Further details or enquiries should be directed to the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series Press Office: Phone 07775 671973 or Mobile: 07802 685454, Email: s.mckichan@btopenworld.com.

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From The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series

2004 Winners

Overall Winner
 Antix IRL9638

Crawford McInnes Trophy
Anna Scott on King Quick

Tarbert Shield
Cracklin' Rosie IRL5851

Sail Scotland Trophy
Benola IRL3103

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From The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series

Monday Day 4, Racing at Tarbert.

Rarely in the last few years of the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series has predicting who will win the overall Scottish Series Trophy has been so hard to call.

Usually by the penultimate day there is at least one stand out performer, but after today's set of races contested yet again in gentle southerly breezes and bright summer sunshine on Loch Fyne, there are still at least four boats in different classes which may yet win the top award.

In Class 2, the 2002 overall winner Hamish MacKay, tactician for John Corson on the Bavaria Match 38 suffered in a traffic build up at the gybe mark on the second race - a short, one lap Olympic triangle - and slumped to their worst result of the series with a ninth place. Added to a fifth place in the first race Salamander dropped to second overall.

By way of contrast the Corby 35 Antix (ex Highland Spirit) was on fire in both races scoring two wins to lead the class by a single point. Now owned by Crosshaven's Anthony O'Leary, this Corby design finished runner-up in 2002 to Nigel Biggs' First 36.7 Crewsaver Dickies when it was owned by Plymouth based Hamish Oliphant.

Another win could well set up O'Leary and his crew as the overall trophy winners as the depth and quality of competition in Class 2 is unmatched among the 13 classes.

Keith Miller and the Crackerjack team on the Swan 45 remained impeccably consistent in Class 1 with a first and third place to extend their lead to five points. With a sixth as their discard at the moment Crackerjack should need only a final safe result to win the class. Eamon Coneely's Dark Angel (ex Victric) won the first race, but they were too far off the pace on the second race and saw their challenge slip.

In the pursuit of the overall trophy Andy and Steph Lightbown gave themselves a fighting chance with three consecutive wins today in the Sportboat class. They have got to grips with their new Beneteau 25 quickly and enjoy a 10 point lead in the 16 boat fleet, ahead of two Laser SB3's.

Aboard the Beneteau 25 Warthog as well as the Lightbowns are Largs based Finn campaigner Mark Andrews, Mark Simpson who was mainsheet trimmer for Hamish Mackay when they won the overall trophy in 2002 and Jo Dixon from Tarbert who runs the Scottish Sailing Institute at Largs. Defending Scottish Series Trophy winner Graeme and Ruairidh Scott on King Quick matched the Lighbown's three wins. Both crews sail under the flag of the Tarbert Loch Fyne Yacht Club.

In Class 3 a first and second for the SJ320 Miss Tuttles of Gerald Firth gives them a two points lead over the vintage IOR design Hops.

Andi Robertson

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From The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series

Sunday Day 3, Racing at Tarbert.

With the sunshine and rising temperature burning off the early breeze on Loch Fyne, racing was at its most frustrating at the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series today where Keith Miller's Swan 45 eased into the overall lead of Class 1 with a first and a second place from the two races sailed.

Both races were marred by big wind shifts, but the first was the better contest. Raced in a steady south easterly which faded at times the Olympic course became processional down the two reaches.

Miller made a less than perfect start to the first race, but the Crackerjack crew worked their way into the lead and were able to keep the boat moving well to hold off the chartered Ker 11.3 Kerisma which took second place. " Staying consistent was the key to day, keeping the boat moving at all times and we managed to do that. It was not easy so we are pretty happy with our day." Admitted Miller.

Erstwhile Class leader Jonathan Anderson on the First 47.7 Playing FTSE failed to rally in the light going in the bigger boat and they now lie third overall, and must be praying for a little more breeze.

It was the pair of Swans - Crackerjack and Fever - which managed to escape completely on the second leg of the second race, while the chasing pack were marooned for too long, swallowed by a calm at the leeward mark. Fever managed to just get their bow ahead on the finish line, getting suspiciously close to the finish buoy, but they narrowly won on handicap from Crackerjack in second.

In Class 2 John Corson's new Bavaria Match 38 has not looked the most competitive boat in the fleet in the light but the combination of Corson's experience and the tactical nous of Hamish Mackay as tactician has been enough to keep them moving in the right strands of breeze throughout the day.

Corson's Salamander XVIII scored a fifth and a first for the day to lead Class 2, by two points from the J109 No Naked Flames from the Quoile YC owned by Niall and Andrew Allan. Their pair of fourth places today keep them as serious contenders, while Chris Bonar's Bateleur 97 which is usually good in the light conditions won the first race but had a bogey score in the second with a fifteenth.

In IRC Class 3 it is becoming something of a Forth benefit as the well sailed IOR design Davidson 36 Hops of Ian McLean leads by four points ahead of the Elan 333 Bite the Bullet (ex Salamnder XVII).

