XOD Telegraph Bowl at Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club

XOD Telegraph Bowl Sunday start © James Lord

The Cowes XODs welcomed boats from Lymington and Itchenor to their divisional Open Regatta, run over a weekend of changing weather and stiff competition in a 10-boat fleet.

Saturday's 17NM race started with a challenging beat along The Green where X161 MAYFLY seemed to have got away, followed by X66 VEXILLA. In light breeze and a building flood tide the close shore tacking extended West beyond Gurnard Bay to lay 3H East Lepe on the mainland shore.

X140 LUCREZIA made 49 tacks before heading north. X161 had been overhauled by X117 X-RAY and X82 MAGIC DRAGON and made the decision with X51 ATHENA to go early. X66 went furthest west and somewhere in between the rest of the fleet tacked off. Going early didn't pay and having to beat against the flood to make the mark allowed the whole fleet to bunch up.

The podium 1st and 2nd were decided at East Lepe with X117 and X66 battling for the top two spots and the Household Division YC Trophy. To make 3F Monex Marine in Thorness Bay required another shore hugging beat beyond Beaulieu River to make the tide back across The Solent. The shallows helpfully marked by two Darings and a Sonar aground beyond the river entrance.

Another long beat to 3G Cowes Week in a building sea-breeze shuffled the mid-fleet boats again, X161 making amends and X82 stretching ahead of the rest behind. X111 ANNABEL, X51 and X140 tussled for 5th before X140 found a way to make big gains across the tide from 3E The Boss to 3F Monex Marine again before the run for home.

X177, X66 and X82 received the Squadron canons in fair tide, sunshine and 15kts of breeze.

The crews were greeted at the Cowes Corinthian YC on Sunday morning with rain and squalls, a very different day. The forecast was for the 20kts of southerly wind to ease around 1400 but instead it built providing two long downwind sleigh rides in >25kts gusts when out of the lee of the Island.

A shorter course started to the west from the RYS line leaving 3U Gurnard to starboard before bearing away across the Bramble Bank for 4M Hill Head. X91 ASTRALITA and X117 stretched the fleet but never got clear. Tide, Solent chop and squalls kept the navigators thinking but the beat back to 4F Royal Thames gave no opportunity to diverge although X91 did start to show her transom to the rest.

A broad run to 47 Contessa then provided options for the beat back to the line leaving 3Z Trinity to starboard. X91 stayed out and beat along the north of the channel, X140 headed for the Island side bringing four boats with her. X117 and X161 split the difference and stayed north of Norris in clearer air whilst X140 and X66 risked the Naggers in better tide.

X91 had a small scare parking up before the line at the Castle end but had enough of a lead to get the canon. Meanwhile X117 and X161 had converged and sailed shifting breeze to a close 2nd and 3rd respectively.

X5 made huge gains nearly overhauling the inshore boats but a header on the ODM required a tack and she crossed behind X140 and X66. A close race with everyone getting their chance; after 10NM the first and last boats were just six minutes apart.

Not the winners of the XOD Telegraph Bowl (l-r) Rory Paton (Class Captain), Mark Lacey (Yarmouth Division Captain), Thom Board (Cowes Division Captain) - photo © James Lord

An excellent weekend of competitive sailing in typical Cowes Week weather and tides. Thank you to all who turned up and the CCYC for hosting the boats and crews. Well done X117 X-RAY for winning The Telegraph Bowl trophy, well sailed.

Overall Results: