Solway Yacht Club kicks off 2022 season with packed Easter programme

After two years of seriously restricted activities, Solway Yacht Club launched the new season with a packed Easter programme.

From craning-in the larger cruising yachts and two days of racing in the firth to a novelty Easter egg hunt on the water for the cadets, even the Kippford RNLI seemed to join in the fun with their own Easter egg training hunt.

Several weeks behind the scenes preparation that included a first aid course, a safety boat crews’ refresher day and working parties to prepare the club boats and facilities, led to Easter Saturday and craning-in day.

With favourable weather and a big tide, several of the larger yachts were lifted off their winter berths and gently lowered into the creek beside the pier before cautiously motoring down the narrow channel and out onto their moorings.

By the evening it was time for a relaxed and socially-distanced time in the clubhouse but sadly Covid hadn’t done with the club yet. Social secretary Duncan Gillespie had gone down with the virus and while much preparation had been done in advance, it was left to the reserve galley team to do the cooking. It was still a great evening with a substantial collection with Marie Curie.

The pier was a hive of activity on Easter Sunday. Despite light winds, the first competitive event, the Easter race series, got under way. With fast and medium handicap entries, the two groups sailed three races under race officer John Broadbent.

The Finn of Stewart Mitchell led the fleet with the Flying Fifteen of Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne giving chase. The RS400 of Scott and Nicola McColm plus the second Flying Fifteen of Scott Train and Anne Stewart weren’t far behind.

In the medium group, Ian Purkis and his first-time racing crew, 11-year-old