Cowes Classics Week at the Royal London Yacht Club - Day 3

Cowes Classics Week 2023 © Tim Jeffreys Photography

For the third day of racing the fleets set out of Cowes under a cloudy bright sky and 15 - 20 knots of westerly wind with the last of the ebb giving an easy sea. By 11.00 the wind was consistently 25 knots + with gusts up to 30+.

The 6 mR and Flying Fifteens decided that the increasing wind speed was not to their liking and did not race today with the Dragons and Darings deciding to go home after the first race leaving David Tydeman in Dynamite 9 and Giles Peckham in Dauntless 3 tied with 9 points each after 5 races and Bob Gatehouse in Darling 11 only 4 points behind with 3 races to complete.

Mike Cover sailing Dragon Ithaca retired from race 5 so now trail Andrew Milliband in Glaurung by 2 points.

I met a number of very happy Swallow sailors coming ashore having completed two races. Their smiling faces were evidence of the comments of many "best sailing day ever!" Mike Wigmore in Gwaihir has consolidated his lead with 9 points followed by Jeremy Sibthorp in Osprey on 15 points and Harry Roome in Skua on 19 points.

At the end of race 6 Ian Clifford sailing Loch Long Faolag 36 and Paul Antcliff in Mermaid 131 are level with 11 points each pursued by Jonathan Evans in Tantrum 139 2 points behind on 13.

The lovely Swan 65 Eve was the first entry to Cowes Classics Week 2023. Steven Capell and his crew have sailed up from Nice having left Sydney Australia in 2021. They are having a great week chasing Mark Dowie's beautiful 10 mR Bojar just 2 points behind with 2 races to go. Eve is a veteran of the Sydney Hobart and will compete in the Fastnet race starting on 22nd July before going on to the Middle Sea race.

In Division 3 the Twister Edith Rose sailed by Marcus Lawson has built a useful lead of 5 points over second placed Jamie Nimmo in the 100 year old Seaview Mermaid Cynthia but is pursued by Richard Johnson in his SCOD Anjajo only 3 points behind with two races to complete.

Folkboat The Otter sailed by Claire Locke and Eala sailed by Alasdair Maclean are tied with 5 points each with their series completing on Thursday and prize givng at the RYS reception.

The XOD's Astralita X91 sailed by John Tremlett and Swallow X166 sailed by Ben McGrane are also tied at 9 points each with three races to complete.

The daily prize-giving for Wednesday's races will be at the Kendalls' Reception before the dinners at the Island Sailing Club.