Cowes portraits

We catch up with some of the individuals taking part in Skandia Cowes Week

Andy Nicholson reports from on board the 1720 Yachts & Yachting with former Laser World Champion and Volvo Ocean Race CEO Glenn Bourke:

Well it was worth the wait: Lots of wise Solent sailors were discussing whether or not the sea breeze will fill through the whole Solent - or if it would fail because there was little sign on the fluffy white clouds over the North Island.

Eager race management got the fleets away as soon as the breeze started showing signs of building from the southwesterly sea breeze direction, with conditions establishing themselves throughout the afternoon ensuring everyone had a great bumper start to the week.

In the 1720 class, in classic one design style, it was the start which quickly determined the pecking order. Four boats made a break away off the Green sailing to the windward mark in Gurnard bay before a huge run against the tide all the way down to Lee on Solent.

Proctor Winning Masts and Hurricane Lenny battled for the lead. Y and Y closed the gap on the two leaders by keeping to the left hand side, in less tide, but it wasn't until the last gybe into the bottom mark that Y and Y squeezed ahead of Hurricane Lenny. Proctor Winning Masts, with the suntanned torso and square jaw of 49er star Pete Greenhalgh on tactics, worked her way into a strong lead with a bit of a tidal gate at the bottom mark. G and T lost her leading pack status and was then swallowed by the chasing pack.

A bad gybe, with a twisted chute, was ultimately to cost Proctor the race win as Y and Y took the advantage and closed up. With better boat speed on the third beat Y and Y squeezed round the last windward mark inside of Proctor and then sailed defensely to cover the second and third placed boats. Y and Y almost came to greif when helmsman Glenn Bourke convinced himself that there was weed on the rudder and immersed himself up to the shoulders to pull it off. Realising that his centre of gravity was now working against him, it was a little toe wrapped around the tiller which saved him. Little toes aren't great at steering and a capsize was avoided when all the crew started to panic - a bit.

Today was a good opener for the class, with the top nine places filled within the minutes of the winner and augers well for a good fight for the class win.