Day five of British Classic Week saw Stella Timoa win the Long Inshore Race sponsored by Classic Boat magazine. This was Timoa’s second passage race win of the week following the Nab Tower Race victory on day two.
With 5-6 knots from the south east, the fleet started on the combined line to the east with the tide. Spinnakers were hoisted as the yachts crossed the line and meandered down to Royal Yacht Squadron.
As the first yachts in the fleet approached Royal Yacht Squadron to round the mark to starboard, spinnakers were dropped for the reach across to Kemps Quay. As the leg began, the wind shifted and the reach became a beat, with much of the fleet becalmed in a wind hole in the middle of the Solent.
The tide slowly took the yachts down onto Kemps Quay, which they rounded to starboard. The wind filled in from the east as the fleet reached across the tide to the north shore and went upwind in 8-9 knots, creeping up the shore out of the oncoming tide.
Rounding Howden Fastnet to port, the fleet reached back across the Solent in the declining breeze where the Royal Yacht Squadron committee boat was waiting at Contessa 32 to finish the feet on a shortened the course.
Andrew Gilmour, owner of yacht Timoa, commented, “It was an intense race, we had to watch the wind all the time as it was constantly flicking around, with the yachts all bunched together and looking for clean air. It was a great challenging race, and you couldn’t rest for a minute.”
Spirit 37 Strega won Class 1, Whooper won Class 2, Fife gaff cutter Viola won Class 3, and Stella Timoa took first in Class 4.
Crews were rewarded at the end of the race with Hattiers Rum cocktails and Dartmouth Gin and tonics dropped to their yachts as they made their way back into Cowes.
