sailscotland 2020

THE INNER HEBRIDES There are a number of route choices for those venturing west from Tobermory out of the Sound of Mull. If time permits then the northern option will take you around Ardnamurchan and into the waters around Skye, while heading west across the Sea of the Hebrides will lead to the islands of Barra, Harris and Uist. For those on a limited timescale, it is probable that these destinations will have to wait for another trip, and instead the choice will either be to head west for the islands of Coll and Tiree or turn southwards along the western side of Mull. Both routes involve open-water sailing and are often rewarded with a wealth of wildlife. Sea eagles are a regular sight around Mull, while whales, basking sharks, dolphins and porpoises can also be seen. The Isle of Coll has one very sheltered bay at Arinagour, the main village on the island, where there are a limited number of moorings and plenty of suitable anchorages. The neighbouring island of Tiree, famous for its high sunshine hours, sandy beaches and windsurfing, is better suited to a daytime anchorage as most of the bays are more exposed. As well as hosting the Wave Classic windsurfing event, Tiree boasts an award-winning traditional music festival held each summer beside the stunning Crossapol Bay beach. The west side of Mull has a number of sheltered anchorages, mostly around the island of Ulva. The newly installed visitor pontoons located at the Ulva Ferry can accommodate eight boats up to 16m in length, and restaurants and other amenities can be reached via the community bus. Sailing along this western coastline allows a visit to the Treshnish Isles and Staffa – home of Fingal’s Cave. It is possible to anchor and view the cave from either the island or a tender during settled weather. Further south lies the island of Iona and its world-famous abbey. The main village on the Ross of Mull is Bunessan, where it is possible to anchor in a number of bays. Visitors are advised to anchor clear of the fairway to the main pier which is used by fishing boats all year round. The peninsula also contains many fine anchorages, including Tinker’s Hole and Carsaig, from where the

scene on 80 miles of coastline. An attractive combination of round- the-buoys and passage racing is supported by the regatta’s excellent social programme. More information is available from www.whyw.co.uk While the majority of racing events are traditional regattas, there are others worth mentioning. The first of these is the three-day Scottish Islands Peaks Race ( www.scottishislandspeaksrace. com ). This starts in Oban, where runners from each boat complete a short run around the town. The next step is a sail to Mull where they have to scale and descend Ben More. The crews then sail to Craighouse for runners to go up the three Paps before heading back to their boats for an overnight sail around the Mull of Kintyre to Arran, and a final scramble up Goat Fell before dashing across the finish line at Troon. A similar event is the Three Peaks Yacht Race between Barmouth in North Wales and Fort William, passing through the Argyll cruising waters en route. Competitors have to sail over 389 miles, cycle 18 miles, run 72 miles and climb over 14,000 feet. More details can be found at www.threepeaksyachtrace.co.uk

visiting sailor can choose to return home by either heading east through the Torran Rocks or south to Colonsay and then through the Sound of Islay and the Sound of Jura. EVENTS Sailing clubs and associations on the west coast host a range of exciting and varied racing events, the go-to resource for information about these being the Clyde Yacht Clubs Association’s online calendar ( www.cyca-online.org.uk ). While many of these are for club sailors, there are also some events suitable for visitors. One of these is the Owen Sails / Ardfern Yacht Centre Round Mull Race. It consists of three passages, Oban- Tobermory, Tobermory-Bunessan and Bunessan-Oban, and has both white sail and spinnaker classes. Full details are available from www.obansailingclub.org The largest of the west coast regatta events is the West Highland Yachting Week, which takes place between Craobh Haven, Oban, and Tobermory. Unlike most regattas it moves from centre to centre during the event, offering competitors an ever-changing

 West Loch Tarbert, Jura © Lynn Wilkie

sail scotland 2020

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