Cowes Classic Week 2017 – Day 3

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Charles Stanley logo

Charles Stanley Direct – Cowes Classic Week 2017 – Day 3

Tight racing among the vintage classes!

The Victory class lines up for a start © Rick Tomlinson

Designed by Alfred Westmacott, The Victory class continues to thrive, with new GRP boats being built in the last few years.

Zoe Whittaker of Zelia reported “The class came over to CSDCCW for the first time to see what it was all about. Racing was very close and we had to play a lot of shifts upwind into the south close to the island shore.”

The Victory is similar in looks to the X One Design, which has a fleet at the regatta, and like the XOD, is designed for the conditions in the Solent.

 

Bembridge One Designs race boat for boat © Rick Tomlinson

On the same circuit, close to the Island shore the Bembridge One Designs, another Solent class, also raced tight courses.

All the owners in the class periodically vote to collectively make major upgrades to keep their boats identical.

The BODs were built between 1933 and 1935, and have since been restored and then re-decked in 1989.

Jos Coad, sailing the simply-named BOD 12, who was Class Captain for 20 years, said, “The BODs have been coming to CSDCCW since 2009. The courses are ideal for our fleet – we aim for two 90 minute races each day.”

James Rowe in BOD 8 holds onto first place after five races with a first and third today.

 

Classic Cruisers in tight contention © Rick Tomlinson

The Classic cruisers sailed one race today on a course which largely followed the windward leeward format but over a larger stretch of the Solent.

A beat westwards toward Newtown on the Island shore was followed by runs back along the middle of the Solent.

The fleet split to the north and south but there was still some tight racing especially amongst the Folkboats, Twisters, SCODs and Contessa 26s.

After a win today Ado Jardine sailing Nordic Folkboat Tak holds onto second place overall in the Folkboat class after three days of racing, behind Claire Locke and her crew in The Otter.

 

Jo Richards’ Eeyore in Classic Cruisers © Rick Tomlinson

With a rating similar to the 25′ 2″ Nordic Folkboat but measuring only 18′ 6″, an unusual looking yacht stands out in the small ‘Blue’ Fleet. She is Eeyore and she is competing against, amongst others, Contessa 26s and Old Gaffers like the pretty Winifrid, based on an 1894 Hereshoff design.

Racing continues tomorrow until Friday for all classes including Darings, XODs, 8 metres, Swallows, Solent Sunbeams and Vintage Dragons.

The organising club, the Royal London Yacht Club, is supported by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, Royal Victoria Yacht Club, Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club and Island Sailing Club.

The event is famous for its apres-race social programme including the daily RLYC tea parties for competitors.

 

image of Charles Stanley Direct Classic Cowes Week 2017
Charles Stanley Direct Classic Cowes Week 2017

Cowes Classic Week 2017 – Day 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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