Last year the Scottish Series Trophy went to French skipper Gery Trenteseaux who won the top IRC handicap class at the regatta, but with competition likely to be fierce in the 160 boat regatta's new RS Elite class, which has attracted 70% of their ten boat entry from Northern Ireland, an outstanding class winning performance might well see the Scottish Series Trophy won outside Scotland again.
The contingent from Northern Ireland race regularly on Belfast Lough, six from the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club and one, Fiona Hicks' 'No Angel' from the Royal Ulster YC will compete against the best of Scottish and English RS Elites for the class title.
The RS Elite is a 23 foot (7.3m) one design open keelboat which was first launched in 2004 and now has nearly 90 boats sailing in fleets all over the UK.
Among the Scots who will race, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson, will sail with James Pearson, Scotland's RS agent, when her commitments as the event ambassador with sponsors Brewin Dolphin permit.
Among those she will compete against, many are friends and former rivals of her husband Jamie Boag, who grew up in Bangor, NI. A regular at Tarbert, Boag will miss the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series, due to his commitments with the Volvo Ocean Race as CEO of Ireland's Green Dragon.
"I am really looking forward to getting on the water doing some racing in Tarbert." Robertson comments, "I love the regatta and being back on Loch Fyne is always interesting. I sailed last time with a Farr 45 and it was great fun and so this time it will be very different."
"We had five Elites last time and so having our own class and 10 boats this time is really great. The class is still growing at home and I'm sure there will be great racing this time. On Belfast Lough we have people literally from 16 to 70 sailing them. The boats are fast but easy to sail." Explains Gerry Reid of the RS Elite Class in Northern Ireland, " They really do tick all the boxes. We club race them, go to championships but also keep them on moorings off our Club at home, and we can handicap race them under IRC. So who knows, maybe we'll see 20 Elites next year. This year the UK National Championships are with us in Northern Ireland and so English boats will likely make only one long trip north, so next year I'd be hopeful of seeing more English boats as well."
"We are really delighted to see RS Elite crews from all points in the UK and Ireland making the effort to come to Tarbert to the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series. They are an exciting and interesting addition to the regatta and we look forward to welcoming them again in the future." Jeremy Glenn, of the regatta's organisers the Clyde Cruising Club.
