Travellers
As junior members gained experience, they were being urged, by Joan Maxwell in particular, to spread their wings beyond the bounds of Lochcarron. There were week-end training sessions at Chanonry Sailing Club. Our young members took part. Jonathan Coppock, Maria Carter and Adam Macdonald had a week-end in October 1994 with the North of Scotland Sailing Squad.
When we obtained our Toppers, and members followed suit buying boats for themselves, there were excursions to Loch Rannoch for racing and training experience.
Whether the Derrick Allen Trophy encouraged any junior members to go travelling, the reports returned for the award gave a picture of the activities of our young members on the ‘Traveller’ circuit.
In 1995 members travelled to six other regattas, including the Scottish Schools Championships at Chanonry and the Scottish Junior Championships at Linlithgow. In all cases there was some credit in the results although none of our members figured in the prize lists.
In 1996 the Club hit the high spots with the number of events to which members travelled. At least six members were around the country with creditable results. Some training sessions were by special invitation, and in one case we had five places of a total of 25 for the whole of the north of Scotland.
At the Scottish Schools Championships, Club members accredited themselves well, Maria Carter gaining 8th place, Jonathan Coppock 11th, and Neil Sproule 12th out of 17 entries.
There were twelve championships and regattas in which our members competed, commonly appearing in the top half of the result lists.
As a result of Lochcarron Sailing Club’s junior members taking part in the Scottish Schools Championship, Lochcarron Primary School and Plockton High School have joined the Scottish Schools Sailing Association.
In 1997 Jonathan Coppock left the village, as his father’s work took him down to the lowlands. He was awarded the Derrick Allen Trophy, for the third successive year, having submitted a claim with ten events in which he had competed. The most prestigious event was the Great Britain National Championships in Llandudno, in which he came 31st. In the other events, he was never worse than fifth. Lochcarron Sailing Club can be proud to have nurtured such an enthusiastic sailor, with such a record.
Neil Sproule and John Murray have both been ‘travelling’ with creditable results against competition from members of other clubs.
In 1998 John Murray took over from Jonathan as the winner of the Derrick Allen Trophy. Apart from other events, he acquitted himself well in the Scottish Junior Championships in Linlithgow. He finished in the top half of the results in three of the five races, retiring in the other two.
He continues to persevere ‘on the circuit’ and has brought credit to his home Club – but that story must wait to a future volume of club history.
