News - 2014

09:55 Thursday 8 Aug 2013 Sue Pelling/CWLDay 6 outlook

Day 6 of Abderdeen Asset Management Cowes Week – Ladies Day – dawned with bright sun and no wind, but excellent prospects for an afternoon sea breeze. This is likely to start at around 1230, although it won’t become sufficiently stable for racing until an hour or so after that.

The Artemis Challenge is still hoping to start at the scheduled time of 1000 if there’s any breeze at all, with the two giant MOD 70 trimarans racing clockwise around the Isle of Wight. The six IMOCA 60s will head to the east, and will race predominately outside of the east Solent area.

For other classes there is an AP over AP, indicating an indefinite postponement at first this morning. However, when the sea breeze fills in the intention is to operate the accelerated start sequence, with classes starting at five-minute intervals.

White Group boats will all start on the Royal Yacht Squadron line, heading to the west, and will finish on that line, arriving from the west. The Black Group yachts starting on the Bramble line will also head west, with the big boats going to the far western Solent, before finishing with a windward finish on the Bramble line, arriving from the east.

The smaller yachts will race predominately on the Knoll bank and finish on the Shrape line. The Black Group committee boat will be stationed on the north shore of the eastern Solent.