One hundred and ten and counting. The popular Scottish Series Regatta run by the Clyde Cruising Club out of Tarbert on Loch Fyne on the west coast of Scotland has, at the last count, 110 expressions of interest.

The event runs from the 24th to the 27th of May, but unfortunately, Howth Yacht Club’s Wave Regatta clashes with the Scottish event. At least one top Belfast Lough competitor has had to decide between the two – John Minnis won Class 3 at Tarbert in 2021, racing the Beneteau First 31.7 Final Call, and then in his new Archambault 35 Final Call II, he topped Class 1 in the 2022 Wave Regatta in Howth where he will defend the title this year.

The Scottish Series Notice of Race and early bird entry for SS24 will open at the end of this month.

The Scottish Series has been a fixture in the sailing calendar for five decades. Established in 1975, this regatta has consistently drawn sailors from around the UK to compete in the waters of Loch Fyne. The Covid pandemic dampened the opportunity but in this, the 50th Anniversary Year, the organisers, the Clyde Cruising Club, promises an event to remember with innovation on the water and a shoreside social programme.

Excession competing at the IRC open meeting in Bangor on Belfast Lough

The fleet will be spread over classes ranging from IRC, through One Designs (at the time of writing, numbering 37 registering interest), CYCA, to an innovative new CYCA Introductory Class for those who have not raced in a major event before and twelve have interest in this division which will race close to but separate from, the main CYCA flee. The experience will incorporate a level of guidance and instruction.

Also new for this year is the deployment of remote controlled SmartMarks – a first for Scotland and described here, and the inclusion of a MOCRA (Multihull Offshore Cruising and Racing Association) ‘demonstration’ Class – multihulls showing their pace. Welcome too will be the opening of berthing in Portavadie on Loch Fyne’s eastern shore to improve accommodation availability with an evening water taxi.

The informal Register of Interest process is still open here

The word is that among the Belfast Lough boats hoping to head for Tarbert are three Sigma 33s - Squawk (Paul and Emma Prentice) Mithril (Mark Mackey) and Elandra (Martin and Vicki Dews); and the Sigma 33 Signet in Restricted Sail- the O’Tiarnaigh/ Harrington/ Mulholland trio’s IMX38 Excession and the Beneteau 31.7 Caesium (Aidan Pounder).

Vickie and Martin Dews Sigma 33 Elandra from Northern Ireland

The Chair of the N I Sigma Association, Paul Prentice from Belfast Lough, is excited to compete at the Scottish Series; “We are looking forward to the Tarbert event this year. It continues to offer fantastic sailing opportunities and activities ashore”.