Family sailing has been a core feature of Cowes Week through its 198 year history and this year family crews can be found at the top of the leader board in several classes.
The Rouse family, for instance, has competed in the Contessa 32 class for decades, often with several generations involved. This year they have two boats entered: Donna Rouse-Collen’s Andaxi and Stella Rouse’s Blanco.
Andaxi scooped yesterday’s Close Shave award for the closest finish, taking victory by a margin of only six seconds over Ray Mitchell’s Collateral. Today the tables were turned, with Collateral taking her first win, leaving the two boats heading the leaderboard tied on three points.
The Jones family sailed from Ireland on their J/122 Jellybaby to compete at Cowes Week for the first time. They started the Regatta in style, winning IRC Class 2 on the opening day, and taking second place today, just 10 seconds behind another J/122, Derek Shakespeare’s Bulldog. After two races Jellybaby therefore heads the class leaderboard with a six point margin.
Why did they make the effort to sail a 700 mile round trip to compete this week? “It’s a legendary event and a pinnacle in the European calendar,” says dad Brian Jones. “This area is very much the home of yachting, so if you’re into sailing it’s very much something you need to do – wherever your boat is based in Europe, Cowes Week is outstanding.
“We first sat down 20 months ago to discuss this – it was important to us to get the sail wardrobe right and the boat right for this regatta,” he continues. “My two sons, Cian and David, as well as my wife Mary are on board, with Cian driving. For me there’s nothing better than coming over here and racing with the family – it’s a memory we will have forever.”
Race detail
Today most of the Black Group yachts started on a committee boat line towards the north shore of the eastern Solent, where the best of the light to moderate south easterly breezes were to be found.
Jellybaby led IRC Class 2 around the first windward mark, before slipping back on a long downwind leg against the tide, which presented a difficult decision as to whether to head to the mainland or Island shores to avoid the strongest stream, or take a more direct line across the slightly shallower water of the Ryde Middle bank. They took the latter option and lost just enough time to allow Bulldog to pluck victory by the narrowest of margins. Richard Powell’s First 40 Rogan Josh took third place just over two minutes later on corrected time.
There was also close racing further down the fleet, with Ed Bell’s JPK1180 Dawn Treader finishing 23 seconds ahead of Jonathan Blanshard & Garfield Smith’s marginally lower rated Ker 36 Skermisher, resulting in a dead tie for eighth place on corrected time.
Classes starting on the Royal Yacht Squadron line had very different conditions to contend with compared to the opening day, with a south easterly breeze and most of the early classes in the sequence favouring the offshore end, where a strong tide was sweeping competitors over the line.
The Sportsboat fleet was first away, with both Steven Haywood & Nevan Lucas’s Viper 640 Antidoteand Ian & Imogen Watkins’ Fareast 28R Mako making a well judged approach and initially sailing neck and neck. However, when a second cannon was fired to indicate Crispin Winser’s RS21 had started prematurely close inshore was fired, Antidote also turned back, leaving Mako to romp away. By the finish she held an almost seven minute advantage on corrected time over Tom Richardson’s 1720Premier Cru. Nevertheless, Antidote recovered to take third place, 95 seconds behind Premier Cru.
Two Darings started a couple of seconds prematurely – Stephen Dirou’s Defender and Giles Peckham’s Dauntless. Only Defender returned to restart, making painfully slow progress against the strong tide and never recovered.
Jamie Sheldon’s Destroyer started at a fast pace slightly closer inshore looking very well placed on a line a few lengths upwind of Dauntless and pointing higher as they passed the Prince Consort north cardinal mark a couple of minutes into the race. Dauntless crossed the finish line first, but was scored OCS, handing victory to Destroyer, while Rob Bottomley’s Doublet took second place and Kim Orchard’s Dancer third.
The Dragon fleet enjoyed a tantalisingly close race, with half the class finishing in a 28 second window. All took a more conservative approach to the line than earlier classes, with Glyn William’s Dreki looking well placed at the gun and enjoying an advantage to windward of Gavia Wilkinson Cox’s Jerboa. However, Eric Williams’ Ecstatic started further to windward a couple of lengths back had better speed and height.
Heizkorper, sailed by German match racer Lars Hueckstaedt, was more cautious than most at the start, but pulled ahead during the race, finishing 12 seconds ahead of Ecstatic, while Jerboa took third just four seconds later.
As the starting sequence wore on, an increasing number of boats started mid-line, trading a little initial tidal benefit for a windward advantage. In IRC Class 7, for example, Jo Richards’ H-Boat Woof gained a useful advantage of at least a dozen lengths in the first two minutes of the race, putting him in a commanding position, with a guarantee of clean air.
Richards went on to take line honours, only one second ahead of David Heritage’s higher rated West Solent One Design Harlequin. Woof retained victory on corrected time, ahead of another H-Boat, Craig and Emma Dymock’s Wight Wedding. Another WSOD, Victoria and Chris Preston’s Suvretta, took third place, pushing Harlequin down to fourth after time correction.
Racing continues on Monday, when bright sun and more consistent winds are predicted. It’s also the regatta’s Charity Day, with celebrates the work of the Tall Ships Youth Trust and RNLI, including many onshore activities during the day on Cowes Parade.
Report by Rupert Holmes
