News

09:16 Monday 10 Aug 2015 Sue Pelling/CWLDay 3 preview – more wind promises exciting racing on Charity Day

Photo – Rick Tomlinson/CWL

The inclement weather, with increasing cloud building over The Solent and big rain forecast to arrive from the west later has done nothing to dampen the spirits of the 800-strong fleet currently preparing to head out to the start for Day 3 of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week.

There is a real buzz around town with many teams and visitors to the island keen to support the UKSA – the official event charity – and help them raise the £10,000-in-a-day challenge.

Out on the water, competitors can expect a period of three to four hours of rain from mid morning onwards. On the leading edge of the front, the wind will back towards the south for an hour or two, before returning to the south-west.

Mean wind speeds are expected to be around 8-14 knots, with the velocity varying around the heavier patches of rain. Later in the day the cloud cover will break up, giving competitors another dry and pleasant evening on shore.

Stuart Quarrie – Sailing Director of Cowes Week Limited – and his race team have now decided the start and finish lines for the groups. All White Group dayboats, apart from the X One-Designs, will start on the Shrape line, and head east. The earlier classes to start will  finish on the Bramble line, while later classes will finish on the Shrape line off East Cowes.

Black Group yachts scheduled to start on the fixed line will do so on the Royal Yacht Squadron line, heading towards the west and will finish from the west on the same line.

The White Group committee boat, for the XODs and the second race of the J/70s and SB20s, will be stationed in the vicinity of Hill Head and Lee-on-Solent, while the Black Group committee boat will be near Browndown, further east on the northern shore of The Solent.