by Ian Macdonald

In 1973 cruiser racing under the International Offshore Rule (IOR) was at its height providing racing to a huge variety of types and size of boat. The most famous competitions apart from Grand Prix events like the Admirals' Cup were the World Level Rating Championships for the Ton Cups which consisted of three inshore races, one short offshore race and one long offshore race. This became the standard format for cruiser racer series of the time, whether at world championship, national or local level.

To mark its 75^th anniversary in 1973, the Clyde Yacht Clubs' Association introduced a new series for cruiser racers under IOR, the prize for which was to be a scale model of the flywheel of the first steamship, the Greenock-built Comet. The first Comet Wheel Series was incorporated within that year's Clyde International Regatta at Rothesay, the short offshore race being from Rothesay to Bangor and the long offshore race round the Isle of Man back to Rothesay!

It was always the CYCA's intention that the series would be held in different places each year, generally alternating between the Clyde and the Irish Sea so in 1974 the Comet Wheel prizes were awarded within ISORA Week in Dublin Bay. In 1975 it was the Clyde's turn again and the Clyde Cruising Club through its Honorary Secretary Sandy Taggart put forward proposals for a new series based around its Tobermory Race in July. The CCC was (and still is) the main organiser of offshore racing on the Clyde and the offshore races of the 1973 series had been CCC events. At the same time the CCC was approached by Tomatin Distillers who were keen to sponsor a sailing event so the 1975 event became the Comet Wheel Series for the Tomatin Trophy. The series included a number of classes but the Tomatin Trophy was to be awarded to the one yacht which in the opinion of the Race Committee and the sponsors had given the best performance of all yachts in the series.

The 1975 series started with a 200-mile race round the Mull of Kintyre via Belfast Lough to Crinan, then after the second leg of the Tobermory Race itself in company with the rest of the CCC fleet had three Olympic triangle races in increasingly strong winds in the area north of Tobermory. The final race was to have been the 90-mile short offshore race from Tobermory finishing at Armadale on Skye but because of the severe weather this was postponed until the following morning and shortened to "only" 60 miles. The first winner of the Tomatin Trophy was Kavala II, a Nicholson 30 from Bangor.

In 1976, the Comet Wheel Series was again included within the bi-annual ISORA Week, this time in North Wales, but the Tomatin Trophy had been such a success that the CCC decided to run the event again, reduced in size with only one Olympic triangle at Tobermory and renamed the Tomatin Trophy Series. The limitations of the west coast as the venue for a major regatta were obvious but an opportunity arose in 1977 to bring the event to the Clyde. The country was given an extra two day holiday in early May to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee and the third Tomatin Trophy was held over this special weekend. The long offshore race was reduced to one night, started at Gourock late on Friday, raced round Ailsa Craig and finished at Campbeltown. The short offshore race was from Campbeltown to Tarbert and the three Olympic triangles were held in Loch Fyne and for the first time the winning boat won all her races in the series - Hydrodjinn sailed by Nick Stratton who is one of only a handful of people who can claim to have taken part in or organised (or both) every series to date.

The May experiment had worked so well, filling a gap in the Scottish and indeed national racing programme, that it has stayed in May ever since, although moved from 1978 to the Glasgow holiday at the end of May. 1978 also saw the change to the present Thursday night start and Tuesday finish. The Comet Wheel Series in its original form did not survive beyond the last Clyde International Regatta in 1979 but the Tomatin Trophy Series went from strength to strength, the child quickly outgrowing the parent^.

Tomatin Distillers went out of business in 1984 shortly after the 10th Tomatin Trophy Series (no connection between the two events) but the CCC had a successful event which it was keen to carry on. With no major sponsor immediately available, the 1985 series was run with invaluable support from the Highlands and Islands Development Board and Thomas Tunnock Limited, both of whom are still closely involved in 1999, the HIDB through their successor enterprise company AIE and Tunnocks in exactly the same enthusiastic way as in each of their 15 years' sponsorship. A new name was required and regular helper Ian McBain came up with the Scottish Series although he has given the credit for the idea to his wife Heather. There was certainly no other event in Scotland which could match the series for numbers of competitors and in the rest of the UK only Cowes Week was bigger.

