J/97s Sweep Scottish Series

(Tarbert, Scotland)- It was a fantastic weekend for the J97’s sailing in the beautiful waters of Loch Fyne off Tarbert, Scotland.  A gorgeous body of water located northwest of Glasgow tucked into a complex archipelago of fjord-like sounds and bays with lushly green hills surrounding the waters of the race course.

Over the 38 years of the Scottish Series there have been few prize-givings where the winners of the overall Scottish Series Trophy have composed a more deserving score-line.  With seven wins from as many starts on Loch Fyne, Grant Gordon and his team on the J/97 FEVER GLENFIDDICH not only won each race in IRC Class 3, but they sailed flawlessly to keep two past winners of the premier regatta’s top award behind them. FEVER, steered by owner Grant Gordon with Tarbert’s Ruairidh Scott as tactician, won their class by 12 points ahead of the identical J/97 JACKAROO sailed by Jim Dick's team which won the Scottish Series Trophy one year ago.

“As an advertisement for this event and for Scottish sailing I don’t think you could ask for more than we have had these past few days. It is has been brilliant,” said Gordon who was sailing at his third Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series.

An expatriate Scot who has raced internationally with his FEVER team, including winning the Swan 45 European Championships with Scott as tactician, Gordon sailed from the Royal Gourock YC as a youngster, and flew the flag of the Clyde Cruising Club on extended family cruises with their Van de Stadt 49 footer Cinderella. He keeps his boat on the south coast of England but raced at Tarbert with a crew which was 75% Scottish.

“This is a team of friends that I can rely on, some from university sailing days, some who we wanted to be here because we know they enjoy it, but we came to have fun and so winning here is great,” said Ruairidh Scott. “I am so fortunate to go sailing and racing in nice places around the world but it is really special to come back here and race, and winning here is even better. This regatta has been as good as I can remember. And, yes, we all joke about Loch Fyne from time to time, with spinnakers pointing at each other on the same tack, but the winds this time have been really good and the sunshine fantastic.”

The winning crew included Grant Gordon, the owner-driver, Ruairidh Scott, Mike Forster, Charlie Cumbley, Ben Fields, Scott Aikman, Angus Stevenson and Stewart Miller. “I am very proud of this team. It has been really magnificent. They have all worked hard and I am grateful for their contribution,” said Gordon.  Scott becomes one of the few sailors to have won the overall trophy three times in the skipper, helm or tactician roles.  Rounding out the J/97 sweep of the class, lying fourth was JAYWALKER.

In IRC 1, the J/133 SPIRIT OF JACANA crewed by the Douglas Family from Carrickfergus Sailing Club in Ireland sailed a nice series to finish third in class.  In IRC 2 were a pack of hungry J/109s that nearly pulled off the same trick their J/97 sisterships managed to accomplish.  Pat Kelley's J/109 STORM II from Howth YC in Ireland was third in class and Hall & McDonnell's J/109 SOMETHING ELSE from National YC in Ireland was fifth in class.   For more Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series sailing information

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