SWALLOW COWES WEEK 2016 REPORT
What a Cowes Week; One of the best in recent years with brilliant weather, good courses, and tight racing. Migrant won the week, crossing the line first in four races (but took a penalty in one) and sailed well all week being just that little bit faster than the rest of us and securing the series before the final race. Archon, Avocet and Solitude scrapped it out, each having race wins, with the final points so very close. Avocet was second overall, followed by Archon and Solitude on equal points. Kingfisher and Quetzal, along with our bursary boats, Harrier and Svala, all added to the general fun of the week on the water and at socials.
The main fleet sailed over to Cowes on Friday. Harrier was held up by a broken main halyardand we were grateful for the prompt work by Haines to effect repairs. Nevertheless, the team needed to stay overnight (many thanks to Marieka and Charles) and then set off again before dawn on Saturday with the hope of getting to Cowes in time for the race. Alas they went aground in the near darkness and spent many hours on the Winner Bank. Harrier finally reached Cowes just as the Swallows finished race one - but a great effort.
Race one was postponed for a couple of hours to let the sea breeze settle in. We then had a nice beat up the island shore and a reach over to Quinnell and on to Hill Headbuoy. Archon had wriggled through to lead but then for some reason decided to round an early buoy that never has been and never will be a Solent racing mark!It was however red and that was enough to confuse Archon. Solitude in navigational panic also dropped her spinnaker as did Avocet, and in the ensuing mess Migrant confidently and serenely sailed through to a lead that was never challenged. It was an excellent day’s sailing in a 12 to 14 knot wind, sunshine, and everyone had a good time.
The regular and highly enjoyable barbecue at Ivy Cottage with the Sunbeams was a fitting end to a superb first day of racing.
Race 2 had the most wind of the week, gettingup to about 20 kt. The start was a run to the East with Migrant rounding the first mark in the lead to hold the tight spinnaker reach up towards Southampton Water beautifully to pull ahead. Again she was never to look back. An interesting beat over to Royal Thames saw some place changing with Harrier in particular holding a long port tack, getting into the better tide and crossing back almost catching Migrant.But at the end it was Migrant, Avocet and Archon. It had been another splendid day witha good breeze, an interesting course and some long wet beats.
Race three was interesting. The start was to the west against the tide to get over to Quinnell. The big decision was when to leave the island shore to head off across the east going tide. Archon seemed to manage the wind shifts into her lee bow and rounded first. This time she got subsequent navigation right and left the others to scrap it out. Navigation errors continued, however, and Avocet and Solitude got it horribly wrong towards the end and could not find the mark on the way over to the Bramble finishing line allowing Migrant - who had not been having one of her better days - to slip through to finish second. Svala, then Harrier and Avocet finished within seconds of each other with Solitude getting across the line a little before them. A nice day with a little less windand mainly sunshine. We all came ashore with dry clothing for a change.
Tuesday took us again to the west against a light NW breeze taking us across the east-going tide over to Quinnell. This time Solitude got it right and rounded well ahead with a lead she held to the finish. It was a long way back from the bottom of the last run with a couple of long and painful close reaches, all mixed in with the Redwings and Sunbeams, in a dying wind and building tide to the Bramble Line.
Tuesday was Ladies Day and we managed to get Hannah Bibby, a member of the Harrier team, interviewed by Y&Y to talk about the joys of Swallow sailing! All useful PR.
Race 5 on Wednesday started from the Bramble fixed line(a new and enjoyable thing for us) eastwardover to Fastnet Insurance mark. Solitude rounded in the lead followed closely by Avocet, Migrants and Archon. A long leg north against the tide kept the boats close together as they tacked up the Hill Head shore. Migrant got to the weathermark first with Solitude and Avocet close behind for the run down to Hamble Yacht Services. The next beat up to Storm Force Coaching was even more interesting with the four leaders splitting into two, half way up. Avocet and Migrant went off on a long starboard tack to the west which paid massively and they rounded a mark - not quite sure which one but it was roughly in the right area of the Solent. The theory is that the real windward mark was hidden by a large committee boat set to finish us early. Anyway we kept going down to Quinnell where another committee vessel was waiting for us. The wind went horribly fluky and Solitude almost caught up, but at the end it was Migrant withAvocet seconds ahead of Solitude and Archon not too far behind. Migrant alas later decided that they had infringed at the start and took a penalty that moved them down to fourth placeto give Avocet the win.It had been a typical Solent day with big windshifts, varying strengths generally around 7 to 8 ktsfrom the NNW.
Wednesday was also Ladies Day and as she finished a G&T hamper was delivered to Kingfisher, being our only boat with a lady helm.
The class dinner was held at RVYC that evening. Excellent as always. Sam Jenkins of the Svala team gave a brief and very amusing Rules seminar in the style of Geoff Boycott, and Carol Thompson promoted the Swallows and Amazon film by handing flags to all. We will see more of these S&A flags at future events. Thanks to Charles Prescott for organising.
Thursday’s race was in a nice 15 to 16 kt wind from the WSW. We started to the west up the green with Migrant again showing the way at mark EFG but followed closely by the rest of us. The downwind leg took us on to the Ryde Middle Bank and then back up to West Ryde Middle boy. Migrant stayed in the lead and after some difficulty spotting North East Ryde Middle leeward mark rounded with Solitude, Archon and Avocet in close pursuit, and Quetzal not far behind. Migrant went straight in the shore on a long Starboard tack to get out of the tide whilst others messed around a bit more in the middle. Aftera long and interesting beat, dodging tide in Osborne Bay, Migrant crossed first with Avocet second and Solitude behind. Archon’s plan to stay to the north didn't work. So six races finished so far, with Migrant clocking three wins, and Avocet, Archon and Solitude each with one win.
Friday was more glorious sunshine and a lovely south-westerly of 13 to 16 kn. Off we went to the west against the tide that was just beginning to build before heading over to the mainland shore. Archon had managed to get round the weathermark usefully in the lead and the theme of the week continued: those that got away early could hold that position. The rest of us fought it out on the run down to Hamble Yacht Services buoy to the east. By the end of the beat to Hill Head the order was settled as Archon, Migrant and Avocet. Another broad reach lead to a long beat to the finish against a building tide. Solitude, Quetzel and Harrier kept well to the south and from time to time wonderful freeing lifts made the competition concerned but in the end the positions remained with a win for Archon and Migrant’s second sufficient for her to win the week overall.
And so to the Saturday, with Avocet, Archon and Solitude all on similar points vying forthe series runner-up position. Yet another glorious sunny day and a good breeze from the SW. A long beat west to near Newtown saw Migrant’s dominance continue. Solitude was feeling good until she failed to realise the tide has changed, and after a long but quick run to the RYS finish line Avocet was confirmed second for the week, with Archon third.