Scotland and Sailing - who could ask for anything more?  I am very excited to share an extraordinary sailing/boating event in Scotland, called the Crinan Classic.

Celebrating wooden boats, the Crinan Classic offers excellent sailing on Loch Crinan, gorgeous wooden boats, a pipe band, great food, a ceilidh, giveaways, and more! I am very impressed with the local community and how it has organized and continued this tradition of a classic wooden boat festival. We were lucky enough to sit down and talk with Mike Dalglish,  founder of Crinan Classic Ltd. We talked about the Crinan Classic history, events for this year, the history of Crinan, and more. Here's what he had to say...

WE:  Please tell us about the Crinan Classic Boat Festival...

MD: The festival started back in October 2006 when myself and friend Ross Ryan were out on a boat, enjoying a pint or two of Guinness, as we motored back in to Loch Crinan (where it all takes place), one of us suggested organising a classic boat festival. The idea was born. From there on we started spreading the idea, always getting a positive reply from classic boat owners and those that could be involved in one way or another. By Christmas we were looking for a sponsor, this was to be the tricky bit. At the London boat show, a rep from Jura Whisky (which is from the island of Jura opposite Crinan) was seeking for an event to sponsor. He heard about what we were trying to do, made contact with us and we had our first sponsor. It all seemed quite easy considering we did not even have one successful event behind us. From there we made up all the relevant paper work and a web site, chose a date for our first event, 25th - 28th July 2007, released the relevant info to some local press and quite soon after started receiving our first entries. In our first year we were advised by many that we should expect maybe a dozen or fifteen boats, we had 45! The event was a success and was deemed popular right from the outset.

In 2008 and 2009 we have had main sponsorship from Bruichladdich Whisky from Islay, The Crown Estate, and now from British Waterways Scotland, along with a host of local companies donating in kind with time, effort, and some great prizes.

In 2008 we had 60 boats attend and had to start a waiting list before the festival. Again the event was a great success with many participants asking for the 2009 entry form before they had even left Crinan at the end of the 2008 event. This gave us the encouragement to do it all again and the hope that finding a sponsor may not be too hard given the instant success and popularity of the event.

The event runs from a Thursday evening to a Sunday evening. It opens with the Mid Argyll Pipe Band playing aboard the last remaining Clyde puffer, the VIC 32 (these are the boats that used to maintain a lifeline to all the islands on the west coast by taking all their provisions out to the islands). This sets a
very Scottish scene - a pipe band, an old steam-driven boat, all with a glass of the sponsor's tipple in everyones hand. Following that, there is live local
music and an all day BBQ serving fine local meat and fish, all on the patio of the Crinan Hotel.

Friday brings breakfast for all at the BBQ followed by the racing, all in Loch Crinan. There are different races for different classes, for sail and motor
boats. This generally takes us to 2 or 3 pm. On Friday there is a whisky tasting for all over age participants  hosted by Bruichladdich Whisky and their
chief distiller, Jim McEwan. A popular event for all with free whisky...!!!

Saturday after racing is the Highland Games. Here everyone can let their hair down - haggis hurling, row boat races, row boat tug of war, etc. This has been
well received by all over the past two years and hopefully will continue to be so.

Saturday evening is the big ceilidh bash at the Crinan Boatyard (the yard has a big space for a few hundred people to dance some Scottish reels). This year we have a band called The Rusty Nails. In the past two years, the ceilidh has been extremely popular and great fun for all ages.

Sunday is the final day of racing, for the sail boats it is compulsory for a lady to be at the helm and for the motor boast they compete for the "General" -  a stuffed highland cow's head which is mounted to the bar in the Crinan Hotel, it is taken off the wall and presented to the winner. Much amusement.

On Sunday, the prize giving takes place at 5pm, and then it's all over. We have tried hard to keep our prizes as different and original as the festival
itself. On offer we have a crate of local meat from the local farm, a very popular prize; 4 days fishing on a salmon river in Perthshire; 2 sea plane flights from Loch Lomond Seaplanes; whisky; wine; and prints from the local resident and world famous artist Frances MacDonald. There is also an art exhibition throughout the festival with many local artists showing their work, including Jolomo, Frances MacDonald, Ross Ryan, and many others.

Participants:
The festival is open to anyone with a wooden boat - whether that be sail, motor, fishing, or row boat. The largest to date has been 90ft and the smallest 10ft. Mainly there have been boats from Scotland but also a few from farther afield, including Ireland, England, France.

 Crinan: Is a 350 year old fishing village on the west coast. Situated at the end of the Crinan Canal,  Crinan is often refered to as the most beautiful short cut in Britain. Many of the boats transit the canal before and after the festival to come and go back to the Firth of Clyde. A village of only about 80
people, Crinan is at the end of the road but a very popular stop and a hive of activity. There are gardens to see here and across the water at Duntrune
Castle, inhabited by the Malcolm family since the 1200s. There is much wildlife to see at sea, such as dolphins, porpoises, sea eagles and much more.

Historically, the area has been very significant throughout Scottish history. Nearby Dunadd Fort is where the first King of Scotland was crowned and where
some of the first settlers came in Scotland. The Kilmartin Glen also nearby (all this is within 5 miles) has many ancient burial sites and standing stones.

Participating Boats in likely classes, classes to be confirmed.

Class One, sail
Elona, 40’3”           1962 McGruer bermudan yawl
Glance, 53'             1894 Luke bermudan cutter
Kelana, 42’3”         1946 McGruer sloop
Lizzie May, 55'        2001 Replica of Scillonian Pilot Cutter
Mischief, 55'                      Bristol Cutter
Opposition, 41'      1971 Sparkman & Stephens sloop
Sceptre, 68'            1958 Alexander Robertson & Sons 12metre
Silence, 43’            1964 Abeking Rasmussen yawl
Sule Skerry, 43’     1958 McGruer yawl
Svalan,  30’            1937 Hjelmar & Johansson Dragon No 16, sloop
Truant, 42’              1910 William Fife 111, 8metre gaff cutter
Tryad, 37'6"            1956 Robert Clark/ Medina Yacht Co, sloop
Varen, 41'6"            1961 G.L.Watson/Moody  sloop

Class Two, sail
Arlil, 28’3”                1936 Elkins auxiliary yawl
Barbican, 32'          1963 Alan Buchanan One Off sloop
Canna, 28'              1938 Scottish Island Class sloop
Crazy Jane, 31'6"   1969 Golden Hind sloop
Elrhuna, 28’            1904 Alexander Robertson & Sons sloop
Ferryman, 21'3"      1949 Itchen Ferry Gaff Cutter
Naiad, 35’               1936 Harrison Butler Bermudan sloop
Oblio, 34'                 2007 William Fife 111 gaff cutter
Ptarmigan, 29'5"    1966 McGruer cruising sloop
Secret, 40'               1932 Essex Smack Yacht, gaff cutter
Siok, 25'                  1964 Folk Boat sloop
Stroma, 28'             1929 Scottish Island Class sloop

Dinghies
Beechnut, 12’         1983 clinker dinghy
Druid, 14’6”             1900 row/sail clinker dinghy built at Crinan Ferry
Jules Boat, 16'        1960 clinker dinghy
Sciurus, 14’9”         1987 Richard Pierce open dinghy
Seapod, 14'6"         2008 Maine Peapod, dinghy 

Motor Boats
Amaranth, 52'         1949 Weatherheads Ring Netter
Zest, 23’                  1961 Fairy Huntress, gentlemen’s speed boat

WE: Thanks so much, Mike! I am so excited about the Crinan Classic - it looks to be a fantastic and fun event, in such a gorgeous and historical location.