Photo finish

As 93 year old female former shipwright is reunited with her boat at the Fife Regatta

The Clyde Race took place today with the race starting just off Ballochmartin Bay and headed south through the Dunoon Cardinals. The larger boats then continued around the Mountstuart bouy and back up to Rothesay Bay merging with the smaller boats and a photo finish between Moonbeam III, Hallowe’en and Mariette in class 1 .

On handicap Altair was first , then Moonbeam III second and Hallowe’en third. The
smaller boats raced round Toward point into Rothesay with Mikado winning another first
place followed by The Truant and Rosemary III.

With a lay day on Monday, the Fife fleet enjoyed a chance to dry out in the sun at Rhu Marina. Following Ayrshire Lass’s first place in Sunday’s race, instead of a well earned rest with the fleet, she was out sailing again, this time with her former owner, Clynder’s only lady boat builder, 94-year-old Lizzie Todrick, she was reunited with the boat that she owned and sailed for 40 years. Liz bought the boat in 1939, shortly after she became the only female shipwright at the McGruers yard at the mouth of Loch Long and she employed the skills she learned at the shipyard to repair and maintain the craft over many years. From 1937 until 1977, Liz was a regular sight sailing the 1887, William Fife II-built Ayrshire Lass on the Clyde and to the Western Isles, and locals still talk of seeing her with the tiller wedged under her arm, knitting as she sailed.



The reason for the reunion, which occurred at Rhu Marina, opposite the old McGruer’s yard was that the boat has recently undergone an extensive restoration by her new owner, super yacht skipper, Paul Goss. Goss saw the boat 25 years ago, laid up ashore, and harboured a wish to buy her ever since. When the boat came up for sail, Goss, who travels the world at the helm of the enormous three-masted schooner, Adix, owned by chairman of the Bank of Santander, Jaime Botin, bought her and shipped her to Ireland where she has been totally restored over the last two years. The boat was returned to the waters of the Clyde for her first sail just two weeks ago in time to compete in the five-yearly Fife reunion yacht regatta.

Though just six years away from her letter from the queen, Liz hopped straight aboard
Ayrshire Lass to sail the small open boat, giving a hand with lines and taking the helm once more on the Clyde. (More pics on page 2....)

Results:

Class 1
Boat - R1 R2 R3 Total
Altair - 4 1 1 6
Moonbeam - 2 3 2 7
Hallowe'en - 3 2 3 8
Lady Anne - 1 5 4 10
Mariette - 6 4 6 16
Mariquita - 5 6 5 16

Class 2
Boat - R1 R2 R3 Tot
Mikado 1 3 1 5
The Truant 3 2 2 7
Ayrshire Lass 8 1 4 13
Rosemary III 12 4 3 19
Ierne 4 6 9 19
Viola 5 9 5 19
Peggy Bawn 7 7 7 21
Solway Maid 2 12 8 22
Sonata 9 11 6 26
Mignon 10 5 13 28
Fyne 6 13 11 30
Lucky Girl 13 10 10 33
Oblio 15 8 12 35
Hatasoo 11 15 15 41