Crewsaver RS Elite Stadium Cup preview

by Martin Wadhams on 25 Jul 2013 With a little more than a week to go until the 2013 Crewsaver RS Elite Stadium Cup at Cowes, several of the favourites will be competing in Lymington for the Class’s Southern Area Championship at the Royal Lymington this weekend. Winning this weekend would boost anyone’s confidence a critical factor for the ultra short course Stadium Cup racing.

The two favourites have to be Crauford McKeon’s Kandoo III team and Jono Brown’s Aeolus crew. Both are double RS Elite National Championship winners, with McKeon holding the advantage as the current title holder. Indeed McKeon dominated the season last year and is also defending his 2012 Crewsaver Stadium Cup win. But Brown has got the attitude to take risks when he needs to and this could make the difference in a 15 minute race. This unpredictability means several other boats could upset the form book - a great start or an OCS could well be the difference between walking away with the trophy and a set of the exceptional new Crewsaver Ergofit lifejackets or nothing.

Racing will take place close off Cowes Green from five to six pm on Saturday third August, after Cowes Week racing, with live commentary by Cowes Radio - 87.7fm and through the onshore speakers. Last year the competitors could hear the commentator pointing out their every mistake as they tacked up the Green a new experience for most.

There will be two 15 minutes heats, with the top two boats from each going into the winner takes all final. Three minute start sequences further compact the racing into a short RS Elite