SB3's in the King of COwes

The 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Cowes Week exploded into life today with three glorious races sailed in conditions ranging from eighteen up to twenty five knots. As the wind whistled around the Cowes Yacht Haven, there were lots of nervous faces amongst the twenty nine teams who gathered at eight o'clock this morning for the official briefing from race officer Tony Lovell. The racecourse was set in the lee of the land in Osborne Bay to provide the competitors with some shelter from the forecasted steadily increasing breeze and the fleets' sleigh ride journey down there gave several of the 2007 Cowes Week class winning helms their first true experience of the SB3 downwind at speed.

As the fleet hit the line for the start of race one, first to show at the pin end were RS K6 Class winner Richard Talbot, Victory representative John Tremlett and Dragon Class winner David Palmer. As the fleet approached the windward mark the racing could not have been closer with the top fifteen boats rounding in a tight pack, headed by 1720 representative Mark Greenaway. Most of this leading bunch chose to continue on starboard allowing Ian Kirkpatrick from the IRC6 class to take the initiative by gybing on the mark and heading out into the stronger breeze on the left. This tactical call rocketed him from tenth to first at the leeward mark. Also making big gains on the downwind leg were Graham Bailey from the Etchells Class and the Daring Class's Giles Peckham. At the finish, Ian Kirkpatrick had extended on the fleet to pull off an impressive race win. Graham Bailey came through second having managed to hold off a fierce attack from Giles Peckham on the final downwind leg.

The breeze had notched up a couple of clicks for the second race and it was the Dragon fleet's David Palmer who having started at the pin end of the line found himself leading the fleet at the windward mark. Having learned their lesson from the first race, almost the entire fleet gybed immediately at the weather mark. The SB3 fleet all under gennaker was a spectacular sight as the boats blasted downwind totally obscured by spray. Victory Class helm John Tremlett had the bit firmly between his teeth and closed the gap on David Palmer sufficiently to be able take advantage of a poor drop at the leeward mark. Having taken the lead John Tremlett was never challenged and went on to win the race from Mark Greenaway who slipped past David Palmer on the final downwind to take second.

At this point in the proceedings Graham Bailey from the Etchells Class on six points, held a three point lead over Giles Peckham (Daring Class) and Mark Greenaway (1720 Class) who were tied on nine points.

The wind was up to a steady twenty five knots for the start of the final race which was sailed around a round the cans course finishing off Cowes. At the windward mark Glynn Williams from the IRC 2 Class rounded just ahead of Giles Peckham, Russell Mead (Hunter 707) and David Palmer. On the downwind leg these four were engaged in a high speed battle for the lead which culminated in Russell Mead rounding the leeward mark just ahead of Glynn Williams. On the next beat Giles Peckham demonstrated blistering pace to move into first place and as he set off down a tight two sail reach to the next mark he was followed by JohnTremlett (Victory), Glynn Williams and Russell Mead (Hunter 707).

On the next long beat to the Gurnard Buoy, Mark Greenaway kept his podium aspirations alive by moving from sixth up to second. The final leg to the finish just outside the mouth of the Medina River saw the leaders pass the Royal Yacht Squadron at full chat and clearly at the limits of control. Giles Peckham successfully held his nerve to take the gun and was quickly followed by Mark Greenaway in second with John Tremlett coming through third.

When the results were calculated, Giles Peckham's impressive 3,6,1 scoreline had secured him an overall win and the title of 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes at Skandia Week. Only a single point behind in second was Mark Greenaway and Graham Bailey's fourth in the final race was enough to earn him a well deserved third place overall.

At this evening's prizegiving, held at a packed Volkswagen Touareg hospitality stand, Giles Peckham along with his winning crew, boat owner Craig Burlton and bowman Steve White was officially announced as the winner of the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes. Giles was also presented with the keys to a brand new Volkswagen Touareg and Craig received a voucher for a Mark Warner family sailing holiday. The Nexus Marine award for most passionate performance of the regatta went to Mark Greenaway, in recognition of his amazing comeback in the final race, which saw him move from almost last at the first mark, to second at the finish.