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11:58 Saturday 15 Aug 2015 Sue Pelling/CWLBuoyant times for the Finance Challenge

The Finance Challenge produced some exceptional racing – photo Rick Tomlinson

Following the success of the inaugural Finance Challenge Day in 2014, the event was extended to a five-day series this year.

Run within the Sunsail Match F40 class series, from Monday to Friday, the Finance Challenge was once again a huge success, with a total of 23 entries from the finance sector taking part.

It was a befitting finale for Aberdeen Asset Management that Team Aberdeen 1 were the overall winners. They enjoyed a near-faultless series of races and finished with an impressive string of results that included four first places.

Peter Walters, skipper commented: “It was a great regatta and the team worked well. The toughest part for us was the first weekend because we were quite rusty and there was more breeze then. We seemed to get our act together from there on and the results seem to have demonstrated that.”

Hot on their heels, however, throughout the series was the PCP Team Switzerland Clipper Round the World crew, headed by Chris Preston, who finished the series in second place overall. Chris and his team enjoyed a challenging, yet fun week and said they couldn’t have hoped for more.

“Bringing the PCP Team Switzerland crew back together for a reunion two years after we started the Clipper Race and one year after we finished, was such a success. We had Vicky Ellis, the excellent skipper, onboard this week and a selection of other team members from the Clipper crew

“Our problem was, because we have such a fantastic crew culture and friendship from the race, within three hours of putting a crew request for the Finance Challenge on our Facebook page we were double over-subscribed.”

Preston said that Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week really highlighted how the Clipper crew have developed as a team: “This week really showed how they have moved on from being a crew to being a team, and demonstrated how the function of the team is more important than individual roles.”

Crew member Wim Cranenen from Antwerp, Belgium said the highlight of his week was sailing with the team again. “It was the ultimate re-union with PCP Team Switzerland again. We had great racing, and a lot of fun. For me personally, however, having the opportunity to compete at Cowes Week was a dream come true.

Looking ahead to next year, it seems likely that events such as the Finance Challenge would continue to be extremely well supported. Preston concluded: “I think the idea of having a particular challenge for people from an industry that enables the sponsor to bring in their own employees, and other people in the industry, is a good one.

“One reason we participated is because we wanted to ensure there was a local company like ours taking part. And to finish with such a good result is a real bonus.”