26 July 2018 – Cowes Classics Week – Day 4

Start position	Cowes	Start time	10:31	Start engine hours	835
Towards		ETA	08:16	Distance travelled	17
Finish position	Cowes	Finish time	14:57	Finish engine hours	836.3
Skipper	Richard	Crew	Louise, Mary
Weather	E1-2		Tide	HW Portsmouth 11:40, 4.3m LW Portsmouth 17:00, 1.4m
New faults			Np->Sp %	63

The wind has swung round to the East overnight. That gives us a start against both the light wind and strengthening ebb tide. We loiter just behind and outside the line while the other fleets slowly get away. By the time it’s our turn, there’s a couple of knots of tide against us. We grab 30s on the engine just before the preparatory signal, then go to work. We’re 100m behind the line at the start gun. 25 minutes and 11 tacks later we scrape around ‘Snowden’ to get away. We’re the 3rd and last of a fleet of 6 to do so. The others have to retire.
We’re chasing ‘Satellite’ across to Bramble Bank. There we’re back to beating against the tide to make the most of the shallow water. Eventually we head further North and are pass them by ‘East Bramble’. Now it’s a quick downside reach home.
It’s the main regatta dinner at the RLYC.