too, played the game, although there were some horrific rain showers to contend with they only added to the rich tapestry of this traditional event.
Saturday’s racing was a close affair with the lead being contested at the front by Tamarind and the Holy Loch boat, Pibroch. Lillium would have been in the hunt too, but for a premature start in the first race and the Waterways Board Trophy, an elegant knot board, was narrowly won by Bob and Rowena Donaldson, and Andrew Manwell’s Pibroch. Tamarind and Lillium came into their own on Sunday with the former taking the Maymon Trophy and also the Royal Gourock Trophy for a very well deserved overall victory over the weekend.
Congratulations, therefore, go to the scratch, but very skilful crew of Duncan Munro, Peter Watt and Chris Cooper for their notable achievement and to Alan Armstrong and his team for restoring another “lost” boat and for sailing her with such aplomb to earn her third place overall in the Regatta. Thanks, too, are due to race officer Bill Aitchison and his team, and to Class secretary Caroline Clark for organising the event with her customary enthusiasm and skill.


Overall Results:

1. Tamarind D. Munro Royal Gourock Y. C. 4pts
2. Pibroch B. Donaldson Holy Loch S. C. 6pts
3. Lillium A. Armstrong RNCYC. 8pts
4. Stormpiper F. Campbell Holy Loch S. C. 11pts
5. Billie I. Hurrel Holy Loch S. C. 12pts

Newsletters