Rally Report by Malcolm Higgs

Saturday 23rd June 2007 dawned fine and clear with a brisk sailing wind just right for a Junk Rig Meet. We opened up the Sailing Club and waited for the members to join us, and waited, and waited, and waited in vain.

Three Junk-rigged Virgo Voyagers, two based in Holy Loch and one from Girvan, six sailors, of which four were from Holy Loch, one from Girvan and one from Dumfries. Eventually we went to the boats, raised sail and had a good run into Gareloch where we eventually turned for home and then had to use engine power because the wind had also turned and was now more or less head-on.

We also had a short-lived torrential downpour which only fell on one of the boats (guess who) even though we were only separated by a short distance. The evening was taken up with the usual good meal in the Holy Loch Inn where we were joined by a few non-sailing friends.

Sunday, again the same few, but this time the weather was not so good. We did go on the water, but did not stay out very long before returning to Holy Loch Marina where we berthed close together, and as it was not worth opening up the Sailing Club again for so few we socialised around the boats or took the opportunity to catch up on some odd jobs.

So far as the weekend Meet goes; that was it. The response on this occasion, even including those who let us know that they could not be present this year was so poor that arranging the use of the Sailing Club and the early booking of facilities for the evening meal proved to be totally unnecessary. Is it worth holding another rally next year? We shall have to see. If you have any views or interest let me know. I hope to be at the Scottish Rally at Kippford and also at the now usual 12 noon meeting place by the hot dog stall at The Scottish Boat Jumble at Irvine in Autumn and Spring.

Following on from this event, the three boats raised sail on Monday, and sailed South with either two or three reefed panels, and made a fast sail, often in excess of six knots into The Kyles of Bute and the Rounding Ardlemount Point into Loch Fynne to spend the night at Portavadie in the new and at this time unopened Marina. A good sheltered place to stay which at first seems to be very isolated but which on looking further has a ferry link to Tarbert and a bus link to Tighnabruaich and Dunoon if needed.

On Tuesday, winds from the North made us change our plans and we sailed South and West crossing the northern end of Arran and stopping at Carradale Bay for a break before going on to Campbeltown for the night. We had a days rest at Campbeltown before breaking up the party and then ORCA left early to get back to Girvan and had a good but tiring sail, and we left later to go to the Lamlash Bay on Arran, and ended up doing a lot of motoring, in pouring rain and nasty cross seas.

On Friday we both left Lamlash fairly early to make our way back to Holy Loch, travelling somewhat independently, we both managed some quite good sailing for about half the journey after earlier motoring. These few days did at times have a downside but also included some good sailing.

This rally report was taken
from the Junk Rig Association Newsletter 49.