Cowes Week delivers the goods for the Royal Southern YC

Squib sailor Emma Baker receives the Cowes Week Ariel Trophy from Pam Mansfield, the RSrnYC Commodore's wife © Steve Baker

The weather gods provided the Royal Southern Yacht Club, one of the Cowes Combined Clubs that run the annual Cowes Week Regatta, the sort of summer event they used to get a decade ago! Conditions combined to produce a Cowes Week as good, if not better than, most of us can remember and the Royal Southern played its part in full.

More than 40 Royal Southern members entered their boats across the full range of classes, in addition to which members provided four Committee and Support boats and 30 Race officials.

The regatta got off to a slow start with a two-hour postponement on the first Saturday as a result of no wind, but plenty of sunshine to make up for it. However, the wind filled in on schedule and produced a good afternoon's racing. Then, on Sunday the wind made up for the previous day's shortfall, giving competitors 20+ knots, still with lots of sunshine, providing the sailmakers and riggers with plenty of overnight repair work.

So it went on as each day dawned with cloudless skies, sunshine and good winds with the exception of Wednesday when the light north westerly breeze switched on and off in a frustratingly random pattern, benefiting some boats and punishing others - but still with lots of sunshine. Thursday and Friday saw the wind re-join the sunshine in grand style, with the course setters rounding off the week with a 6½ mile beat against the tide for Black Group boats, almost to Lymington.

A whole week of champagne sailing, without once having to don waterproof gear. The Royal Southern's Rear Commodore Sailing Graham Nixon said, "I was beginning to wonder if Cowes had been re-located to the Mediterranean!"

On shore, throngs of holiday makers and spectators mixed with competitors, with the latter having the excuse of needing to re-hydrate themselves at one of the many hostelries, which were packed all week.

Graham Nixon: "The racing? Well it was as good as I can remember, with the weather conditions providing challenging and exhilarating competition."

The Tuesday (Slingsby Gin Ladies Day) was also the Royal Southern's race day, with prizes being distributed at a packed prizegiving in the Island Sailing Club, after racing on the Wednesday. Prizes were awarded to all Black Group classes and the Ariel Trophy for the day's best performing lady helm being awarded to Emma Baker in her Squib, Buccaneer, with Emma Toman (J/109, Judgement Day) second and Laura Dillon (Sparkman and Stephens 41, Winsome) third.

Other RSYC member results:

www.aamcowesweek.co.uk