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10:20 Sunday 5 Aug 2018 Sue Pelling/LCWDay 2 Preview – Family Day

Families prepare for another grand day on the water – photo Tom Gruitt/LCW

Family day is an all-encompassing incentive to celebrate families sailing together, and today, on the second day of Lendy Cowes Week, the outlook, with sun the dominating factor and the potential of a decent breeze this morning, should make for another good day on the water.

Weather outlook

Today will again be stunningly bright, with mostly unbroken sun. The early morning wind in the central Solent was an east south-easterly of 6-8 knots that will increase marginally to a maximum of 12 knots during the starting sequences.

In the afternoon the pressure gradient over the Solent will become slack, while warming over the land will also have an effect, with the airflow becoming more shifty and unpredictable. These effects will cause the wind to veer towards the south-east and reduce to 4-10 knots.

Courses

Racing is on schedule and all fleets will race in the eastern Solent today where the wind is likely to be the strongest. White Group will race in the vicinity of Osborne Bay, while Black Group Bramble line starters may race out to the east to the Forts and, depending on the winds, it could turn into a one-way trip with a finish line set out to the east too. Black Group Committee Boat will start off the mainland shore to the east of Southampton Water. 

Activities

To help parents and children get the most from their time at the regatta, a host of specially laid on family themed events are taking place throughout the day including the highly popular Land Rover Sailing Experience. This event hosted today by Land Rover Ambassador Sarah Ayton – double Olympic sailing gold medallist – runs from 0930-1600 from the Land Rover stand in Cowes Yacht Haven. Also, on the main stage at Cowes Yacht Haven is the Theatretrain young persons’ drama school feature running from 1200-1600.

At Shepards Marina there is a Children’s Craft Activities programme running from 1100-1500. Also catch up with Gemma Hunt from CBeebies’ Swashbuckle show which take place at 1400 and 1530 today. There is a whole host of fun activities to get involved in, including pirate Shows and face painting, all taking place on Cowes Parade.