Competitors at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week enjoyed a warm day of racing in north-easterly winds that peaked at 14-15 knots, despite an unpromising forecast with the possibility that a weak sea breeze effect could cancel out the northerly gradient wind.
The larger yachts in Black Group started from a committee boat start off Bembridge to the east of the Isle of Wight, where stronger and steadier winds were predicted. It was the first day on which the boats in IRC Class 0 were racing in the Big Boat mini series. These included Jochen Schumann’s 100ft Maxi Esimit Europa 2, two 72ft Mini Maxis, Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente and Niklas Zennstrom’s 72ft Ran, as well as a pair of Volvo 70s. They competed alongside IRC Class 1 in a battle of the giants for one of the regatta’s most prestigious trophies – the New York Yacht Club Challenge Cup.
Esimit Europa 2 completed the 21-mile course in 1 hour 53 minutes, taking line honours almost 13 minutes ahead of Bella Mente. However, the giant 100-footer was not able to save her time and finished fourth on corrected time. Having finished more than seven minutes ahead of Ran, Bella Mente won on corrected time, with a five-minute buffer over second placed Sir Keith Mills’ TP52 5 Degrees West.
At the other end of the IRC fleet, Class 7 encompasses a wide mix of different styles of boat, including E-Boats, Contessa 26s, David Kirkley’s 1959 39ft Nicholson Conteza, Mini Tonners and Hunter Impalas. At the start of today’s race, from the Bramble line, it was Jo Richard’s H-Boat Woof and Madelaine and Isobella Donald’s Folkboat Madelaine that led the fleet away at the committee boat end of the line. However, Richards, winner of the first three races, had crossed the line moments before the gun and was scored OCS. Madelaine was quickly overtaken by William Lack’s J/24 Vinyl Solutions, who went on to win on corrected time by a margin of almost eight minutes.
Report by Rupert Holmes/CWL