Racing was equally tricky on the Sportboat and 1720 course, where the wind shifts were just as prolific and pronounced.

Andy and Stephanie Lightbown still lead the Sportboat class with their Beneteau 25 Warthog after scoring a fifth and a seventh while the Laser SB3 of Helensburgh's Neil Rosie lies second with two second places today.

In the 1720 fleet, which has 11 entries, the local favourites and defending Scottish Series Trophy champions Ruairidh and Graeme Scott are still the top boat overall in King Quick with an eight point lead over Charlie Frize's The Big L. " It does not get any easier here." Grinned Ruairidh, "In fact with slightly fewer boats it is harder because you can lose four boats like that and that is 40% of the fleet. We're just going to be keeping plugging away and we should get there in the end."

Andi Robertson

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From The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series

Saturday Day 2, Racing at Tarbert.

Even the sunshine made an unscheduled appearance on the first full day of inshore Olympic and Windward-Leeward racing on Loch Fyne at 173 boat The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series.

With a series of small weather fronts passing over the race arena, the breeze did not stay settled for the entire duration of either of the two windward-leeward races. Staying in step with these changes in wind strength and direction was essential, as was keeping a weather eye on course changes signalled by the race officers.

Controversy surrounded the second race for Classes 1 and 2. Several of the leading contenders, including Jonathan Anderson's Playing FTSE, the Beneteau First 47.7 which was leading her class with a perfect scoreline of two wins, failed to recognise that the Olympic course had been changed to a windward leeward and headed off in the wrong direction.

White Tiger, the new, smaller First 47.7 skippered by Oliver Sheehy from the Royal St George club in Dublin was one of the first to identify the correct weather mark and retained their advantage well into the race, crossing the line third behind the Swan 45's Crackerjack (Keith Miller) and Fever (Diederichs/Gordon) to win.

Playing FTSE's dropped to record an eighth in the 10 boat class and slid to fourth overall.

The consistency of Dark Angel, the Ed Dubois designed 37 footer skippered by Eamon Coneely has been impressive and they lead the class now with a third and two second places.

In Class 2 the honours were shared between Ian and Graham Thomson's Swan 40 Sloop John T which won the first race and Chris Bonar's BH 36 Bateleur 97, but the class leader remains the Forth syndicate on the Mumm 36 Absolutely 2 which scored a sixth and a third for the day to share a 10points aggregate with second placed Salamander XVIII, the Bavaria Match 38. Salamander took a fourth and a third today while Sloop John T lies third on 11 points.

After a grey and drizzly start to the day the breeze shifted to the west of south during the first race and then returned to the south east for the second race.

There may be only 11 1720 Cork One Designs racing, a significant drop on last year, but the competition is still close at the front of the fleet. Defending Scottish Series Trophy winner Ruairidh Scott retained an unblemished record, working into the lead on both races to lead the class on King Quick.

Andi Robertson

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Thursday/Friday Offshore Race

Gourock/Bangor to Tarbert.

From The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
Thurs/Fri - Offshore Race, Gourock/Bangor to Tarbert.

Fast and pain free. By comparison with previous editions of the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series' opening race, the overnight offshore race from Gourock and Bangor to the Mull of Kintyre fishing village of Tarbert on Loch Fyne which finished yesterday morning was relatively straight forward and had the fleet finished in time for breakfast.

Jonathan Anderson, the only owner to have won the overall trophy three times, started in the best way possible on his First 47.7 Playing FTSE.

Anderson and his crew suffered their own Black Monday crash last year when they trapped a floating line on the third day of racing and then lost a sail and so missed out on both races when they were in the hunt for the overall class win last year. Today they earned an overall margin of four
minutes over the 72 mile course which took the offshore fleet down to turn at the notorious DZ mark in under the Heads of Ayr, before a spinnaker run across to Arran, to round a mark near the island shore.

As ever here it was a case of staying away from the Arran shore where the wind was lighter, and there were many who strayed too close and lost
valuable time.

With the breeze rising to 21-22knots and the overnight temperatures acceptable even for the west coast of Scotland, a fast reach into Tarbert
rewarded the most active crews who were determined to make the best speed. Class 2, with 23 boats entered, looks like the sharpest class. With past Scottish Series winners like John Highcock, Hamish Mackay and Chris Bonar all contained in this fleet competition promises to be tight.

Conditions were ideal for the Mumm 36 of the Port Edgar based Kelly/Bramall/Plummer syndicate, Absolutely 2.

Racing upwind to DZ under a blade no 3 and then downwind at full speed under spinnaker the Mumm 36 was nearly half an hour clear on handicap 2002 winner Hamish Mackay, on the helm overnight on John Corson's Salamander XVIII, steered the new Doug Peterson designed Bavaria Match 38 into third place.

