Cowes Week 2012. Britannia cup winner Pace. Picture courtesy of Rick Tomlinson.
SITTING pretty at the top of the overall Black Group at this year’s Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week is Isle of Wight boat Xinska.
Competing in IRC Class 3, Xinska, skippered by Bernard Olesinski, achieved a string of four firsts to put her at the head of the fleet.
Elsewhere in the IRC classes, Cowes-based Antilope (Willem Wester) came second in today's (Tuesday) IRC class 1 race behind the American boat, Keronimo (Steve Travis), while Jo Richards’ Woof scored its third win of the week to put it top overall in IRC class 7.
Other local successes included a second for Eldred Himsworth’s Drumbeat in the Contessa 32s, a second for Gavia Wilkinson-Cox’s Jerboa in the Dragon class and a further bullet for the Downer family competing on Moonlight in the Etchells.
The First 40.7 saw Isle of Wight boats Fandango (Brendan McMahon and Adam Ridett) and Anticipation (Chris Jago and Pete Newlands) secure second and third place respectively, while local Paralympic sailor Andrew Millband and Tony Hasting secured third place in the hotly contested Flying 15s on Fifty Fifty.
Christopher Hill’s modified J80 Royal 2 triumphed in the Sportsboat class with another Island boat, Ken Lowes’ Ghost claiming top spot in the J/122s.
Richard Prest’s Sheen won today’s Mermaid race, finishing ahead of Adastra (Chris Cotterell and Will Caws), Nigel Talbot’s Nitric came second in the multi-hulls and Louise Morton’s all girl crew on oard Espada topped the Quarter Tonners.
That race saw another Island crew, Barry Byham, Roger Swinnery and Roger Boxell secure third place on Innuendo.
There was a second place for the Island’s Colin and Becky Samuelson and Peter Harvey sailing Toucan in the Redwings and also a second for Geoff West’s Lightning Reflex in the Reflex 38 class.
Local boats Hussar (Martin and Anne Harrison) and Aquabat (Fred Warren-Smith) came second and third respectively in the Squibs, the race being won by Essex-based Malcolm Hutchings and Andy Ramsey on Lady Penelope.
Today's big trophy race for the Britannia Cup in IRC class 0 was won by Johnny Vincent's Pace.