The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series

In conditions which could scarcely have been bettered, 12-20 knots of South Easterly breeze which flecked the dark nay waters with white horses, and relentless sunshine, Lady Courrier may have come of second best to David Dwyer’s Crosshaven, Cork based Marinerscove.ie in both windward-leeward races today, but the Lille entrepreneur and his 12 strong crew, which included his student son Nicholas, posted a final scoreline of five first places and two second places.

The depth of competition in the IRC Class 1 fleet was emphasised as he lead no fewer than four past winners of this prestigious trophy including Cork’s double winner Anthony O’Leary in third on the new Ker 39 Antix Eile, Cork’s 2007 winner Conor Phelan in fourth on the Ker 37 Jump Juice, the Clyde’s three times winner Jonathan Anderson in fifth on his First 47.7 Playing FTSE, and 1990 winner Geoffrey Howison with the BH41 Local Hero XXI in sixth.

With four Transatlantic races and three Tour Voile round France races to his credit as well as twice winning the English based international team regatta the Commodore’s Cup, and placing third overall in last year’s classic Fastnet Race, Trentesaux and his La Trinité based crew set themselves several targets this year. So far they have won their home Spi Ouest regatta, and, today the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series before heading to the UK IRC National Championships, next month’s Commodore’s Cup before a December date with their first Sydney Hobart race.

Trentesaux has raced with his own boats here in 2000 and 2002. Second time here he and his crew would have won Class 1 but for an unfortunate error when they took an invited guest sailing which took them over their prescribed crew limit. He has raced six times here, often with his long time Scottish friend Grant Gordon.

“We have never won this regatta and so it has been great to do so with such great conditions. I am going home to work tomorrow with sunburn and the trophy so I am really happy. It is great to work hard and to play hard. We have a crew which have been together for ten years or longer and a fast boat. It was tougher today because we took a few more risks but the racing has been great and very well organised.” Said Trentesaux, “This is such a wonderful place I will be back and will hopefully bring back more French boats next time.”

IRC Class 2 went to the wire with the Howth based Corby 36 prevailing by a single point over Jim MacGregor and his young team on the Solent based Elan 410 Premier Flair. Second in today’s second race behind Premier Flair was enough for overall victory to Roy Dickson’s Irish favourite which placed second last year.

Premier Flair took second place in the first race of the day by a matter of only two seconds on corrected time behind Nigel Biggs and his crew on the J109 Sail4Cancer who finished third overall in the regatta’s biggest class at 22 boats.

Best overall performance by a Scottish boat in the IRC Handicap classes was the Clyde based Carmen II, a Beneteau First 36.7 sailed by Paul Scutt and Alan Jeffrey and their crew based out of Helensburgh on the Clyde. They won IRC Class 3, while in IRC Class 4 it was the X302 of John Allen from Whitby.
 

The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series

Tarbert Loch Fyne, Scotland, Day 3.

Frenchman Gery Trentesaux may be one of the most furthest travelled visitors to the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series but he has raced on Loch Fyne often enough to know that it is not always like this.

Perfect sunshine and brisk, fairly consistent south easterly winds which peaked at over 20 knots produced another two excellent windward-leeward races today at the southern, seaward end of Loch Fyne.

Trentesaux and his team kept their new Beneteau First 45 Lady Courrier on track to win IRC Class 1 with their fifth win from six starts this afternoon.

Although their winning string was broken by David Dwyer's Mills 39 Marinerscove.ie in the morning race, their resulting second was largely self inflicted. Such has been the pace of the new 45 footer, which will represent France in next month's Commodore's Cup international team event and consistent tactical skill that Trentesaux and his team have shown, that British Olympian Andy Beadsworth, Marinerscove's tactician admitted this afternoon that they are left needing the French crew to make mistakes to have a chance of winning races. "The only problem I am having just now is that my crew are having too good a time. They are coming in too late at night. They love it here and I am sure we will try to bring back more French boats here next year." Smiled Trentesaux who is the architect of France's two victories in the Commodore's Cup.

Beadsworth believed they could have also won the second race today but for failing to spot that the course had been shortened.

