(Cowes, IOW, England)- Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week is a key part of the British sporting calendar taking place in early August each year. These dates result from early traditions when the great and the good came to Cowes between Goodwood and the Glorious Twelfth – day one of the grouse shooting season. The event is a great mix of competitive sailing and a vibrant social scene and has evolved enormously since the early days; it now attracts up to 1,000 competing boats, around 8,500 competitors and at least 100,000 visitors. The Solent is busy, busy, busy! So are the commercial ships who could not give a "boot" about any "blow boaters" in their midst. And, to ensure there's complete chaos from a security standpoint, toss in a few of England's famous "royals" down at the infamous Royal Yacht Squadron Ball and you have a recipe for frenetic fun, lots of carousing, far too many fish & chips with greasy, drippy "palm frittes" and lots of brown salt water mixed into the recipe with, one hopes, a gale or two of Force 5-7 from the UK MET Office and at least one or two instances of anchoring on the Bramble Bank in 4-6 knots of current with "yachties" hoping to retain their position after having eaten a "patsie" or two. Well, you get the picture. A bit of a frolic on the Solent is always worth a few sea-stories, and then some.This year, the RAF RED ARROWS Aerobatic Team (not the boats, the jets!), put on an exhibition equal to their friends in America- the US Navy's BLUE ANGELS. In a break in tradition from the more usual last Friday of the week, the Red Arrows carried out a sensational display over the waterfront at Cowes to mark the opening of this historic regatta.
So far, the racing has been "almost epic" for the Solent. You can expect anything from dead calm to a spectacular sunny day with an epic 15-25 kt breeze blowing in from the West. Toss in the powerful Solent tides against the wind and you can get monstrous (ginormous?) breaking waves that can break boats and egos.
So far, the J/122s and J/111s are leading the top of the leader-board in IRC Class 2. Still at the top mid-week is the J/122 JINJA sailed by Ian Matthews. Just behind are the two J/111s, SMHOKIN JOE sailed by Duncan McDonald & Phil Thomas and JENGA 7 sailed by Paul Heys in second and third, respectively.For more Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week sailing information
