All Seasons In One Day As Fife Fleet Reach Loch Fyne

The third racing day of the Richard Mille Fife Regatta 2026 was scheduled for a 12:30 start off the village of Kames in the Kyles of Bute. This required a passage from Rothesay up the East Kyle and through the Burnt Isles on mirror-calm waters.

Support boats and fellow competitors towed the smaller yachts as sun and rain dappled the majestic Kyles, but the wind failed to appear. After a short postponement, and with crews simply drifting over lunch, the fleet moved southwards to start the third race off Carry Farm in a light breeze.

Both fleets cleared the line, aided by the tide and numerous sail changes as the wind swung around to the north. Kismet initially sailed higher angles than the rest of the fleet, breaking away from the pack, but the two 8 Metres soon found their pace along the Bute shoreline as they laid a course towards Inchmarnock.

Breaks in the cloud created magical moments of champagne sailing as the larger yachts glided across the flat waters of the Sound under full sail. Kismet held onto the lead, with Falcon and Saskia in pursuit as they rounded the southern end of Inchmarnock. The two 8 Metres then engaged in a short tacking duel along the shore, ultimately getting the better of Kismet and crossing the line ahead, leaving her third overall.

Despite representing different eras of yacht design, the fleet remained remarkably close together, giving competitors plenty to consider as they converged and separated with every rise and fall of the breeze. Once the ratings were applied, Duncan came out top, despite the OCS, while the Bermudan Sloops of Sonata and Mikado finished second and third.

The Class Three course sent the smaller boats more directly into Loch Fyne via Ardlamont Point, where a north-westerly filled in nicely and powered up the sails. As ever, the Fife Conway One Designs enjoyed some exceptionally close racing, with Coila, Sian II and Coralie leading the way.

UANDI kept pace with the One Design fleet, while the two gaff cutters, Seabird and Fiona, also found speed as the breeze strengthened. Sian II finally got the upper hand over Coila at the finish, leaving the pair on equal points for the series.

Loch Fyne put on a show for the international fleet, delivering both wind and sunshine to crews who had spent much of the day becalmed. The changing conditions lit up the faces of the sailors and highlighted the elegant lines of the yachts as they sped towards Portavadie.

Full Results Below

Results Day 3

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