THE 2024 sailing season has been celebrated at Fisherrow Yacht Club in Musselburgh.

Members enjoyed an informal dinner and awards ceremony.

Trophies were presented for three different levels of sailing and the overall winners were: Greenhorn category (dinghy beginners), Ross McDonald; Silverhorn (dinghy intermediate), Trevor McKay; Longhorn (dinghy experienced), Elliot Hurst; and Yachts, Mark McClelland.

Additional special trophies were awarded and Stuart MacDonald won the Maud Trophy for the vessel furthest travelled in the season after a voyage which took him from the Scottish west coast around Cape Wrath to Fisherrow.

Stuart McDonald, winner of the Maud Trophy for the vessel furthest travelled in the season, on board Spero rounding Cape Wrath in testing weather. Photo: Freya Liddle

He said: “After an excellent summer on the west coast with my boat, Spero, I thought it was time to return to Fisherrow; in my wisdom, I also thought it would be a good idea to sail round the top of Scotland, which is well over 500 nautical miles, instead of travelling back the more direct route.

“I started the passage on my own and, for the first five days, I enjoyed relatively easy sailing, then I picked up crew members Gordon Firth and Freya Liddle in Portree, and a few days later John MacDonald joined us in Ullapool.

“Rounding Cape Wrath and shooting the current in the Pentland Firth is not for the faint-hearted, but with these three very special people, all with a zest for adventure and comradery, we completed the return trip, finally finishing with a rather spectacular 202-mile passage from Scrabster (Thurso), where we had been storm-bound for three days.”

Over the winter, maintenance will be carried out on the club-owned dinghies, two powerboats and Kinsman yachts, as well as the boat yard and the club premises.

Next season starts in March and the club welcomes new members.

For more information, see fisherrowyachtclub.com