Scottish Brewers became the main sponsors in 1986 and stayed for six years, the first four under the title McEwans Scottish Series. In 1990 this was shortened to McEwans Series but this proved the prelude to a number of changes with Stakis Hotels coming in as joint sponsors in 1991 (McEwans Stakis Series) and Rover taking over in 1992. Rover Cars also stayed for six years and always had only their name in the Rover Series title but the Scottish Series name revived in 1998 when a sponsorship package was put together through a local enterprise company at Tarbert to continue the event at its natural home.

Over the years, the series has developed to reflect the increasing numbers taking part (over 270 on three occasions), changing handicap systems and patterns of racing and different social priorities! Although the format of each series varies very little from year to year, it is interesting to list some of the changes which the event has seen over 25 years:

From 2000 the new Headline Sponsor is Bell Lawrie White, portfolio managers and stockbrokers with Support Sponsors Graham Technology and Clyde Marina continuing from 1999. The series now becomes the Bell Lawrie Scottish Series.

• CYCA handicap class added to IOR (1976)
• IOR level rating classes to reflect the popular sizes and World Championships being held in the UK
• Separate one design class for Sonatas (1980 to date)
• Campbeltown dropped with offshore races direct to Tarbert (1982)
• Unique light displacement CYCA class - the forerunner of today's sportboats! (1982)
• Computer results system introduced in 1982 and now recognised as the best in the UK
• Separate one design class for Sigma 33 (1987 to date)
• Separate one design classes in certain years for Impalas, Sigma 38, Melges 24 and Cork 1720
• Inner triangle to shorten courses for smaller classes (1986)
• Points loading for offshore race reduced from 2 to 1.5 to 1
• First racing in Scotland under Channel Handicap (1988)
• Second racecourse for smaller classes (1989)
• Discard introduced (1993)
• Windward leeward races - two per day (1993)
• Sportboat classes with no overnight races (1994)
• Marquee on quayside for main social events (1995)
• Restricted Sail Class (1998)
• Third racecourse for sportboats with up to three races per day (1998)
• Day feeder races (2002)
• Overnight and day feeder races discontinued (2005)
• Stand-alone "Tarbert Outbound" passage race introduced (2005)

With all these changes, some things do stay the same:

Tarbert in May 2005

• Huge support from Ireland every year since 1975.
• New for 2005 Tarbert Outbound passage race outwith the points series.
• The Clyde Cruising Club with Jim McIlraith as the principal Race Officer.
• The best competition and the best social scene in the country
• An overall series winner, the roll call including many of the top sailors in Scotland and beyond.

WINNERS OF THE SCOTTISH SERIES

WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?

The series has been known by a number of names during its 31-year history, reflecting the different sponsors which have supported it. Many organisers and competitors who have been involved in the series for longer than is good for them still refer to the event by one of the older names - I'm a Tomatin man myself.

• 1975 Comet Wheel Series for the Tomatin Trophy
• 1976 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1977 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1978 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1979 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1980 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1981 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1982 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1983 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1984 Tomatin Trophy Series
• 1985 Scottish Series
• 1986 McEwan's Scottish Series
• 1987 McEwan's Scottish Series
• 1988 McEwan's Scottish Series
• 1989 McEwan's Scottish Series
• 1990 McEwan's Series
• 1991 McEwan's Stakis Series
• 1992 Rover Series
• 1993 Rover Series
• 1994 Rover Series
• 1995 Rover Series
• 1996 Rover Series
• 1997 Rover Series
• 1998 Tarbert Scottish Series
• 1999 Tarbert Scottish Series
• 2000 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
• 2001 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
• 2002 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
• 2003 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
• 2004 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
• 2005 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
• 2006 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
• 2007 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series
• 2008 Bell Lawrie Scottish Series