Yesterday morning Race Officer Phil Preston phoned in from the Committee Boat, Headcorn with the results of the first leg. This morning, North West Marine’s Headcorn is just off Ardalanish PoInt on Mull’s south coast as we get this news.

The fleet has completed a beat down the Sound of Iona at the start of the final leg back from Bunessan to Oban and is now on a fetch along Mull’s south coast. The weather is fantastic – sunshine and a south easterly Force 4 so Phil Preston expects the boats to cross the finish line in Oban Bay mid afternoon.

Yesterday, in the second leg, the wind died when the fleet turned the corner after its spinnaker start in Tobermory Bay but picked up and went into the south east.  It freshened as the fleet went south, from Fore 3-5 and the downwind finish at Bunessan was enlivened by several boats not bothering to change their sails and broaching all over the place.

That’ sailing. Gung Ho doesn’t get close. One seasoned Irish helmsman used to refuse to reef the main sail, whatever the wind state. His reasoning? ‘She’ll reef herself.’ Nuff said.

Anyway, Bill Carlow’s Swan 48, Matata, continued her imperious winning streak yesterday, taking the Class 1 prize for the second day and also winning the Bunessan Hall Trophy for the fastest boat overall.

John Mackenzie’s Storm Mhor took Class 2 and Class 3 went for the second day to another very consistent boat, Matthew Simms’ North 26, Odin. The restricted sail Class 4 was won by Andrew Scott’s Sequoia.

The day began with the race’s first casualty – Richard Scott on Jacabus was whacked on the head by the boom during a jibe shortly after the spinnaker start at Tobermory, which made it a straightforward matter for the boat to motor back to the pontoon and get him medical attention in Tobermory. And he’s OK.

Last night, the presentation of prizes and of the Bunessan Hall Trophy took place for the second year in the new hall the community has worked so hard to get. It replaces the old one which pretty much fell apart. The Ross of Mull Historical Society laid on a great buffet and ceilidh which will probably leave some in the fleet too tired to do much sail changing today too.

Sensitive to the Bunessan community’s emotional crashing of the gears into this colourful and light hearted celebration, Race Officer Phil Preston, in his speech at the event, thanked the community for everything they had done for the sailors and for the race at this time. This is the same week in which they – and the island – have buried one of their own and Phil Preston remembered the 20 year old Robbie McLaren from Kintra who had gone to school in Bunessan and died during a close combat engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province only 4 weeks into active service.

The race organisers were fully aware of the effort Bunessan had had to make to deal so soon with so different an occcasion – whose success was hugely appreciated by the entire fleet.

We hope to have the results of the final leg and of the final overall race positions tomorrow, courtesy of Phil Preston – who may be on dry land for the first time in three days when he talks to us – and Alison Chadwick, Press Officer (and photographer) for Oban Sailing Club – and in the race herself.

Watch this space tomorrow. Tonight is probably unrealistic.

Note: Yesterday’s article on the results of the first leg has been amended to show that Bill Carlow’s Matata won Class 1 and not, as reported, Graham Anderson’s Hanse 371, Lucky Ned Pepper.

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