Bembridge Sailing Club keelboat racing during and after Cowes Week
by Bembridge SC 12 Aug 09:09 PDT
4-10 August 2025
Bembridge SC keelboat racing during and after Cowes Week - 5 August 2025 © Mike Samuelson
Monday 4 August - Jos Coad
Although the South Coast was not hit too badly by Storm Floris, it was too windy for the One-Designs, so racing was cancelled. Indeed so were the Redwings at Cowes.
Tuesday 5 August - Mike Samuelson
Six One-Designs has two excellent races on Tuesday morning in a NW'erly F4, gusting F5 breeze with the occasional sunny period. The start of the first race off Fitzwilliam was nothing to write home about with most of the fleet some way off the line when the hooter sounded.
However by starting close to Sea Breeze No 9 helmed by D Orange and No 8 helmed by Alexander Ross set themselves up to be the first to reach the windward mark (Garland) along with No 1 (Simon Allocca); there was then quite a gap to the back three - No 4 (John Suffield); No 7 (Sarah Marshall) and No 6 (Mark Hodgkinson sailing single-handed). The long run to Moreton saw the fleet compress and as the only boat flying a spinnaker No 1's fortunes vary depending on keeping the spinnaker full. After Moreton it was back to Fitzwilliam for a loop back to Moreton and a final beat beat back to the line. D was first, about three quarters of a minute ahead of Alexander; it was then a minute to Simon and John in fourth.
The start of the second race was a bit odd in that no one was very close to the line (hence no video); it was almost as if the timings were a minute out, but as no one complained one can only assume that this was not the case! Anyway, with Drum as the windward mark there was lots of room to play for. Alexander rounded first well ahead of John and Mark Grz now helming No 9. Russ, now helming No 1 was fourth, Sara fifth and Mark headed back to the moorings having decided it was too much like hard work single handed. Indeed he did really well lasting a long as he did. No 1 again flew their spinnaker on the run to the leeward mark (Tara) but got it into a wrap when they took it down which put them to them well and truly into last. After another Tara Under Tyne loop, Alexander crossed the finish line two minutes ahead of Mark; John was third, Sarah was fourth and Russ was fifth.
Redwings at Cowes - 1. Paroquet; 2. Lady Laetitia; 3. Quail
Wednesday 6 August - Jos Coad
As there was no wind in the morning, the race was delayed to 2pm. Fortunately a good breeze - SE force 4 - had arrived so the three boats able to come out had an excellent race. If racing had been possible in the morning we would have had at least six boats as three helms had booked to play golf in the afternoon!
Sea Breeze anchored half way between Under Tyne and Britten and a course of Under Tyne, Janson, Britten back through the line 3 rounds proved to be a perfect course as they finished in 1 hour 28 minutes.
Stephan Ludwig in No 3 built a good lead rounding Under Tyne first time leading Charles Abel Smith in No 7 and Mark Hodgkinson in No 9. The order stayed the same as they completed the first round. No 9 then caught the others rounding Under Tyne the second time and lead until being overtaken by No 3 on rounding Under Tyne for the third time. However No 9 was not to be denied and overtook No 3 on the reach to Janson and managed to hold his lead just beating No 3 by two seconds, with No 7 third shortly after. Congratulations to Mark who recorded his first victory in a One Design!
Redwings at Cowes - 1. Paroquet; 2. Quail; 3. Red Guantlett II
Thursday 7 August - by Mike Samuelson
Eight One-Designs enjoyed two races on Thursday morning in a WSW F4 breeze which was forecast to inclease to 16 knots as the morning wore on. With Fitzwilliam as the pin, and Under Tyne as the windward mark, the fleet got away to a reasonable start - well half of them anyway!
The slightly late starters appeared to not be too disadvantaged as they tacked up the right of the course. Leaving aside that there was obviously a fair amount of confusion as where the buoy was, the run to Ruthven saw No 7 (Sarah Marshall) and No 1 (Russ Fowler) both deploy their spinnakers. At times it was clear that they made a difference, at other times that they were going no faster. Having realised that twice round was too ambitious, the course was changed to an inflatable leeward mark about 200m behind the line. No 5 (Susie Beart), No 3 (Stephan Ludwig) and No 4 (Jos Coad) were the lead three boats for most of the race, with Susie finishing 3 seconds ahead.
The same line was used for the second race, as was under Tyne as the initial windward mark. Then it was Moreton to starboard, Tara to starboard, Fitzwilliam to port and Under Tyne to port to finish. After a clean start, albeit with No 5, hot from winning the first race, somewhat off the pace, No 8 went offshore which paid as they rounded both under Tyne and Moreton in the lead.
The beat to Tara is always tricky, so it was no great surprise that Jos in No 4 got himself into the lead (which he held to the finish), ahead of Charles and Stephan. Two excellent races.
Redwings at Cowes - 1. Harlequin; 2. Paroquet; 3. Red Guantlett II
Friday 8 August - by Jos Coad
Five One-Designs came out to race in a SW F3, so Sea Breeze dropped anchor half way between Garland and Fitzwilliam with the course for Race 1 being Garland, Under Tyne, Fitzwilliam twice round. Four of the five - Lavinia Perry in No 8, D Orange in No 9, Charles Abel Smith in No 7 and Simon Allocca in No 2 were very close throughout, however Russ Fowler in No 1 became detached at the back. No 9 moved into the lead on the broad reach down to Under Tyne from Garland, courtesy of their spinnaker. However they were caught on the leg from under Tyne to Fitzwilliam and Lavinia in No 8 was clear ahead at Fitz, when it was decided to shorten the race to once round to enable a second race, and remained so to finish first, followed by No 9, No 7, No 2 and No 1.
