FIFE REGATTA 2013 Day 1: NOT FOR MA, PA AND THE WAINS

There is a regatta taking place on the Clyde starting now and carries on through next week.  It is a gathering of yachts that were built (roughly + or - 100 years ago) in the Clyde by Fife Boatbuilders based in Fairlie (adjacent to Largs).  The regatta is the Fife Regatta 2013.  Details are on their website  here.

It was held 5 years ago and I was able to get some stunning photos at that time.  They are on my blog of 5 years ago here.  (Five years ago!... Really?!)

Be that as it may, it headed off on the train (if you get my meaning...) to Largs somewhat late in the morning.  The first race around Cumbrae started at 11 am but I reckoned I would be able to catch the boats at the end or see them jeeling about on the water*.  There are 20 in the regatta and they had to go around the island twice.

Well I really mucked up as there was nothing ... well ... very little to be seen.  Yes, the weather was low cloud and muggy but not actually raining.  The boats that I did see in the distance were small Fifers, i.e. I was looking for the grand Classic Yachts with a crew of handsome sailors all in their whites.  (See previous photos of 5 years ago as referred to in the blog reference above.)

Largs, I am here to tell you, was absolutely packed with people.  The marina (a mile away) where the boats were all in for the day was virtually empty of people except for those on the racing yachts tidying sails and stuffing kit bags before they headed off to the shower room.

In Largs I asked in the cafe what was on as there were so many people! The train was packed; Ma, Pa and all the wains were out for the day at the seaside. It was all about "Largs Live" ... meaning pipe bands, jazz bands and a radio station all keeping the place jumping.

Yachts? Not part of this scene!

The one (and only) other group in evidence were the media: half a dozen empty RIBs (rigid inflatable boats), one with a green MEDIA flag, were tied up on the main pontoon.  CNN was there to make a film.  It is going out in August.

_______________________________________________________

The blah photo I took above is Largs monument to the Battle of Largs against the wild Norsemen in 1263 and a Photoshops funky pink bird stilt walker from the seaside throng of folk who headed doon the watter for the day.

* Speaking of which ... when I went on to Google just now to see exactly how to spell "jeeling" (which means fiddling around or in Scotland they say "footering") I came across only one hit ... none other than John's title for a Flickr photo he took in Norway "Jeeling Aboot on the Water" here!