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Sail Hebrides Maritime Festival 2003
Langton Lady
Langton Lady best dressed boat

“We’ll be back”. “Will see you again next year”. “We’ll tell all our sailing friends to come next year”. These were just some of the reactions from the visiting boats to the 5th Sail Hebrides Maritime Festival. Cathy and Mike Eberlin from the yacht Moon Eclipse from Devon said, “This is the best sailing festival we have ever attended. Our kids loved all the excitement particularly the Parade of Sail on Saturday”

Boats came from all over the UK and one from the USA. There were 29 boats in all and 108 people participated on them. The boats came from Stornoway, Harris, Lewis, Edinburgh , Glasgow, Skye, London, Ullapool, Devon, Dumfries and Inverness and the USA.

The highlight for some was the sailing to Loch Erisort and the barbecue at Crobeag. In beautiful weather crews were ferried ashore to a sumptuous al fresco meal arranged by the Loch Erisort Boat and Sail Club.

Sally
Sally
 

Nobody fell in the water but organisers ensured that everyone got wet during the “ Loch Erisort Sea Battle, 2003”. At close quarters crews pelted each other with water balloons as boats manoeuvred for good attacking positions.


Solan Goose winner of monohull challenge
Witnesses at the scene reported no casualties, only a little hurt pride at getting wet, as the fleet spread out to make its way back to Stornoway for a night at the Hebridean Celtic Festival.

“Having the Maritime Festival at the same time as the Music Festival was a great idea and should be repeated if possible next year ” said Jim and Deirdre Munro of Dawn of Wessex from Annan. They also said they hoped to persuade others to come in the future.

For others the highlight was the competitive cruising in Stornoway Harbour that allowed those of a more competitive nature to put their sailing skills to the test.


There were a few close calls and a few calls, which cannot be repeated as boats jostled for position around the tight harbour courses. Classic boats competed on their own course with the winner being Aoibhneas from London. The Multihull challenge was won yet again by Boadicea form Ullapool. (Next year it will have to get a handicap!) and the Monohull Challenge was won by the Solan Goose from North Queensferry.

Auk
Auk will be bringing paddles next year

East End Endevour
East End Endevour with an all female crew.


The Parade of Sail was the crowning glory for other boats and of course it was the best spectator part of the Festival as 25 boats led appropriately by the Pilot boat paraded around the Harbour.

The Best Dressed boat prize was won by Langton Lady of Stornoway and the prize for boat with the best band went to El Vigo also of Stornoway.However spectators could not have failed to notice the “all female “ crew of the East End Endeavour in their elaborate and exotic costumes. How they managed to sail a boat while wearing all that, no one knows.

Kirsty
The family crewed Kirsty

The family crewed Kirsty and Moon Eclipse also must be congratulated for their fantastic efforts to dress up their young crews. Perhaps next year there should be a prize for the best-dressed crews?
We heard also about the local skipper who is going to buy himself a dry suit for next year after his encounter with a sleeping seal and we understand that the catamaran Auk will be purchasing a pair of paddles from the Stornoway Fishermen’s Co-op for use in no wind conditions.
El Vigo
El Vigo winner of Boat with best band

Aoibhneas
Aoibhneas winner of Classic Challenge

Ken Kennedy, Chairman of the Sail Hebrides committee, expressed his satisfaction at the events outcomes. He thought that most people had enjoyed themselves, that the committee members and helpers had done extremely well, considering their small numbers and that this year’s events had created a successful platform on which further maritime festivals could be built.

 

"We had a great time in Stornoway at HebFestSail - we'll definitely be back. I've put up a photo gallery of pictures we took"
Nick Bowles
Fairwinds, Albin Vega V1842
BlueMoment.Com
UK Sail Cruising Directory

  

 

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