All hands on deck as landlubber Gayle joins a model boat club for an introductory training session – and a race.
Complete silence descends on Forfar Loch. If it wasn’t for the slight autumnal breeze, you could hear a pin drop.
It’s a serious business – one that demands full focus and concentration for the local titans of model boat racing.
I watch the action from the banks, transfixed, as small boats of all colours sail round a set course.
Each one is controlled by its owner, who stands on the shore using a radio transmitter.
Beautiful sight
It’s a beautiful and somewhat meditative sight, made all the better by the fact the sun is blazing and there’s a warmth in the air.
I’ve been invited here by members of Tayside Radio Sailing Club who meet every Wednesday for some training, racing and a bit of banter.
The sport demands good hand-to-eye coordination, and a knowledge of sailing and understanding how the wind works is a huge advantage.
The boats are designed and built by model sailors, although they describe themselves as ‘radio sailors’ – and the sport is officially known as ‘radio sailing’.
Boats raced are referred to as International One Metre (IOM) under the World Sailing rules, and because of their size.
Training session
I’m lucky to have a training session with fleet captain Brian Summers, aka Tich, who founded the club a decade ago.
Tich is a bit of a local – and global – legend. He won the UK seniors class for IOM racing in 2021 and came seventh in this year’s Allcomer National competition.
Tich sails his own pride and joy, which he calls Buzz 3, but lets me have a shot of his spare boat, which has the number 13 ominously printed on the sail.
“Don’t worry – we’ll tell everyone to stay out your way!” he chuckles. “You just sail around the loch. The fact the boat is number 13 is not significant!”
My stress levels rise as Tich shows me how to use the transmitter to control the boat: I’m terrified it’ll toppled or I’ll crash into a rock or a swan.
I barely breathe as I steer it round the loch, with Tich keeping a beady eye on me.
After a while, I start to get the hang of it, but I cannot grasp how to direct the sails into the wind, how to let them out… things that are well over my head.
Race ready?
Nothing bad happens and I’m starting to relax when Stewart Murdoch, chair of Royal Tayside Yacht Club and Tayside Watersports Hub, announces we’re about to start racing. Eek! I don’t feel at all ready!
Now I feel really, really bad admitting this, but when Tich turns round to reveal the transmitter for my boat has stopped working, I breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Is that bad sportswomanship? Probably…
Sit back and relax
I’m more than happy to sit back, relax and observe the stunning spectacle of others racing. Excitement levels are sky high.
Mostly, folk are silent, but there’s an occasional whoop of “starboard!”, or “windward”, which means, in essence – “get out the way!”
I’m glad it wasn’t me getting in the way, quite frankly.
The race lasts around 20 minutes, but it’s not helped by the wind completely dropping towards the final few laps.
Winner!
It looks quite a frustrating business, as boats barely move at all, but eventually there’s a winner, big cheers and roars, and then everyone heads into the boat house for lunch.
As I catch up with members, I become acutely aware of being the only woman.
“Women do take part but there are none here today,” laments Tich, adding: “It would be great if we got more on board. It’s a sport for everyone.”
Members race against each other, against other clubs, and compete in world championships, so there’s a lot of fun and travel involved, if you fancy it.
You’ll find folk down at Forfar Loch every Wednesday from 11am until about 2pm, right through autumn and winter, unless there’s ice on the water.
“Everyone is welcome,” says Stewart. “If learners get in touch in advance, we can let them have a shot before the race.
“If they feel confident, they can get stuck in although we keep clear of learners initially. Practise is key to improving.
“You don’t have to understand sailing, although it helps. You do need to learn the rules, which are largely the same as in big boats but slightly tweaked.”
Stunning setting
Stewart enjoys the sport, even when doing it alone and not caught up in the excitement and adrenalin of racing.
“What I love about this is the setting, here on the loch,” he reflects.
“It’s very scenic and peaceful. I’ve been sailing for many years but got into radio sailing about 18 months ago, and it’s a bit like learning again, but a lot of fun.
“We were quietly sailing away here a few weeks ago and an osprey dived down into the water for a fish. That was something.
“We want to get the message across that we’re very open to new members and keen to help people.”
The club regularly welcomes sailors from Perthshire, Aberdeen and even as far as Gourock.
“I think people realise we’ve got great facilities and some very skilled people, like Tich, so they always have a great day out racing alongside them,” says Stewart.
- For more information contact Stewart via email at: stewartmurdoch@mac.com
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