14/09/2026
POLARIS REGATTA REPORT with fantastic photos by Trevor James.
The Holy Loch Sailing Club’s season reached its climax last weekend with the annual Polaris Regatta, one of the longest-running and most prestigious events in Clyde sailing. This year’s event attracted the best turnout for many, many years, with more than 50 boats entered across the various classes.
The regatta, which was inaugurated in the early 1960s during the presence of the American Navy on the Clyde, takes its unusual name from that historic connection. Today, the event enjoys the support of generous local sponsors, with this year’s regatta backed by local companies Shearwater Marine Services, Swordfish Marine and Western Ferries.
As is often the case with this end-of-season fixture, the weather played a major part in proceedings. Saturday brought very strong winds, creating challenging and, at times, difficult sailing conditions. Sunday provided a dramatic contrast, with a light breeze testing the patience and tactical skills of competitors across the fleet.
The 12-boat Piper class was particularly closely watched as it brought the class’s season-long 60th anniversary celebrations to a conclusion.
Saturday’s racing was dominated by Gourock entry Chanter, sailed by Dougie Campbell, Peter Boyd and Heath Cairns. The trio secured three race victories in the demanding conditions, while local favourite Tom Piper kept the home supporters’ hopes alive with two second-place finishes.
Sunday dawned calm and dry, but the lighter conditions did little to unsettle Chanter. Despite facing a large and determined fleet of high-class opposition, the white-hulled boat, distinguished by her striking black sails, continued her impressive run.
Although she did not always lead from the start, Chanter repeatedly worked her way through the fleet to claim the advantage. A further three race wins completed a remarkable six-race clean sweep.
The result saw Chanter take the Piper class trophy, but the Gourock team’s outstanding performance was rewarded with an even greater prize — the prestigious Murray Seafoods Caithness Glass Bowl, awarded for the best overall performance across all four fleets.
Another class celebrating a significant anniversary this year was the Sonata fleet, marking 50 years since the class was established. Holy Loch Sailing Club was honoured to be asked to host the Sonata Scottish Championships as part of the Polaris Regatta, bringing a strong fleet together for a weekend of particularly close and competitive racing.
The championship provided some excellent racing throughout the weekend, with Neil Rosie and his crew from Helensburgh Sailing Club sailing Peshwa 4 emerging as overall winners. Their consistent performance saw them record four first places and two seconds to secure the Scottish Championship title.
Mark Taylor of Royal Forth Yacht Club, skippering Saraband, also sailed an excellent series to finish second overall, completing what was a highly competitive Sonata championship.
In the dinghy fleet, Alistair and Bernadette McMillan of Isle of Bute Sailing Club produced an exceptional performance in their Merlin Rocket, Thumper, to take first place overall. Their impressive scoreline of 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1 demonstrated remarkable consistency across the six races.
There were certainly no complaints about the boat’s speed, with onlookers heard to remark that *Thumper* was “going like a rocket” — particularly in the strong winds that tested the fleet on Saturday.
A strong challenge came from Holy Loch Sailing Club’s own Jenny Dunn, sailing a Laser Bahia. Dunn produced an equally consistent series, recording a 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2 scoreline to earn a well-deserved second place overall and provide the home club with another excellent result.
Sadly, the Flying Fifteen fleet was down to just three entries, with the Polaris Regatta clashing with a national event which attracted the majority of Scotland’s active Flying Fifteens. Despite the smaller fleet, all three crews enjoyed a great weekend of sailing and were particularly grateful for the easier conditions on Sunday following an exceptionally punishing three races on Saturday.
Chris and Marion Bowen of Holy Loch Sailing Club, sailing More Mischieff, secured the overall victory with a perfect scoreline — but only just. In the final race, a mistake at the first mark saw them lose a significant distance to the other two boats. They fought their way back throughout the remainder of the race, gradually clawing back the deficit before snatching victory by just three seconds in a thrilling finish.
Tommy and Susan McGeachie also sailed well throughout the weekend to take second place overall.
The White Sail fleet added another dimension to the regatta, with competitors sailing one race each day and venturing out into the Clyde on courses that took them towards Gourock, Kilcreggan and Dunoon. There was a bumper entry of 13 boats, making it, on paper, the largest fleet at the regatta. However, Saturday’s strong winds proved too much for some, with several boats opting to remain ashore rather than face the challenging conditions.
The fleet provided a colourful mix of boats, ranging from modern racing machines to older classic cruising yachts, while the crews themselves ranged from hardened racers to those taking part in their very first race. Saturday’s race was certainly full-on, with near-gale-force winds at times and sustained wind speeds often around 30 knots. Two boats stood out in the results, with Jonathan Dickie and crew from Fairlie Yacht Club sailing the Laser 28 Farr Out winning both races by a comfortable margin. Malcolm Johnston and crew from Isle of Bute Sailing Club, sailing his MG335 Kraken, provided the closest challenge, taking second place in both races.
But the Polaris Regatta is not all about the sailing. With around 300 sailors and supporters visiting the club over the weekend, the social atmosphere was fantastic, with visitors repeatedly commenting on how welcoming and friendly the club is. Excellent food was provided on Saturday evening by Jamie at Redwood Coffee, while competitors and supporters were entertained by the very talented local group Urban Folkers, adding to the already lively atmosphere and making the weekend as much a social occasion as a sporting one.
The Polaris Regatta is organised and run entirely by members of Holy Loch Sailing Club, with a huge amount of time and effort going into its preparation and delivery. The club is exceptionally grateful to everyone who gave their time, energy and expertise to make the event such a massive success. Particular thanks go to Bill Aitchison and his race team for managing the racing, Steve Thompson and his team of rescue boat drivers for keeping competitors safe on the water, the ladies in the galley for keeping everyone fed and refreshed, and the bar staff for their hard work throughout the weekend. Last but certainly not least, special thanks go to Commodore Kirsty Brown for coordinating the whole operation and bringing together the many different elements required to stage such a successful event.
It was a fitting conclusion to the Polaris Regatta and a memorable finale to the Piper class’s 60th anniversary season. With the best turnout seen at the event for many years, outstanding performances across the yacht and dinghy fleets, the successful hosting of the Sonata Scottish Championships on their fiftieth anniversary, and a fantastic atmosphere ashore, the Holy Loch Sailing Club can look back on a highly successful weekend of racing and a memorable celebration of Clyde sailing.