"It was race and a fleet we could easily have done worse in so we have to be happy with a third. We got a bit low of the rhumb line on the beat up to DZ and had to tack up to the mark, and then got a bit close to Arran coming in to Holy Isle, but generally we are happy with a third." Said Mackay.

Andi Robertson

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The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series - 25 May 2004

With over 170 entries racing in 13 classes over three different course areas on Loch Fyne, The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, answers the starters' guns tomorrow evening (Thursday) at the traditional twin start lines at Bangor in Northern Ireland, with the larger fleet mustering at Gourock on the Clyde estuary for the overnight race to Tarbert.

As the biggest and most significant annual regatta after Cowes, The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, has again drawn a very strong contingent from Ireland, the North of England and some from further afield for what is well established as one of the strongest IRC regattas around. While there is a slight drop in entries this year due largely to the 1720 Cork One designs choosing not to attend in the same strength as previous years - attributed to the fact their European Championships take place in Largs in September and hence many owners choosing to make only one visit to Scotland in the season - equally the core IRC fleet is very strong, both in terms of strength of numbers and quality.

IRC Class 1 sees 10 entries including two new boats this season - a new X 413 for Iain Graham, who owns the course area sponsor Graham Technology - and a new Grand Soleil 45 for former Sigma 33 European champions Bobby Napier and Allan Hogg. Among the leading contenders in this class will be last year's class winner Cracklin' Rosie, the Corby 40, which will be steered by sailmaker Joe English, former Swan European champion Keith Miller in the Swan 45 Crackerjack which has sailmaker Kevin Sproul as tactician, and Playing FTSE, a Beneteau 47.7 owned and skippered by Jonathan Anderson who is the only skipper to have won the Scottish Series Trophy - the overall top prize - three times.

But it is IRC Class 2 which looks the strongest with 25 boats, prompting some to question the split between the classes, but the reality is that Class 2 has an excellent mix of fairly similar boats in the 35-41 foot size range. Among the favourites in this class is veteran John Corson's Bavaria Match 38 Salamander XVIII, which will have former Scottish Series Trophy winner Hamish Mackay on board as tactician. Against some strong opposition Corson and Mackay recently won the Kip Regatta outright which is the traditional warm up event pre-Scottish Series.

Chris Bonar and his crew on Bateleur, the BH36, have won the Trophy twice and won Class 2 last year and are likely to be in the frame again this year, while former X332 National Champions and Clyde Master Helm Donald Sharp will race in this class with his new Reichel Pugh designed Seaquest 36.

Racing follows the well established format, with Olympic and Windward Leeward type contests starting Saturday, after the offshore races which feed the fleet up to the scenic Kintyre village harbour, and finishes Tuesday when the new winner of The Bell Lawrie Scottish Series Trophy will be announced.

This is the fifth year of support from Bell Lawrie White, the investment management specialists and stockbrokers, who are supported by course sponsors Graham Technology, Talisker, and Tunnocks.

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Scottish Series Radio 87.7 FM
First on the Dial – First for Sailing

Broadcasting on 87.7 FM this year we are pleased to announce the introduction of an FM radio station dedicated to the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series. Live on the Water Results, Live sailing reports, interviews, music and special events will all be covered. Broadcasting from Tarbert village out onto the loch Fyne race area’s the fleets will be able to keep up to date on what is happening both on the water and on the shore. From 7am in the morning to 10pm at night the station will be live and through the night music will play away into the early hours. Advertisements from sponsors and both local and UK wide companies will also be broadcast, so to get your company on the air waves contact the CCC office for details or click here for the web form .

BLSS Commodores Cup

TEAM SCOTLAND 2006

RYA Scotland and the CCC are to hold an open forum at this year's Bell Lawrie Scottish Series to launch the campaigne for a "TEAM SCOTLAND” entry to the Commodores Cup 2006 and beyond. The forum will be aimed at seeking the opinions and thoughts held by the assembled Scottish sailors and guiding the debate into open constructive discusion. The forum will take place in the marquee at 5pm on the Sunday during the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series, all are welcome to attend and express their opinions.

Tarbert Harbour

Clive Scott, commodore of CCC, said "There has been a lot of ill informed rumour about Bell Lawrie Scottish Series being cancelled, postponed or re-located. We are in close contact with Tarbert Harbour Authority and are satisfied that the pontoons will be back in service well before the event, so it's business as usual at Tarbert"

Further information from:

Press Invitation.

The Directors of Bell Lawrie White and the Flag Officers of The Clyde Cruising Club would like you to join us in celebrating the launch of The 2004 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series.

Enjoying the usual gaelic coffee and nibbles as well as a celebratory ‘dram’ On Friday 9th January 1030hrs for 1100hrs. At The London Boat Show Stand N1613 – (Sail Scotland shared with Sail Wales, West Hall, beside Sunsail).

No need to RSVP, we look forward to seeing you all there.