2010 Round Mull Race sets sail on 25th birthday today

Midday 9th July will hear the starting gun echo around Oban Bayas the fleet for the 2010 Round Mull Race literally sets sail.

The ever-popular race, organised by Oban Sailing Club – and co-sponsored by Owen Sails and Ardfern Yacht Centre this year – is celebrating its 25th birthday.Billy Forteith, race organiser,, in thanking the sponsors, says there will be no fewer than 41 yachts on the start line this year.

Things are all set for this weekend from 9th-11th July. The race is a three-stage island circumnavigation, giving excellent racing through spectacular scenery. There are classes for fast and slow handicaps as well as for spinnaker and white sail boats and even the opportunity to race double-handed.

Ardfern Yacht Centre (AYC) has increased its sponsorship of the event for 2010 and its reason for doing so should be encouraging news for activity tourism development.

AYC general manager Mark Cameron says: ‘We are glad now to be a co-sponsor of the event with Owen Sails. We will also be expanding the skipper’s pack to include more items as well as those given by Owen Sails’ sail cloth manufacturer, Dimension Polyant.

‘The event is becoming more popular and we think it’s because more boats in general are coming to the west coast earlier in the season. Certainly the quality of the racing and après sail is attracting more boats from the Clyde and we see an increasing number of yachts from Ardfern Yacht Centre competing.

‘The event gives the chance to race both cruisers and race oriented yachts together on a fantastic island circumnavigation.’

Forteith Food Services provided a seafood buffet in Oban Sailing Club last night, starting the weekend off with the conviviality it carries round the island.

North West Marine are again providing the main committee vessel for the event.

The threee legs of the race are:

• from Oban today (9th July),  racing up the Sound of Mull to the picture postcard sailors’ destination of Tobermory on Mull, a distance of 24 nautical miles (nm). The Friday evening prize-giving will be held in the famous Mishnish Hotel in Tobermory, with headaches at dawn.
• from Tobermory to Bunessan o Saturday 10th July – over 28nm; and, in the evening a buffet/ceilidh dance at Bunessan Village Hall, with proceeds to the Ross of Mull Historical Society.
• the third leg is the surprise in 2010 – a change from previous years will see Lit run form Bunessan to Oban finishing at Frank Lockwood’s Island.

Billy Forteith, race organiser, explains : ‘A good proportion of the fleet has retired in previous years when, because of the lack of wind on the final day, it did not look likely we would reach Oban.  Frank Lockwood’s island is the only reasonable place to drop anchor on this leg of the circumnavigation and the traditional place we have shortened course. The shorter option will hopefully mean more boats can complete the course before travelling home south or indeed north after the race.

‘There are four classes again this year, for fast and slow boats including a restricted sail class which races for the Brian Shellcock Memorial Trophy’.

Other prizes included the fastest for the circuit overall, a double handed award and special prizes for the winners of each leg including the Mishnish Bucket and the Bunessan Hall Trophy. Bilgewater Gin (a fabulous yachties favourite) also supports the event with prizes for each winner.

The Royal Bank of Scotland Trophy is awarded, regardless of class, to the monohull with the best performance on points over all three legs of the race. The Torran Rock will be won by the monohull with the best corrected time overall regardless of class.

And it all starts today – Oban Bay, 12 noon. We will be carrying daily race updates.

The photographs accompanying this article are by copyright holder Alison Chadwick.