OK Scottish Inland Championship 2024 at Loch Earn Sailing Club
by Karen Robertson 2 Oct 2024 05:36 NZDT
28-29 September 2024
While the OK Southern Championships were under way at Stokes Bay SC, the Loch Earn OK fleet hosted a Scottish Inland Champs as part of the recent Loch Earn Final Fling Regatta, building on the successful re-establishment of the OK Scottish Championships at North Berwick in June, and the increased level of interest and growth in the class in Scotland and the North of England.
Racing started on the Saturday in a warm westerly with the OKs taking the second start after the Tasar fleet. First to the top mark was Karen Robertson who held off a challenge from newcomer Calum Tait to take the first race.
The second race saw Mike McMillan create a substantial lead over the fleet until the wind dropped to near zero. as the fleet crawled around the last mark, Mike took the safe route up the middle of the beat only to have Tait and Robertson sail around him on opposite sides to take first and second respectively.
Race three saw the breeze return strongly and with the first mark heavily biased to the right hand side of the course and it was Robertson who judged the lay line best and tacked off first to lead around the mark followed by Tait and Nicol Halcrow. While the first beat was in a robust mood, the wind dropped again and started oscillating randomly which made the beat challenging in the extreme. It was Robertson who led home at the end with Tait in second.
The Sunday saw an easterly breeze establish with the forecast to swing to south east. Tait, who had clearly been absorbing the experience on the Saturday and was on a charge. The first race saw Nicol Halcrow port tack the fleet off the start line with a huge smile before Tait missing out on an unlucky shift and dropping back. Robertson tried to get past Tait on the first reach by using a couple of passing flying Fifteens, but failed to take advantage following Tait home in second with Mike McMillan in third.
Further down the fleet Alex Orr had a 'moment' and capsized in not a lot of wind on the run to the amusement of all.
Race five of the series saw a change of course with the first mark set close to the southern mountainous shore of Loch Earn. Sarah Truswell skilfully found her way up the beat and was just pipped to the first mark by Mike McMillan. Close behind them on the run a gaggle of boats set up a full near full wind shadow over Tait, but he skilfully managed to keep ahead and rounded the bottom mark in third, before finding a clear lane and speed to eventually take the win from a photo finish between McMillan and Robertson.
The final race saw Mike McMillan finally fix his lucky white heather problem and take a well deserved win from Tait.
At the final count it was Calum Tait who took the title from Karen Robertson in second and Mike McMillan in third, but everybody enjoyed the close tactical racing
Looking ahead to next season the Northern and Scottish OKs hope to return to Ullswater SC for their Daffodil Regatta and to East Lothian for the Scottish Championships again in the first half of the year and hope to return to Loch Earn again in September.
If you are interested in trying an OK, demo boats are available for loan. Contact for more details.