Gladiator Joins the Fray as Flying Jenny Steals the Show
Light airs forced hours of postponement across the board. Black Group finally got away at 1300. White Group? They sat. And sat. Not until 1415 did the Squadron cannon fire for the SB20s — a tight start and a recall for the over-eager. Sportsboats followed, with Jo Richards’ Tigger punching out first, chased by Annabel up the beat to Newtown East. Despite Tigger being dwarfed by her fleetmates, the RS21-CR held her own.
Out on Committee Vessel 1’s start line, the big guns in IRC Zero and Cape 31s surged west toward Tuakana Construction, Hamstead Ledge, and beyond — wind finally teasing out enough power to light up the course.
Gladiator stormed home first in IRC Zero, chased by Braveheart. But when the time corrections settled, it was the Cape 31 Flying Jenny that soared — besting 23 of the highest-rated boats in the regatta to lift the Britannia Cup. A mighty win for Sandy Askew and crew, with Amp Lifi second and Gladiator rounding out the podium.
In IRC2, youth and experience clashed bow-to-bow. Yes! skippered by Adam Gosling — and joined by 14-year-old son Leo — duelled hard with Jack Rabbit and Leon. It was Jack Rabbit that nailed the final hoist and claimed the win on corrected time. Leo’s helm skills, honed in the ILCA and at the Optimist Worlds, marked him as one to watch.
Youth Day at Cowes Everywhere, young sailors were proving their mettle. In the Sonars, 17-year-old Will Bradley and his all-under-20 crew sailed Cowes Match Racing Blue into second, keeping Bertie honest. The starts were sharp. The racing tighter still.
Jack Hartley helmed a Sunbeam keelboat for the first time aboard Osprey, describing the technical challenge of balancing heel and trim as “a big shift from dinghies — but brilliant.” His crew? Georgina Patterson and Luke Cross — young, smart, and unfazed.
In the XODs, familiar names led — Astralita’s John Tremlett, Tim Copsey, and Fraser Graham. But fresh faces were making waves, too. Racing XL under the Youth Bursary Scheme were Abby Hire, Alex Paton, and siblings Kate and Tom Whamby from Lymington. They finished 10th — top youth boat, and in light airs, it was their kind of day.
As Tom said: “We didn’t have a lane, so we tacked early into shore. Played the shifts. Rode the tide. Then the run to the finish — we were glad they shortened!”
Sailing the X? “You move the tiller and wait,” laughed Kate. “Then she says ‘fine, we’ll go’ — and off you go.”
Olympic hopeful Arthur Farley was campaigning in the J/70s mini-series. A mid-race collision cut short his Cowes, but he’s got bigger goals on the horizon.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow brings stronger breeze and a return to classic Solent punch-ups. South-westerlies are set to gust into the high twenties. The XODs, Mermaids, and Victories head to the Committee Vessel. And for spectators ashore — a Royal Navy display at 7pm, featuring a helicopter and Fairey Swordfish flypast.