Ironically for the Irish, who have selected two teams for the prestigious team event on the Solent, they have neither Marinerscove.ie, nor the current IRC Class 2 leader Rosie, Roy Dickson's Corby 36, in either of their three boat line ups.

Rosie won again this morning but could only make third in the second race which was won by Jim MacGregor and his young crew on the Elan 410 Premier Flair.

The Lymington based boat has a six points deficit on Rosie going into tomorrow's final races, while Chris Bonar and his BH36 Bateleur 96 lie in third place. 

Top Scottish boat among the IRC classes is Paul Scutt and Alan Jeffrey and crew on the Beneteau 36.7 Carmen II. A first and second places today give the Clyde team a six points margin over Dermot Cronin and his Malahide crew on the J35 Mumbo.ie 

The CYCA Classes had an enjoyable 20 mile passage up to Inchmarnock Island and back to finish off the entrance to Tarbert. Mike Forbes and his team on Micky Finn won CYCA Class 6 on what proved a fast race in winds up to 27 knots outside the Loch.

Racing finishes Monday when the overall destination of the regatta's top award the Scottish Series Trophy will be decided.

Andi Robertson, Newslink Communications Ltd

The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series

Tarbert Loch Fyne, Scotland, Day 2.

Gery Trentesaux and his French crew of Lady Courrier, a new Beneteau First 45 based out of La Trinité in Brittany, maintained a perfect scoreline in perfect conditions on Loch Fyne today at the 170 boat Bell Lawrie Scottish Series.  

While the French team headed ashore, enjoying the strong sunshine which is bathing the picture postcard Kintyre village this evening, they could reflect on another two victories in the 14 boat IRC Class 1 which extend their overall lead to four points, but knowing their performance was not entirely faultless.  

A slight breakdown in communication between owner-helm Trentesaux and tactician Christophe Clevenot lead to them fouling a smaller, slower Class 4 back-marker mid-way up the first leg of the day's first race.

Lady Courrier made their required two turns penalty but they lost at least 45 seconds as they paid for their aberration.

They fought back quickly and were able to win Race 3 of the series, which was contested in 13-18 knots of SE'ly breeze, by just less than a minute from Marinerscove.ie, the Crosshaven, Cork based Mills 39 of David Dwyer.  

Lady Courrier was back at full bore on the second race and added their fourth win from four starts by 1 minute and 32 seconds from Marinerscove.ie.

With Andy Beadsworth calling tactics, North Sails' Simon Fry trimming and Guy Barron running the pit, Marinerscove.ie, the Irish IRC champions, have strung together four consecutive second places, while the Clyde based Beneteau First 47.7 Playing FTSE skippered by three times Scottish Series champion Jonathan Anderson now lies third overall after a third and fourth today.

After two wins on Friday, the Class 2 favourite Rosie, the Howth based Corby 36, made a costly mistake at the windward mark on the second race today when they dropped their gennaker in the water as they hoisted round the spreader mark on the first round.  Sailing over the stricken sail it cost them at least two minutes.

After winning the first race today, beating John Corson and the Clyde crew on the Corby 33 Salamander XX, by 33 seconds, the Rosie crew's error was compounded when the breeze died and split. 

With close to 20 knots on the first beat of the second race, it was typically Loch Fyne when it went softer and the south westerly tried to make its presence felt.

Double Scottish Series Trophy winner Hamish Mackay and the crew of Exaltation, David Macfarland's Carrickfergus based X35, read the changes best and scored their first win of the regatta, narrowly beating Nigel Biggs and crew on the J109 Sail4cancer. Rosie still lead the 22 boat class comfortably with three firsts and a sixth scored to date. 

In IRC Class 3 it was the regatta organising Clyde Cruising Club's commodore Howard Morrison who triumphed in the first race. The 1991 Scottish Series Trophy winner steered his Sigma 38 Enigma to win, while in the second it was the Forth crew on the J92S niJinsky steered by Andy Marshall who prevailed. Overall the Class 3 leader remains unchanged as Carmen II, the Beneteau 36.7 of Paul Scutt and Alan Jeffrey.

