News - 2014

08:18 Thursday 7 Aug 2014 Day 6 preview

Photo – Rick Tomlinson/CWL

Bright sunshine but light winds early this morning will delay some of the racing today but the shoreside atmosphere here in Cowes on Ladies Day is buzzing. It is also Artemis Challenge for VO65s and MOD70 trimarans. This 50 mile sprint anti-clockwise around the island has a host of celebrities racing today including Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall on Artemis Ocean Racing II, and Simon and Yasmin Le Bon on Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. Watch out also for Harry Potter stars Warwick Davis (Professor Filius Flitwick), and Ollie Phelps (one of the Weasley twins) who’ll be around and about in Cowes today.

As far as weather goes, the wind will be much lighter winds than yesterday with virtually no gradient. However, the first signs of a south-westerly sea breeze are expected to appear around mid day, with the breeze then building to 8-10 knots an hour later. It will continue to build to a maximum of 12-15 knots this afternoon.

There’s a likelihood of either a general postponement, or one-hour postponement for White Group in classes starting on the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) line. If this takes place it will be announced before 0930. When racing for these classes gets under way they will be heading towards the west from the start and will finish back on the RYS line, from the west. 

The Black Group Committee Boat will be stationed in the far western Solent, at Paul Jackson buoy where the sea breeze is likely to build first. There is no intention of a general postponement for classes starting on the Black Group Committee Boat, although there may be an hour’s postponement for Black Group yachts starting from the Bramble line.