News - 2014

09:48 Saturday 2 Aug 2014 Day 1 preview

Photo – Rick Tomlinson/CWL

The opening day of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2014 has produced slightly cooler, yet invitingly-fresh sailing conditions which should make for an exciting day on the water.

The current forecast indicates that the weather front approaching The Solent this morning is expected to pass across The Solent mid to late morning, before finally clearing away in the early afternoon.

Immediately ahead of the front the wind, which was from around 170 degrees at 0900 is expected to back to around 150, before veering to around 240 degrees by 1400.

The front will be accompanied by showers and periods of rain that will have an impact on wind speeds, with any heavy rain giving significant lulls. However, there is also the possibility of gusts of 18-22 knots as the front passes, before the breeze settles into the west-south-west at around 10-16 knots.

Stuart Quarrie – Sailing Director of Cowes Week Ltd – commenting on today’s racing, said: “We have been considered postponing the starting sequence until the front clears to give racing in a consistent wind direction, but the front will clear too late to be certain of getting the racing completed for all classes.”

White Group dayboats will be starting to the west from the Royal Yacht Squadron line, before returning to the east to race on the Hill Head plateau. The White Group Committee Boat will be stationed near Bart’s Bash racing mark, to the east of the Bramble Bank. Today the SB20 and J/70 classes starting here will be joined by the XOD fleet.

Black Group yachts starting from the Bramble line will head to the west, racing in the western Solent, before finishing from the west on the RYS line. The Black Group committee boat will be stationed near Browndown, to the west of Gilkicker Point near Gosport, with racing taking place in the eastern Solent for these classes.