The forecast for Race Day Two had the best breeze in the eastern Solent. The race team sent the fleets in that direction where sailors were rewarded with 8 to 14 knots of breeze and bright sunshine.
The Royal connection continues. Her Royal Highness Princess Anne fired the first starting gun at the Royal Yacht Squadron to get the fleet away over the start line.
Sailing royalty in the form of five-times Olympic gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie made his first appearance of the week racing on IRC Class One’s Fargo. After three hours of racing New Zealand’s Admiral’s Cup team member Callisto, sailed by James Murray, with local based navigator Ian Moore on board, was the winner.
The Folkboat Class has its own start at Cowes Week this year, a welcome addition to the event for one of the designs which often dominate the annual Round the Island Race. Ray Mitchell’s If Only has been on the podium more often than not but after four races finds himself a single point behind Gybe N sailed by Cy Grisley and Simon Evans.
At the other end of the spectrum, the über-modern J/70s are squeezing in three races a day in their mini-series. Martin Dent’s Jelvis currently leads after sharing a dead heat finish in Race 6 today with Simon Perry’s Jiraffe.
The Dragon Bluebottle, built in 1947 and given as a wedding present to the Duke of Edinburgh, was recently completely renovated by local Cowes boatbuilder David Heritage.
She is now in the hands of Graham and Julia Bailey, crewed by Will Bedford, son of David Bedford, and Killian Boag, son of Olympic legend Shirley Robertson. Bluebottle has gone on to be competitive in international Dragon events across Europe.
In Sunday’s race Bluebottle had nearly a one minute lead at the end of the two hour race, winning from Ivan Bradbury’s Blue Haze, and Bertie sailed by Simon Barter. Bluebottle leads the 25 strong fleet after two races with 5 pts with yesterdays race winner Furious of Owen Pay, who is tied on 8 pts with Bertie.
Another class closely associated with Cowes (and the Duke of Edinburgh) is the Flying 15, designed by local Cowes legend Uffa Fox. The Flying 15 is the smallest boat in the regatta. After two races, A6 of Graham Deegan (2, 1) leads tied on 3 pts with Off Course of Richard Jordan (1, 2).
Sunday was also Family Day at North Sails Cowes Week with one of the regatta’s perennial challengers in the Contessa 32 Class, Andaxi, sailed by Donna and Martin Rouse-Collen, again on the podium in the early scoreboard after Sunday’s race.
All in all an absolutely fabulous day of boat racing . . . as one competitor was heard to say in the beer tent afterwards: “If you didn’t enjoy that you should probably take up a different sport”. Bring on Monday.
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