There had been a significant wind shift from SW to WNW so for the second race two Sea Breeze was moved to form a start line for a beat up to Britten followed by a run down to Tara and beat back to finish. D Orange in No 9 got well ahead being first round Britten and with spinnaker set went steadily further ahead on the run down to Tara. She was followed by Nos 8, now helmed by Charles Perry, Russ in No 1 and Charles in No 7 who were neck and neck on the run to Tara. Simon in No 2 had become detached on the beat up to Britten. No 9 won very comfortably followed by No 8, No 7 and No 1. No 2 was offered a finish without having to round Tara, which was duly accepted.
Redwings at Cowes - 1. Paroquet; 2. Goose; 3. Lady Bird
Overall - 1. Paroquet; 2. Harlequin; 3. Quail
Saturday 9 August - by Robin Joy
Almost a full house of 10 One-Designs raced on Saturday, in a 10-15kt breeze that varied enough around W to SW to give the ROs a few headaches. When the wind had settled, a start line was laid with Garland as a windward mark and Fitzwilliam as a leeward mark, three times round. The ten boats split on the first beat, with the inshore group faring best and filling the first four places at the windward mark. On the run D Orange (No 9) flew the only spinnaker, which helped her overtake John Suffield (solo in No 4) into third, but she couldn't catch leader Jos Coad (No3) or second placed Charles Perry (No 5). After a closely fought second beat the race was shortened, with a finish on the second run. Jos won, beating Charles by 30 seconds, with John a minute behind. Fourth was Alexander Ross (No 8), followed by D, who had slipped back from third. Hamish Janson (No 12) was sixth, a quarter of a boatlength ahead of Simon Alloca (No 1), then came James Petit (No 7), Ed Burrows (No 2, with 3 generations of Burrows on board), and Penny Stanley, who had found a hole on the first beat (No 10).
The second race again used Garland as the windward mark, followed by a run to Janson, a reach to Morton, and a second beat to finish at Under Tyne. Again the inshore route paid off, and the three boats who stood to the right side of the course came off second best. However, the fleet remained closely bunched at Garland, and stayed that way until the final beat to the finish. In the battle for first Alexander on port crossed Jos on starboard with only 100m to go, but then stood on just a little too much, slowed with his tack, and allowed Jos to make it two wins from two races. Indeed D almost got through No 8 as well, but had to settle for third. John was fourth, with Hamish coming home fifth. Lavinia Perry helmed No5 into sixth, followed by Simon, Ed, Penny, and James.
Sunday 10 August - by Mike Samuelson
Very light airs greeted six Redwing and three One-Designs crews on Sunday morning. In the hopes that there would be enough to allow two races they set off for under Tyne. The first was f9or the Norman Philips Cup (under 19 Redwing helm), and the second for the Chetwood Trophy (under 30 Redwing helm).
Starting at Under Tyne, the first race was slightly delayed waiting for the breeze to settle, however eventually the Race Officers decided to get going with Janson as the windward mark and an inflatable leeward buoy laid to the rear of the start/finish line off under Tyne. No 1 (Paroquet) made a brave port tack start but ended up taking a penalty after an incident with Tara (Alec Ridgewell) who was making a starboard tack start. With the breeze becoming lighter, there was an element of luck to being in the right place when it kicked back in.
In the event, Alice Clegg helming Quail, with James Wilson as her tacticianer, worked out the best way to stem the tide to get round Janson and establish a huge lead; Matthew Chetwood in Ladybird was second round albeit a considerable way behind. Tara was third round but hit the buoy so had to take a penalty. The run to the inflatable leeward mark was initially pretty straight forward until the breeze veered to the east which caught a few out and allowed Molly Gilbey in Lady Laetitia to finish second two minutes ahead of Ladybird.
The second Redwing race was for the Chetwood U30 Trophy which all six boats entered, a few with the same helms; fortunately the F2 easterly breeze had settled which meant that at least it was not just a drift.
After a good start, the lead boats to round Tara, were Lady Laetitia (Molly Gilbey), Ladybird (Christoph Chetwood) and Quail (Arabella Wilson); there was then a run to a laid inflatable to the west of Garland followed by a beat back to the finish line at Under Tyne. Although there were few options to make up lost ground, Quail did read the finish line better and moved into second ten seconds behind Lady L and ten seconds ahead of Ladybird.
There were only three One-Designs; rigged with genoas, they had the same courses as the Redwings. Indeed early on in the first race they almost caught up the back Redwings, but then got caught by the adverse tide at Janson. With No 1 (Simon Allocca) and No 8 (Charles Perry) called OCS, No 3 (Mark Hodgkinson single handed) got well ahead on the beat to Janson and never looked like being ovetaken. No 8 was last (by a long way) to round Janson and was even offered a tow back to the start/finish line which they declined - a good decision as they ended up overtaking No 1 and taking second place.
After a reasonable start to the second race, Mark in No 3 carried on where he had finished the first race - well ahead of the other two boats! Indeed by the finish he was four minutes ahead of No 8 (helmed by Lavinia Perry) who was nearly three minutes ahead of No 1.