Please select your home edition
Edition
Ovington 2021 - ILCA 2 - LEADERBOARD

A rather subdued Cowes Week after a gruelling Fastnet

by J-Boats 13 Aug 10:29 BST 29 July - 4 August 2023
Day 3 of Cowes Week 2023 © Ingrid Abery / www.ingridabery.com

The 2023 edition of Cowes Week was a rather subdued affair after it follows the largest, nastiest, 50th Rolex Fastnet Race ever. After such a gruelling event, the entry list was already "light" and with many boats suffering equipment casualties, the entry list simply diminished further for the eponymous week-long event off Cowes, Isle of Wight.

Nevertheless, the sailors enjoyed the usual 5+ days of challenging racing on the capricious Solent waters. And, as has been the tradition since the early 1990s, J/Teams faired very well in all of their divisions, collecting a significant amount of silverware for their hard-won efforts.

In the IRC 2 Division, David Franks's J/112E LEON was in full-on battle with Adam Gosling's YES. After posting a 2-2-3-1-1 tally for 9 pts, they still ended up taking the silver medal!

The IRC 3 Division had five J/109s sailing. Not surprisingly, John Smart's JUKEBOX dominated the class with a 2-2-1-1-1 tally for 7 pts total! Nick Burns's J/109 WITCHCRAFT took 4th, while the top J/99 was Brian Denney & Hannah Le Prevost's JALAPENO 3 in fifth place.

In the J/109 Division, Smart's JUKEBOX won, followed by Burns's WITCHCRAFT in second and Rosie Berry's JENIE in third place.

IRC 4 Division again saw David Greenhalgh's family on their J/92 GERONIMO hop onto the podium, taking the bronze medal. Ross Bowdler's J/80 JUSTIFY took 6th and Bob & Jon Baker's J/97 JAYWALKER ended up 7th.

J/70 Class

With thirty entries, the J/70 one-design class again had one of the most competitive and dynamic fleets at Cowes Week. The teams have a choice to sail the "short series" for three days, or the overall series for the entire week.

J/70 Overall Series

Winning was William Edwards & Ian Dobson's SARDONYX XI with 23 pts. They were followed by John Greenland's WOOF in second, and Tim Simpson & Ole Bettum's DADS'N'LADS in third place.

J/70 Short Series

Winning the seven-race short series was past J/70 World Champion Paul Ward's EAT SLEEP J REPEAT team with a blistering record of three 1sts, three 2nds, and a 3rd for 9 pts. Sailing almost as consistently was Martin Dent's JELVIS crew with two 1sts, three 2nds, and 8-5 for 13 pts. A distant third was the duo on SARDONYX XI- William Edwards & Ian Dobson- with 22 pts total.

More Cowes Week sailing information here.

Related Articles

2023 Cowes Week day 7
Enigma wins White Group, and the week overall too Cowes Week 2023 finished on a high note today with a northwesterly breeze between 7-12kts allowing all classes to enjoy a glorious day of tactical racing. There was so much to play for in what turned out to be a no-discard series. Posted on 4 Aug
2023 Cowes Week day 6
Less wind, but more tide, and no discards Having lost two days of racing because of high winds this week, it was a relief that today's penultimate day of Cowes Week produced slightly less bracing conditions that allowed all fleets to enjoy a good, solid day's racing on the Solent. Posted on 3 Aug
2023 Cowes Week update
Winner of inaugural Youth Trophy announced To celebrate Youth Day at Cowes Week on Wednesday 2 August, a new trophy - Cowes Week Youth Trophy - was awarded at a reception hosted by Montgomery Estate Planning this evening. Posted on 2 Aug
2023 Cowes Week day 4
Women's Day highlight's the huge impact women have at Cowes and is to inspire Celebrations started early today when competitors were greeted with classic Cowes Week conditions of sunshine and winds ranging from 18-22kts, which led to another bracing day on the water. Posted on 1 Aug
2023 Cowes Week day 3
Royal Navy Day and Charity Day in the presence of HRH the Princess Royal With a forecast indicating a good chance of getting back on the water today following yesterday's abandonment of racing, there was an air of excitement this morning. Even the miserable early morning drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of competitors. Posted on 31 Jul
Cowes Week announces new Youth Trophy
To be awarded for the first time at this year's regatta Cowes Week is pleased to announce the presentation of a new trophy which will be awarded for the first time at this year's regatta. Posted on 31 Jul
2023 Cowes Week Day 2
Strong winds force abandonment of racing Competitors were greeted with sun and a good working westerly breeze early this morning but with the predicted weather front sweeping along the Channel sooner and with more intensity than initially expected, racing for all classes was abandoned. Posted on 30 Jul
2023 Cowes Week Day 1
Off to a thrilling start with winds gusting well over 20 knots Cowes Week 2023 got off to a thrilling start today with sparkling sunshine, and winds gusting well over 20kts from the southwest. Posted on 29 Jul
Musto renews Cowes Week Sponsorship
Extending the relationship for a further five years Competitors at the Regatta will know the brand as a long-term supporter of the event, and Cowes Week Ltd is absolutely delighted to announce today that Musto have renewed the relationship for a further five years as the Official Clothing Supplier. Posted on 3 May
Cowes Week launches Weekend Warriors Cup
A shorter duratiion trophy for the Club Cruiser Division With the ever-increasing demands on people's time, and in order to welcome new sailors to Cowes Week, the event organisers are delighted to announce the introduction of the Weekend Warriors Cup for the Club Cruiser Division. Posted on 19 Apr