Contessa 32 Inshore Series Weekend 1 at the Island Sailing Club, Cowes

Contessa 32 2025 Inshore Series 1 at the Island Sailing Club, Cowes - Drumbeat racing in light airs © Clive Hughes

Contessa 32 2025 Inshore Series 1 at the Island Sailing Club, Cowes - Dinner at the Max Aitken Museum © Keith Sammons

The Contessa 32 inshore series 2025 kicked off in style on Saturday April 26, and saw seven boats and their crews, together with the Island Sailing Club's race officials, doing battle with twitchy winds and strong tides.

Saturday featured a chilly fickle breeze from the north, and making way against the strong ebb tide was initially touch and go, with the race officer Richard Palmer valiantly endeavouring to get racing underway but having to postpone two starts as the pressure dipped just below a viable strength. But get away the fleet eventually did, on a short windward leeward course in the relative tidal relief of Ryde Middle Bank, with most boats fetching in to dip the start line from considerably on course side before hardening up and making way towards the windward mark.

It seemed that each of the seven boats occupied each of the seven positions several times, as we tacked back and forth taking sometimes bow and sometimes stern, and making slow slow progress to the windward mark. It was eventually three-handed Blanco who came in with pressure and pace from the left side of the course to round the windward marks and run down to the leeward one, where the race officer sensibly shortened course - it was only later that Blanco learned she hadn't dipped the start line quite enough, and so was sadly scored OCS. Drumbeat therefore was promoted up into 1st place.

The pressure built sufficient to permit the fleet to complete race 2's three windward leeward laps, though crew weight mostly remained to leeward onboard to achieve a little heel. Once again Drumbeat proved victorious and she lead the fleet overnight ahead of Andaxi and Carinosa who both had a 2nd and 3rd.

Carinosa hosted a marvellous pontoon party to warm the cockles and break the ice, and the fleet made its way to a delicious and convivial dinner in the fascinating setting of the Max Aitken museum – perfectly organised as ever by Association Social Secretary Mel McQueen!

The forecast for Sunday was for little pressure until mid-afternoon, so the fleet stayed alongside postponed for a couple of hours before heading to the Contessa 32 Class Association mark on the Bramble bank to see what could be made of the beautiful sunny, but calm, conditions. An attempt to get race 3 away under the remnants of a gentle gradient south easterly sadly came to naught, and instead we awaited the arrival from the southwest of the incoming pressure, with the race team resourcefully pivoting to a triangular course to get things going as time marched on. Drumbeat managed a clean start towards the pin and built on an ensuing lead, clinging on to pressure which at one stage most others seemed to lose. As forecast the wind continued to veer and during lap 2 it finally built, and after a weekend of zephyrs the fleet finished with champagne sailing: 15 knots true, little chop, and full sun, rounding off a perfect first event of the season.

Extra special congratulations to Carinosa who were second in race 1 and third in the others and overall, and doing it all two-handed to boot!

Overall Results: