2025 YachtsandYachting.com Racing Series - Round 4

Red Penguin win YachtsandYachting.com Racing Series round 4 © Richard Willetts

The weekend of July 12th & 13th saw Round 4 of the Yachts & Yachting.com Racing Series organised by Prometheus Sailing, which was convincingly won by a team from Deloitte with four wins and two second places in the six races sailed.

Day 1 on Saturday saw six Prometheus 41 yachts come to the start area on Ryde Middle Bank in the Solent. Race 1 was a windward/leeward course in light winds and utilising the last of the flood tide for the first upwind leg. Red Penguin (Deloitte / Celia Robinson) established a commanding lead, finishing 6 minutes ahead of the second boat Sunsail Solaris (Shustoke SC / Mark Bowers) who were closely followed by Sunsail Helios (Petr Denissenko) having recovered from a late start.

Race 2 was started but the wind died and with the ebb tide growing the inevitable abandonment came as boats struggled to get anywhere near the first mark. Finally after a delay a sailable breeze filled in and with slightly less tide two short windward/leeward races were run. Red Penguin took honours in both with Sunsail Helios a close second and Sunsail Solaris taking two third places.

Day 2 and back to the race area on Ryde Middle Bank to be greeted with a fairly steady F3 South Easterly breeze and wall to wall sunshine giving champagne sailing conditions. Three races were sailed, two triangular courses followed by a final round the cans race.

Race 4 saw Red Penguin establish a comfortable lead but at the first leeward mark they had a problem with the spinnaker drop allowing Sunsail Solaris and Mermaid Spirit (HSBC / George Jacques) to catch right up. However after a great recovery on the next beat it was yet another gun for Red Penguin with Mermaid Spirit in second and another third place for Sunsail Solaris.

The sun continued to shine and the breeze remained stable. A fly past by the Red Arrows returning from their display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed added to the day.

Perhaps they left something in the air for Sunsail Helios who suddenly found form in the last two races winning both by a comfortable margin from Red Penguin and with Sunsail Helios and Mermaid Spirit each taking a third place.

Congratulations to the top two in qualifying for the final in October.

Further rounds are scheduled for September & October and if you are interested in chartering and joining in some fantastic one design yacht racing, please email Terry Hunt at or for further details on the YachtsandYachting.com Racing Series, general charters or events, please visit www.prometheus-sailing.co.uk

Overall Results: