Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April saw the return of the Cowes Etchells Series. It was an exciting mix of senior boats, many of whom had been racing hard in Miami and Australia, mixed in with the Youth Boats who had been robustly training all winter with the Etchells Youth Academy.
For many competitors the first day was a learning curve with new teams put together. The first day saw experience pay off with David Mclean’s team joint on points with (the welcome return of) Tom Abrey’s Jolly Roger. The other win went to Ted Blower’s Audrey. The races were characterised by a softening breeze, so banging the corners was the way to go.
Day two saw a cold North Westerly wind and the race course close to Ben F Wood right next to the main channel with a very strong flooding tide. The right hand side of the course was going to pay off and Jolly Roger secured two bullets to win the series. second was Harry Cowell’s Alison, with a win, 3th and 4th place. Man’s Best Friend finished a strong 3th with a 1st and two 2nd places during the weekend.
Many of the youth boats improved race on race, especially on the second day. Palaver, with the youngest crew, choosing the right side upwind so moved up to 7th place overall with a 3rd and 4th place.
Notable performances also came from Pulse- with a change in tactician Maisie Harkess’ team secured 3 top ten finishes. David’s Bromilow’s Ziggy also gained a 2nd and 3rd place on Day 2, finishing just behind Simon Patterson’s Standfast.
The Royal London YC race officer, Mike Randall, and his team were absolutely outstanding on both days. Despite shifty conditions they managed to get 3 races each day underway with near perfect racecourses and a very efficient transition between races.
The weekend highlighted the incredible strength in depth of the Etchells class, with a very high standard of racing and teams from the Etchells Youth Academy, Etchells Youth Performance Academy and dedicated owners bringing a very high standard of competition.
1st Jolly Roger, 2nd Alison, 3rd Man’s Best Friend
