Cowes keelboats

Steve Sleight reports on the Red Funnel Championship action

The second weekend of the Red Funnel Cowes Keelboat Championship started with a gloomy prospect as Saturday dawned grey, windy, and threatening heavy rain. In the event, those that braved the cold start to the day enjoyed improving weather and a lightening breeze.

This weekend it was the turn of the Royal Yacht Squadron to run the racing. Courses were laid on the Brambles Bank and by the start of Saturday’s first race the breeze had dropped to a shifty north-easterly Force 4. The wind continued to decrease, falling to Force 3 at the start of the second race and dropping further as the race developed.

Eight Etchells started Saturday’s races and honours were shared by Stuart Childerley’s Bedrock and Nile Razmilovic’s Enda Lima Shamba. In the Daring class ten boats came to the line on Saturday with Giles Peckham steering Dauntless, in her first appearance in the series, to two wins.

Astern of Dauntless there was plenty of close competition for the other top places. Audax, steered by Paul Miller, took second in the first race of the day after a battle to the line with Darius. In the second race, Dauntless enjoyed a lead at the finish of three and a half minutes from Darius, which turned the tables on Audax in this race.

The Dragon class fielded the best turnout with fifteen starters. Temeraire had the best of the racing on Saturday, taking a first and second but the racing was very close. Jalina took a third and a first, while Virago had two fourths.

Sunday brought bright sunshine and less breeze, and the fleets were boosted with two Sonars on the line. Once again Bedrock led the Etchells, winning both races. Enda Lima Shamba took second in the first race of the day ahead of Bushfire, but in the second race Bushfire took second with El Torro in third.

In the Daring class David Stride in Dynamite led most of the first race but was beaten to the line by Dauntless. In the second race Brian Saffrey Cooper in Decanter held off a late challenge from Dauntless with Dynamite in third.

Two Sonars same to the line for Sunday’s two races; it would have been three boats but Chris Girling and Kenny Laird’s Sinful had a close encounter on her way to the race course and failed to make the start of either race.

In the first race Billy, sailed this weekend by Steve Sleight, led Geoff Skinner’s Geronimo until the final beat when Billy allowed Geronimo to split away and snatch the lead just before the finish. In the second race Billy did not make the same mistake, leading from start to finish.

In a dying breeze and a strengthening adverse tide the CRO shortened the final race for both Dragons and Sonars at the leeward mark.

Provisional Results (top three)

Saturday
Etchells Race 1
1. Bedrock
2. Bushfire
3. Enda Lima Shamba

Etchells Race 2
1. Enda Lima Shamba
2. Bedrock
3. Blue Genes

Darings Race 1
1. Dauntless
2. Audax
3. Darius

Darings Race 2
1. Dauntless
2. Darius
3. Audax

Dragons Race 1
1. Temeraire
2. Aimee
3. Jalina

Dragons Race 2
1. Jalina
2. Temeraire
3. Unknown

Sonars – no Sonars competed

Sunday
Etchells Race 3
1. Bedrock
2. Enda Lima Shamba
3. Bushfire

Etchells Race 4
1. Bedrock
2. Bushfire
3. El Torro

Darings Race 3
1. Dauntless
2. Dynamite
3. Finesse

Darings Race 4
1. Decanter
2. Dauntless
3. Dynamite

Dragons Race 3
1. Aimee
2. Temeraire
3. Caramba

Dragons Race 4
1. Temeraire
2. Virago
3. Aimee

Sonars Race 3
1. Geronimo
2. Billy

Sonars Race 4
1. Billy
2. Geronimo