Ends

Andi Robertson, Newslink Communications Ltd

The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series

Tarbert Loch Fyne, Scotland, Day 1.

France's Lady Courrier ran away with the best points score of the red hot IRC Class 1 at the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series on a grey and overcast Loch Fyne today.

In brisk 12-18knot south easterly winds which quickly despatched the early rain showers and even delivered the occasional shaft of sunlight, the French team which is skippered by Gery Trentesaux left the best of the Irish and the Scots race fleet trailing in conditions which are favoured by the series build First 45.

While Lady Courrier steadily found their pace in the first race which they won by 51 seconds, their upwind speed was devastating on the second race and they won against the recently crowned Irish national championship winning Marinerscove.ie by two clear minutes.

While some of the best of the Irish contingent, who are working up to represent their country at next month's Rolex Commodore's Cup, were left muttering under their breath about the French yacht's handicap, Marinerscove.ie, with Britain's 2000 Olympian Andy Beadsworth calling tactics for the Crosshaven, Cork crew which is lead by owner-helm David Dwyer ran out with two second places.  

In third is the current Scottish Series Trophy holder Jump Juice, owned by Cork's Conor Phelan which has Irish Star Olympian Mark Mansfield steering and local Tarbert ace Ruaraidh Scott on tactics. "I still think the Irish will be favourites for the Commdore's Cup." Remarked Trentesaux, "We had a couple of good races, and we have a very good crew. It is six years since we were here last time but the majority of the crew here have been with us for longer than that."  

In IRC Class 2, which has 22 boats competing as compared with the 15 in IRC Class 1, it is the red hulled Rosie, a Corby 36, of Howth based Roy Dickson which won both races today. Rosie was second here last year and got the better of the English based Elan 410 Premier Flair, skippered by owner Jim Macgregor, in the first race. In the second contest Rosie, which has Trieste, Italy's Nevio Sabadin calling tactics for helm Nevin Smyth, finished on the same corrected time as Barry Cunningham's Contango, a Corby 33.  

"We are going to be absolutely at the top of our game to win here, sailing 100% all the time." said Rosie's sail trimmer Dave Nixon, "This is a very strong class."

IRC Class 2 has five past Scottish Series Trophy winners among a tough line up.

Ends

Andi Robertson, Newslink Communications Ltd

An impressive line up of talented yachtsmen and women from across the UK and beyond have already signed up to take part in the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series 2008, Scotland’s premier yacht racing event....

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Event: Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, sailing regatta
When: Bank holiday weekend, 23 - 26 May 2008
Where: Tarbert, Loch Fyne, West of Scotland
Website: www.clyde.org

Final preparations are underway for this year’s Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, Scotland’s spectacular sailing regatta. The Series, which runs from Friday 23 May to Monday 26 May, takes place in the beautiful West Coast village of Tarbert on Loch Fyne. Come rain or shine, it is set to be a weekend of fun for all the family. A perfect blend of stunning setting, plentiful supplies of delicious locally produced food, endless shore-side entertainment for spectators and of course an array of impressive yachts racing, makes for a great day out....

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Double winning captain of France's successful Rolex Commodore's Cup Teams Gery Trentesaux returns to Tarbert, Loch Fyne over the Whitsunday Bank Holiday weekend in search of his first ever overall Class win at the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series....

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Nik Atkinson from Hartford Bridge in Northumberland is set to take part in the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, Scotland’s premier yacht racing event which takes place from Friday 23 May to Monday 26 May. Nik, a sailing veteran of 30 years, will be returning to take part in the event for his fifteenth year....

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Anthony O’Leary from Crosshaven in County Cork is set to take part in the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, Scotland’s premier yacht racing event which takes place from Friday 23 May to Monday 26 May. Anthony, a sailing veteran of 40 years, will be returning to take part in the event for a sixth year....

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Today, 1 April 2008, the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series announced its sponsor line-up for 2008. This year will see a number of new as well as returning sponsors offering their support at various levels. Their commitment will assist a range of different elements of the event from provision of logistical and medical support on and off the water to race course sponsorship and supporting hospitality shore side.....

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