Day 2 of British Classic Week began with ominous grey clouds, 1.5m+ swell, and 25+ knots. Taking the conditions into account, Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) Race Officer Peter Saxton made the decision to adapt the scheduled Around the Island Race into long passage races in the comparative shelter of the Solent.
The day’s racing, sponsored by Global Forecaster, kicked off with a combined start for Classes 1, 2, and 3 on the RYS line. Sailing upwind with the last of the westerly going tide, the fleet battled wind against tide conditions on the long beat tacking up to Embley School in front of Hurst Castle.
As the yachts rounded Hurst to port, hoisted spinnakers and dropped jibs, the tide was turning to take them towards the island shore and Charles Stanley. Leaving the Charles Stanley to port, the yachts gybed and sailed across the Solent to Powder Byrne on the mainland side. Continuing the zig-zag down the Solent, crews were kept on their toes with another gybe around Elephant Boatyard to port.
By now, in the easterly wind and tide, the sea state had calmed significantly, and the sun was beginning to peak out from behind the grey clouds. Gybing around Elephant Boatyard to port it was a reach up to Royal Cork on the mainland coast before a gybe and a long run down the middle of the Solent to NE Ryde Middle. From there, it was a short reach northeast to Browndown and a tight reach up to Royal Yacht Squadron for the penultimate leg. Rounding Royal Yacht Squadron to port, the yachts beat against the tide back up to finish the 31nm course on the RYS line.
Keeping the smaller yachts out of the strong wind against tide conditions, the race committee ran a slightly later start for Classes 4 and 5, keeping their race area to the east of Cowes.
Starting on the RYS line to the east, Classes 4 and 5 sailed a 17nm course. Starting downwind and down tide, the two classes sailed the first leg to Browndown to drop spinnakers and beat back against the tide to W Ryde Middle. Rounding W Ryde Middle to starboard they reached up to Ancasta, rounded the mark to starboard and set spinnakers to sail east towards NE Ryde Middle. From NE Ryde Middle to port it was a short leg to Browndown and a reach up to Royal Yacht Squadron, before the final beat back against the tide to the RYS line.
Class 1 was won by Spirit C72 modern classic sloop Gwenhyfar II. Laurent Giles sloop Cetewayo made it two wins from two races in Class 2, and S&S sloop Sunstone won Class 3. West Solent One Design Enchanted took her second win of the week in Class 4. At the time of writing, Class 5 results are pending a protest decision.
A long day’s racing was rounded off with much-appreciated cold beers on the dock from Bainbridge international.
