RS Elite Chairman's Flute Trophy for the first four days of Cowes Week
by Alasdair McLeod 14 Aug 2019 16:38 BST
10-13 August 2019
RS Elite Chairman presented with the Chairman's Flute for the first four days of Cowes Week 2019 © Rick Tomlinson
RS Elite Association chairman Paul Fisk was the winner of the new RS Elite Chairman's Flute awarded for the best performing RS Elite over the first four days of Cowes Week.
This new trophy replaces the Tri-Handled Trophy awarded in previous years, which has now been re-allocated for the first placed RS Elite in Cowes Week overall. With the abandonment of racing on Saturday and Sunday due to strong winds the event was decided over two races on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th of August with both to count.
After the strong winds over the weekend, light winds on Monday led to a postponement. Monday's RS Elite start eventually got under way at 13.25 in a light and shifty south-westerly breeze which built throughout the race. The fleet started in a westerly direction from the Royal Yacht Squadron line. After a long beat along the Island shore to Salt Mead the fleet sailed several shorter legs before finishing on the Squadron line. First over the line were Cam Stewart and crew in RS Elite 67 More T Vicar, with Paul Fisk and crew in RS Elite 110 Legs Eleven in second place and Robert Holbrook and crew in RS Elite 101 Centurion third.
The south westerly breeze was stronger on Tuesday, with some tricky shifts at times. The start sequence started on time but there was a ten-minute delay before the RS Elite start to allow the race committee to change the direction of the starts on the Squadron line from west to East The RS Elites were therefore the first White Group fleet to start downwind under spinnaker. The first leg took the fleet to South East Ryde Middle before sailing several shorter legs in Osborne Bay and finishing on the Breakwater finish line. Paul Fisk's Legs Eleven was first to finish followed by Peter Copsey and crew in RS Elite 46 The Doctor with Centurion in third. Cam Stewart in More T Vicar was fourth, so Legs Eleven emerged as the overall winner of the Chairman's Flute.