Frenchman Gery Trentesaux may be one of the most furthest travelled visitors to the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series but he has raced on Loch Fyne often enough to know that it is not always like this.
Perfect sunshine and brisk, fairly consistent south easterly winds which peaked at over 20 knots produced another two excellent windward-leeward races today at the southern, seaward end of Loch Fyne.
Trentesaux and his team kept their new Beneteau First 45 Lady Courrier on track to win IRC Class 1 with their fifth win from six starts this afternoon.
Although their winning string was broken by David Dwyer's Mills 39 Marinerscove.ie in the morning race, their resulting second was largely self inflicted. Such has been the pace of the new 45 footer, which will represent France in next month‚s Commodore's Cup international team event and consistent tactical skill that Trentesaux and his team have shown, that British Olympian Andy Beadsworth, Marinerscove‚s tactician admitted this afternoon that they are left needing the French crew to make mistakes to have a chance of winning races.
"The only problem I am having just now is that my crew are having too good a time. They are coming in too late at night. They love it here and I am sure we will try to bring back more French boats here next year." Smiled Trentesaux who is the architect of France's two victories in the Commodore's Cup.
Beadsworth believed they could have also won the second race today but for failing to spot that the course had been shortened.
Ironically for the Irish, who have selected two teams for the prestigious team event on the Solent, they have neither Marinerscove.ie, nor the current IRC Class 2 leader Rosie, Roy Dickson‚s Corby 36, in either of their three boat line ups.
Rosie won again this morning but could only make third in the second race which was won by Jim MacGregor and his young crew on the Elan 410 Premier Flair.
The Lymington based boat has a six points deficit on Rosie going into tomorrow‚s final races, while Chris Bonar and his BH36 Bateleur 96 lie in third place.
Top Scottish boat among the IRC classes is Paul Scutt and Alan Jeffrey and crew on the Beneteau 36.7 Carmen II. A first and second places today give the Clyde team a six points margin over Dermot Cronin and his Malahide crew on the J35 Mumbo.ie
The CYCA Classes had an enjoyable 20 mile passage up to Inchmarnock Island and back to finish off the entrance to Tarbert. Mike Forbes and his team on Micky Finn won CYCA Class 6 on what proved a fast race in winds up to 27 knots outside the Loch.
Racing finishes Monday when the overall destination of the regatta's top award the Scottish Series Trophy will be decided.
Results: IRC Class 1: 1 Lady Courrier (G Trenteseaux, France) 5pts, 2 Marinerscove.ie (D Dwyer, Ireland) 9pts, 3 Antix Eile (A O‚Leary, Ireland) 18pts, IRC Class 2: 1 Rosie (R Dickson, Ireland) 7pts, 2 Premier Flair (J MacGregor, England) 13pts, 3 Bataleur 97 (C Bonar, Clyde) 22pts, Class 3: 1 Carmen II (P Scutt/A Jeffrey, Clyde) 7pts, 2 Mumbo.ie (D Cronin, Ireland) 11pts, 3 Bengal Magic (Moorehead/Ferres, N Ireland) 17pts, Class 4: 1 Antix (J Allen, England) 9pts, 2 Molissa (P Atkinson, Wales) 11pts, 3 Shadowfax (B & S Fortieth, West Highlands) 15pts, Sportsboat Class 1: 1 Buddy ŒEll (C Frize, Clyde) 13pts, 2 Tabula Rasa (C M Frize, Clyde) 13pts, 3 YKNot (Wilson/Ellis, Isle of Man) 25pts, Sportsboat Class 2: 1 Haggis (E Mackay, Clyde) 10pts, 2 ASBOat (G Whyte, Clyde) 16pts, 3 Prelude (Manuel/Burke, Clyde) 26pts, CYCA Class 6: 1 Micky Finn IV (M Forbes, Clyde) 4pts, 2 Respite (C McLachlan, Clyde) 6pts, 3 AeRo (G Bowerman, Forth) 4pts, Class 7: 1 Misjif (Angus/Tear, Clyde) 3pts, 2 Valhalla of Ashton (A Dunnet, Clyde) 8pts, 3 Eureka 3 (C Frier, Clyde) 10pts, Class 8: 1 Blue Ark (I Hards, Forth) 7pts, 2 Obsession (E Sim, Clyde) 7pts, 3 Hesperus (A McVey, Clyde) 10pts, Restricted Sail Class 9: 1 Scanne (G Aikman, Clyde) 2 Lorca J (A Mill, Clyde) 8pts, 3 Kacana (L Johnston, N. Ireland) 9pts, Sigma 33 OD: 1 Sigmatic (D McLaren, Clyde) 15pts, 2 Rascal (F Crawford, Clyde) 21pts, 3 Sea Pie of Cultra (J Colman, Isle of Man) 25pts, BeSonata OD: 1 Pied Piper (A Harper, Clyde) 16pts, 2 So (McLure/Stewart, Forth) 18pts, 3 Blue Tack (D Boatman, England), Restricted Sail Class 10: 1 Mellow Moment (A Rodger, Clyde) 3pts.
