Victory class Cowes Week entries up
by Jeremy Lear 14 Jul 2009 11:30 BST
The Cowes Week entry for the class is expected to be at least 20 boats, a 25% increase on the 2008 entry.
This year's 75th Anniversary is encouraging more racers with over 20 boats regularly racing and as many as 18 boats starting, the average turnout per race is up from 8.13 in 2008 to 11.3 in 2009. an increase of 45%. This is mainly as a result of new GRP boats coming into the fleet with the older wooden clinker built craft being bought up by new members keen to enjoy the close fought one design racing.
The Cowes week entries include a number of previous winners and the fleet is expected to be very competitive.
The most succesful Cowes Week helmsman is the late Ian Mead, in Shearwater (Z49), the overall winner 12 times during the period 1961 – 1983. This year, his son Russell Mead (a previous winner in the Hunter 707s) will be racing Shearwater during the Week. The Class competes for Ian's Memorial Trophy on the Friday.
Jeremy Lear’s Zinnia (Z69), helmed by John Tremlett during the period 1994 – 2008 has been overall winner 11 times - one more to go to equal Ian Mead’s record.
Other overall winners who will be competing this year are Barry Middleditch who won Cowes Week 5 times in Steadfast (Z17) in the period 1989 – 1996. This year he will be racing with Peter Madden in Fenella (Z18). Kim Taylor in Zest (Z50) won in 1986 and 1987. This year he will be racing his new GRP Victory, also called Zest (Z76).
In Kim Taylor’s old boat, now re-named Zara will be Clive Cokayne one of the younger helmsmen who is already making his mark in the Class by winning the Harbour series of races. Other succesful newcomers include Gareth Penn in Zircon (Z67) who is currently third in the Second Tuesday series.