Please select your home edition
Edition
Belvedere

Solent Super Series - Round 1 Cowes

by Mark Angell 16 Oct 2024 09:27 BST 12-13 October 2024
Solent Super Series Round 1 Cowes © John Green / @SolentSailPhotography

The first round of the 2024 Solent Super Series was contested this past weekend in the central Solent with competitors racing off the Island Sailing Club's line.

A mixture of SunFasts, a JPK 1030 and Dehler 30 set off to the West in 8 to 18kts of breeze on Saturday to tackle a 22nm [4hr] course with the fleet enjoying the flat water and taking the multiple corners in their stride. The event's signature first race of each round being a longer multi-mark 'orienteering' course, a challenge for navigators, tacticians and crews managing wind shifts, tidal effects and sail changes.

"Saturday's course was both brilliant and challenging, pushing all the teams to nail their hoists and drops, with plenty of opportunities to keep the nav on their toes. The shorter-handed racing format truly tests the teams and makes for a thrilling experience." Remarked Chris Baldwin skipper of Hair of the Dog.

"This year, Unity Sailing has entered all three of our Sunfast's, with crews who have trained and raced with us throughout the year. We had a fantastic weekend competing in the 4-up Solent Super Series and our teams are already excited for the next three events and destinations!"

For Race 2 ISC Race Officer Tod Taylor set a shorter course sending the fleet again to the West beating against the tide up the Cowes green and round the corner to Elephant Boatyard in Thorness Bay, the reward for the 50 minute beat was a fast downwind leg with the tide, tightening to a reach with boats flying a variety of sails.

Saturday's racing was followed by the Saturday social at Island SC with drinks supported by event organisers FourthCape. The fleet's tracking was available for teams to review with one another, an opportunity to recount well executed manoeuvres or account for any losses against the competition.

The Solent Super Series is tracked utilising the GeoRacing cellular tracking platform - all Round 1 Races available to replay at www.fourthcape.com/solentss

Sunday started with a gentle but cold northerly wind of 6kts, which allowed racing to get under way on schedule. [When a lot of other racing on the Solent had been abandoned]. The fleet headed East away from the ISC line with reaching sails hoisted and varying tactics employed, hug the island shore or straight line it to mark 1 Goodall Roofing? With the light wind dropping further, the course was shortened on the second leg after 3nm had been completed.

Congratulations to Insert Coin JPK 1030 counting 2, 1, 1 to win Round 1, with the SunFast 3200s Full Circle 2nd, and Hair of the Dog 3rd to complete the podium.

Next up is Round 2 on the 26th/27th October which will take the fleet out to the Eastern end of the Solent and Saturday night's port of call is supported by Boatfolk's wonderful Haslar Marina, Gosport.

More information about the Solent Super Series can be found at www.fourthcape.com/solentss

Related Articles

Jura Scottish Series day 3
Muscular, gusty winds to 40kts challengeracers The grouped, reaching starts set the tone for a fun, challenging day on the water. The teams which prospered were those which best anticipated the sudden, dramatic changes in the weather, Posted today at 7:01 pm
North Sails May Regatta 2025 at Royal Southern YC
Including the Cape 31 class round 2 of their UK series Last weekend saw the first event in the Royal Southern's flagship Summer Series for 2025 - the North Sails May Regatta. 67 boats competed across six classes on three race areas. Posted today at 12:43 pm
Jura Scottish Series day 2
Holding on to the perfect scoreline is proving elusive Among the 84 crews racing in ten different classes at Jura Scottish Series three teams count perfect scorelines so far. In the IRC Class 1 Brian Hall's J/109 Something Else has now accumulated five wins from six starts. Posted on 24 May
Jura Scottish Series 2025 Day 1
Loch Fyne offers racers solid opening day sport Race organisers at the Jura Scottish Series made the best of the beneficial wind and weather conditions on Loch Fyne to get the annual regatta under way on cue for all classes. Posted on 23 May
Jura Scottish Series runners and riders
Fleet are mustered in Tarbert Habour, Loch Fyne, ready to race Competitors at the Jura Scottish Series may not be assured of continued sunshine, the like of which has blessed the north of Britain for the last few weeks, but they should be blessed with breezes which seem set to build progressively. Posted on 23 May
IMA Maxi Europeans overall
Bella Mente successfully defends her IMA European Championship title The 20 remaining yachts competing in the IMA Maxi European Championship, organised by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia in conjunction with the International Maxi Association, took part in a final coastal race today in a 8-14 knot southwesterly. Posted on 22 May
Rooster are Clothing Partner of Poole Regatta
2026 is shaping up to be the largest in the event's history Rooster, the well-known watersports clothing and accessories manufacturer is to become the Official Clothing Partner of the International Paint Poole Regatta 2026. Posted on 22 May
RCIYC Nick Cousins Memorial Spring Regatta
Superb conditions were the order of the day in Jersey Superb conditions were the order of the day for the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club's Nick Cousins Memorial Spring Regatta held in St Aubin's Bay over Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May. Posted on 22 May
IMA Maxi Europeans day 3
Maxi Grand Prix class turns up the pressure as courses go to windward-leeward Following an overnight offshore race and two days of coastal courses, the IMA Maxi Europeans, run by IMA and Naples' Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia out of Sorrento, for its penultimate day staged two windward-leeward races on the Gulf of Naples. Posted on 22 May
IMA Maxi Europeans day 2
Small boats to the fore after formidable coastal course The second coastal course of the IMA Maxi European Championship in Sorrento, Italy was an action-packed affair, taking the maxis on a complex course visiting local hotspots including the Amalfi Coast and lapping Capri. Posted on 21 May