JOG Cowes-Poole-Cowes races

JOG Cowes-Poole-Cowes races © Fiona Cloke

JOG Cowes-Poole-Cowes races © Fiona Cloke

Cowes to Poole via the back of the Island started on Saturday 13th Sept from the JOG line at Cowes with 74 entries in 4 classes going east on the building tide. There was congestion on the line for some with the need to get on port tack for the leg down to the forts. Boats starting at the Gurnard end cleared Snowden off the River Medina while others needed to put in a couple of hitches.

It was a fetch from No Mans Fort to Bembridge Ledge with some reaching spinnakers and then more colour as downwind sails were hoisted to get the fleet on the way to St Catherine's Point. Most boats had plenty of gybing practice while tucking in close to the Island's southern coastline going for best tide-cheating and getting just a little surfing in the wind acceleration and chop around the headlands.

Thereafter the wind softened as the fleet went west and opinions varied on how much north offset was required to take account of the tide change in the Needles Channel and Poole Bay before the finish at Poole Bar – in the event leading boats held the northerly easterly wind before it switched into sea breeze mode and strengthened which benefited some with lower ratings in their classes.

Poole to Cowes on Sunday took the fleet back by the more direct route of North Head buoy and Hurst Narrows to Cowes. The breeze was north easterly and around 18 knots giving enough to think about going to windward with a bit more provided by the tide in the Poole Bay chop. Boats that struck out on port towards the Needles Channel seemed to get the best of things before taking starboard tack to North Head and the inner channel to get into the Solent.

Then it was a case of tacking to stay in maximum tide which was made easier in the flatter water of the Solent before hitting the line off Gurnard buoy with approximately half of the fleet being tide assisted all the way.

A top weekend all round and what a pleasure to see the two Lancasters as the fleet closed on the finish with their 8 RR Merlin engines sounding magnificent.

Great work from JOG's hard-working secretariat team on a rolling committee boat for Saturday's finish and Sunday's start – competitors did not have the same excuses for feeling below par on Sunday morning!

Cowes – Poole Results:

Class 3
1st Incognito, Paul McNamara & Tony Lowe, Beneteau 40.7
2nd Dusty P, Richard Patrick, Beneteau First 40
3rd NJOS, Nicky & Tim Octon, Corby 35

Class 4
1st Just So, David & William McGough, J 109
2nd Jibe, Robin Taunt, J 109
3rd Jacana, Paul Wood, J 105

Class 5
1st Shades of Blue, Ed Holton, J110
2nd Comedy of Errors, Tony White, HOD 35
3rd With Alacrity, Chris & Vanessa Choules, Sigma 38

Class 6
1st Polly, Meakins & Cudmore, Impala 28
2nd Raffles, Elan 295, Peter Cover & Matt Stiles
3rd Xara, Jonathan & Anne Rolls, Swan 38 SR

Double-Handed
1st Jacana, Paul Wood, J 105
2nd Xtract, Mrs N Gardner & Mr D Stock, X 302
3rd Comedy of Errors, Tony White, HOD 35

Poole - Cowes Results:

Class 3
1st Dusty P, Richard Patrick, Beneteau First 40
2nd Incognito, Paul McNamara & Tony Lowe, Beneteau 40.7
3rd Cougar, Steve Blake, Reflex 38

Class 4
1st Moontiger IV, Tim & Karen Gabriel, J 109
2nd Just So, David & William McGough, J 109
3rd Jibe, Robin Taunt, J 109

Class 5
1st Shades of Blue, Ed Holton, J110
2nd X-Tosea, David Hunt, X 332
3rd With Alacrity, Chris & Vanessa Choules, Sigma 38

Class 6
1st Xara, Jonathan & Anne Rolls, Swan 38 SR
2nd Alchemist, Mark Wynter, Dubois Half Tonner
3rd Stan the Boat, Toby Gorman, Sigma 33

Double-Handed
1st Xtract, Mrs N Gardner & Mr D Stock, X 302
2nd Comedy of Errors, Tony White, HOD 35
3rd Marta, Brian Skeet, Sigma 38

Final JOG races this year:

• Cherbourg, Friday 26th September, first start 18:00
• Cowes - Owers - Cowes, Saturday 11th October, first start 08:30