Classic Clyde Squalls Make for Thrilling Fife Regatta Finale

The final day of the Richard Mille Fife Regatta dawned with a forecast of strong westerly winds developing later in the day on the King’s Course, north of Great Cumbrae. In anticipation, the race team set a shorter course within the shelter of the Largs Channel for the smaller boats, while the larger yachts headed out towards Toward Bank buoy.

The King’s Course is based on a route first sailed by the Royal Largs Yacht Club in 1891 and was used for some of the great Clyde races contested by the “big class” yachts. Although Kaiser Wilhelm II never actually raced against a reigning King on the Clyde, he did compete against the then Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII, and Prince George aboard Britannia. Regardless, the course area offers a superb combination of flat water and open space, allowing these classic yachts to perform at their best.

Spectators gathered along the waterfront at Largs Yacht Haven, where the start provided an excellent opportunity to see the fleet up close as they began their final day on the water. Class One was first away, with Kismet crossing the line and immediately hoisting her spinnaker ahead of Kentra. The choice between a close fetch and a reach was finely balanced, with boats such as Mikado and Sonata successfully carrying their kites. The two 8-metre, meanwhile, stuck with white sails as they powered through the fleet towards Toward Point.

Duncan carried two guests on board, William Collier and Alistair Houston, who had the opportunity to sail the beautifully restored 1925 Fife yacht for the last day. Despite being the Class One leader, Duncan was slightly behind at the start, quickly recovering time on the crossing to Toward and back. Duncan, formerly Rosemary III, is a rare example of a cruising design with an early Bermudian sail plan and her extensive restoration returned her to the original specification, with the workmanship capturing the hearts of many at this regatta.

A series of violent squalls swept through during the second half of the race, fully justifying the decision to shorten the courses. Both 8-Metres, having successfully set spinnakers for the return leg, broached and were f orced to depower significantly, allowing Kismet, Sonata, and Merry Dancer to close the gap. Kentra was first back to Largs, thrilling spectators as she finished under full sail at the entrance to the marina.

Racing in the Largs Channel was exceptionally close. The course initially followed the larger yachts before returning to the start area for a series of windward-leeward legs. With plenty of mark roundings, there were several tense moments, including an incident in which class leader Coila struck Lotus at the leeward mark. Fortunately, the damage was minimal, and Coila went on to secure victory in the final race ahead of the recently restored centenarian Sian II. The contest between the Welsh-built Conway Fife One Designs continued to develop into one of the regatta’s most compelling rivalries, while Coralie secured third place overall.

The prize-giving brought crews, owners, and volunteers together at Kelburn Castle to celebrate the week’s racing and present the trophies. While the winners did not receive the 70-sovereign prizes awarded in 1898, they took home the distinctive and much-coveted Fife Regatta trophies, bringing another memorable edition of the event to a close.

A Royal Clyde Yacht Club claret jug from 1876 was presented to Coila for winning Class Three Overall in their Conway Fife One Design.

The Spirit of Pen Duick platter, for the overall winner of Class 1 went to Duncan with Ash Butler being presented the prize by Marie Tabarly. He noted. “Surreal. I spend most of my time in a workshop, so coming out of it to come to a regatta, let alone winning it. I like this regatta because it’s very real. More than half the boats here are run by families, with kids and parents on board. Then there is the greater Fife family, and it has just been fantastic to be part of.”

Fiona Houston who has poured much of her energy into bringing these boats back to Fairlie and the Clyde said. “It has brought me such pleasure to be able to bring them back to their home waters. This couldn’t be done without the support of Richard Mille and our lovely crew of friends and volunteers who have shared this passion to make this event possible.”

Full Results Below

Final Results

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