Sail Hebrides Maritime Festival

This July Stornoway Harbour hosted 40 boats and over 200 participants from as far away as the Switzerland. Most were from the west coast of Scotland and 16 were from the Outer Hebrides.

The focal point of this year's Festival for visitors, musicians and administration was the new marquee headquarters beside the pontoons, which allowed everyone to meet on arrival, housed the displays from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, the Maritime Coastguard Agency, the Hebridean Marine Society, RNLI and Stornoway Fishermen's Co-op.

Central to the Festival is the participative sail training of young Hebrideans. This year 20 took part over the 3 weeks surrounding the Festival; some sailing from the Clyde to Stornoway; some sailing around the North Minch and some from Stornoway to the Clyde. .

Most were engaged in a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Challenge while others were being trained and tested for RYA sailing certificates. Katie Graham said "A great opportunity - everyone should try it" and Iain Macphail echoed her sentiments when he added ".. an experience of a lifetime"

For a younger age group sailing tuition was provided at Cuddy Point by the Royal Yachting Association in dinghies for the whole of the week of the Festival catering for 120, 8-14 yr olds.

The Stornoway Fishermen's Co-op boat building workshop attracted 50 people to listen to Ian Oughtread, a boat designer from Skye, Mark and Paul from Ullapool Boatbuilders, John Macaulay from Flodabay, John Hayes from Uig and Ian Stephen stepping in for Iain L Macleod to talk about the restoration of the Broadbay.

That restoration and the one on the Jubilee by Ullapool Boatbuilders were carried out with the Assistance of the Highland Buildings Preservation Trust, currently undertaking the imaginative renovation of the Stornoway Sail Loft. John Macaulay entertained with detailed calculations of the likely dimensions of the Ark from a marine architect's point of view and John Hayes illustrated his talk on the refurbishment of the Cuach, with lengths of plastic pipe and a hover motor.

Visiting boats arriving on the Thursday were welcomed to the harbour and Festival by a flotilla of local boats including the MCA tug Anglian Prince , the MCA inshore rescue craft, Harrier , the Stornway Port Authority pilot boat, Portrona and a dozen sailing boats including 3 Sgothan. This was followed by a reception in the marquee and in the evening, for those who had tickets, by Van Morrison at the Hebridean Celtic Festival.

Excitement and anticipation was building by Friday for the Sailing in Company, Barbecue and Loch Erisort Sea Battle. Those who had participated before prepared themselves and those new to the Festival tried to piece together what might happen from snippets of conversations at the receptions and on the moorings. They didn't have to wait long to find out. Friday dawned, as most days this summer, overcast and with the threat of rain but the unsettled weather didn't deter 25 boats from slipping their moorings in Stornway harbour and sailing en masse for Loch Erisort.

From the 2 masted 67ft Silurian of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to the tiny 16 ft Mara (skippered by Angus Macleod ex of Lewis) and the 18ft Jeannie II, the fleet, in full sail, rounded the Arnish light and headed for Tavay Mhor before bearing west for the safe anchorage of Peacam west on the South East lee of Eilean Chalum Chile.

From there the entire crews of the boats were ferried ashore to a fantastic barbecue provided by Loch Erisort Trust and its many local, willing helpers. Along with the superb food and welcome tea and coffee, a great ceilidh was soon in full swing with music from people from many different boats. New and old visitors were soon making new acquaintances and renewing old friendships with Norwegians, Swiss, English, Scottish and Dutch friends and a great party atmosphere competed with the baaing of hundreds of sheep waiting to be sheared, penned up beside the barbecue at Crobeag farm.

By mid afternoon convivial chat gave way to friendly rivalry as the boats engaged in the anticipated Loch Erisort Sea Battle. Boats large and small, powered and under sail, jostled for advantageous positions to soak competing crews with water bombs and other water carrying missiles while attempting to stay out of range of the same missiles from other boats. When all ammunition was exhausted and crews were thoroughly wet, boats set an easterly course for the Minch and finally for Stornoway where, in the evening, many crews went to enjoy Runrig at the Hebridean Celtic Festival.

9am Saturday. Weary, bleary eyed crews from the night before, assembled for a Skippers' briefing for the Sail Hebrides sailing challenges in Stornoway's ample harbour.

In spite of near nil visibility, very light winds, tired crews and late starters, keen challenges took place amongst 14 boats for the coveted Borve Pottery prize for the quickest Bermudan rigged boat and for the Stornoway Co-operative prize for the quickest Lug sail boat. These prizes were won respectively by El Vigo and by Cuach , both from Stornoway.

As always in sailing there were the usual complaints from those who did not win about unfair advantages gained by other boats but all protests were dismissed in the interests friendly rivalry and safe sailing.

Fleet

Piping and Rowing

A more leisurely pace descended on the Festival on Saturday afternoon in the inner harbour with new pipe music, especially commissioned by the Highland Buildings Preservation Trust being given its world premiere. Anna Murray and Annie Gracie played the new tune on the bows of the refurbished Jubilee, resplendent in her new red colours and the Oigh Niseach from Raasay supported by sgothan and other boats from the fleet.

Immediately after the music, the penultimate event for young and old, new or experienced crews was the rowing challenge around a course in the inner harbour.

Teams of 3 competed against the clock in the Cuach for the Hebridean Brewing Company prize. Team El Vigo walked away with it this year but I understand there much stronger challenges will be mounted next year from all over the islands and other boats. Time to start training now!

The Festival closed in the marquee with the final reception and the prize giving by Mia Scott of the Highland Buildings Preservation Trust.

Special awards were presented to Stornoway Port Authority for its unstinting assistance to Sail Hebrides and to the Clyde Sail Training Trust for its continuing partnership with Sail Hebrides in providing sail training opportunities for participating young Hebrideans.

Keep coming back for information on next years festival!

Check out this years winners here

2006 7th Sail Hebrides Maritime Festival,

2006
7th Sail Hebrides Maritime Festival,