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09:33 Friday 10 Aug 2018 Sue Pelling/LCWDay 7 preview – fresh conditions for penultimate day of Lendy Cowes Week

A blustery day expected on Day 7 of Lendy Cowes Week – photo Paul Gruitt/LCW

Going into the penultimate day of Lendy Cowes Week and the deciding day of racing in many classes including Black Group overall, competition is expected to be red hot.  With big winds forecast, it is also likely to one of the most exciting.

It is also the final day of racing for the Squib National Championship series. The Squib Lendy Cowes Week series concludes tomorrow.

Weather

Today will see fast and furious racing as a series of heavy showers, interspersed with bright and breezy spells, move across the race area today. These will become more intense between 1100 and 1400, when there’s a possibility some of the showers will be accompanied by thunder. South-westerly winds will increase to a mean of 15-22 knots, with powerful gusts potentially well above 25 knots in the squalls, before slowly easing during the afternoon.

The showers are predicted to ease off from 1700/1800 onwards, in plenty of time for the evening’s entertainments

Courses

Race officials have changed the start times and locations for some classes to move the smaller boats to more sheltered water and avoid the timing of the strongest winds.

The XOD class has therefore been brought forward to start at 0955 from the Royal Yacht Squadron line. All White Group classes starting here will head towards the east, to race in the lee of Isle of Wight. They will finish to the east of Cowes, again in better shelter. There’s a possibility this start sequence will be interrupted, with the later starters rescheduled in the afternoon to when conditions start to ease. The Squib class will race from the White Group Committee Boat at 1030, for the final race of its National Championship. 

The smaller Black Group yachts, including IRC Classes 6 and 7, Quarter Tonners, Sunsail Match F40s, Double-Handed and the Cruiser Divisions will start from the Black Group Committee Boat stationed near Browndown in the eastern Solent. 

The larger Black Group yachts will head west from the Bramble line, racing in the western Solent before finishing on the Royal Yacht Squadron line under spinnaker. Spectators will see plenty of action close to the shore here.

Activities

The RAF Red Arrows Display, brought to the regatta by Artemis Investment Management precedes the traditional Lendy Cowes Week fireworks display. Prepare for blast off at 1930 when these magnificent men in their flying machines perform breathtaking manoeuvres overhead.

The legendary pyrotechnic extravaganza at 2130 is likely to attract thousands of spectators. The best places to view the display ashore are Cowes Parade, Castle Hill, Princes' Green as far as Egypt Point, and East Cowes Parade.

Those watching the fireworks from the water are encouraged to mark the start of the display by responding to a ship’s horn blasts.

Keep an eye out also for the Three Cunard Queens – Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria – that will be passing through the Solent together. This is the first time in Cunard’s history that guests will have an opportunity to enjoy the Red Arrows display with a smoke fly over the three Queens at 1952.

Elsewhere in Cowes today there are plenty of activities in store once again with a range of music in all four main areas around town including Cowes Parade, Cowes Yacht Haven, Shepards Wharf Marina, and Northwood House. For children, the Treasure Hunt with the 1851 Trust continues, with plenty of exciting prizes up for grabs.