Saturday's winner: Spirit of Jethou

Peter Ogden's Swan 60 takes class 0 and the Coronation Challenge Bowl

It was a day for the Swans in the big boat classes on the final day of Skandia Life Cowes Week. As many in the fleet nursed post-Fireworks Party hangovers Peter Ogden's Swan 60 Spirit of Jethou dominated the proceedings in class 0 in the building south westerly winds. Ogden took not only today's race and the Royal Southern Yacht Club's Coronation Challenge Bowl but the title for the week in Class 0.

"We had a very good start," commented Spirit of Jethou's nuclear physicist owner on today's race. "We held on to the Farr 52s all the way up on the mainland shore, but they got away after that. They both had problems blowing out spinnakers. We didn't have any problems and that's how you win yacht races."

Class 0 and 1 were sent off on a 22.1 mile course up to Berthon via Hamstead Ledge and a reach across to Durns, before running back down to the NE Gurnard, N Ryde Middle and then beating back up to the finish. Ogden said that Spirit of Jethou and the other big Swans had relished beating upwind against the tide.

Tacking into the shore off Beaulieu several boats came acropper running aground. These included Hawk, Chernikeff II and, horror of horrors, that precious piece of antipodean culture Australia II. This lost them time, but fortunately all came off unscathed.

Adam Gosling's Yes T&G got off to a bad start, the crew no doubt suffering from last night's St Trinian's party which took place on board Leander, Sir Donald Gosling's giant motor yacht parked off Cowes Roads. However Gosling's team pulled back up the fleet to finish fifth.

But in the end it was the mighty Spirit of Jethou which pulled through. "We've done a lot of work on the boat," commented Dr Ogden. "She is dramatically faster this year." In particular they had the keel refaired. "The crew have sailed her a lot now at the Swan Europeans, Antigua, etc. Some races we have won, but we have never consistently won a regatta."

Among Ogden's crew is the infamous tactician Owen "Tack Now Skipper" Parker (once upon a time on Ted Heath's Morning Cloud) who has brought along many of his Hamble hardcore chums including sailmaker Bob Lancaster.

Peter Ogden echoed the view of many that the conditions this week had been exceptional. Although conditions were brisk for the smaller classes earlier in the week no days had to be cancelled in black group through excessive wind or too little.

Spirit of Jethou's next outing will be at the America's Cup Jubilee. She will then hot foot it south to the Cote d'Azur to take part in the Nioulargue. Then, for some fun, Peter Ogden plans to take it across the Atlantic in the ARC...