Cowes Week review

Cowes Week

It's world-class racing for top pros, it's a family event where kids race with grandparents, it's more than 50 series going on at one time, it's party central, it's a proving ground...the UK's biggest regatta is a week no sailor ever forgets

All photos: Paul Wyeth and Martin Allen, pwpictures.com

Main photo: a blast from the Royal Yacht Squadron gets the J/70s underway - the class was eventually won by Tim Ryan's 'Vamos' (with Robert Greenhalgh, Jess Grimes and Charlie Gundy) from Sydney, Austalia

Above right: on the rail of Paul Newall's A31 'Arcus', which enjoyed a close battle with 'Elaine Again' in IRC 3

Below right: Peter and Alison Morton's Swan 36 'Scherzo of Cowes' won all but one race, discarding a second place, to win IRC 6 with a day to spare. It was a stunning performance that also saw the immaculately restored boat win Black Group and claim the title of Overall Cowes Week winner Big shifts, wind holes, tidal complexities, planing conditions, bright sunshine, groundings, shorttacking off the beach crowded with swimmers, plus the occasional cause to reef – the Solent was at its best for Cowes Week this year. Crews came in from around the British Isles and the world to enjoy exceptionally tight racing and a great atmosphere ashore. The Cape 31 fleet was notable this year, the fastest-growing fleet on the Solent. The newly created IRC Zero class was out in force, while at the other end of the spectrum the new classes for Club Cruisers proved popular. Visit Abu Dhabi came in as

Presenting Sponsor earlier this year and plan a winter regatta in Abu Dhabi – details to come.

Meanwhile over the next few pages we look back at the class winners and other moments to savour from a highly successful 2022 event.

Next year's regatta will be 29 July to 4 August 2023. Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting is official media partner for Cowes Week.

A classic Cowes Week scene as the Darings race close inshore off the Royal Yacht Squadron. After swapping places at the top of the leaderboard, Graham Wilkinson and John Corby's 'Doublet' took overall victory by a point from last year's overall regatta winner 'Dauntless'.

In IRC Zero, three boats went into the final day separated by only four points. A win for Ian Atkins' GP42 'Dark n Stormy' sealed his overall class title, having scored only podium results, including three race wins. The Squib 'Kestrel', sailed by Charlie, Tom and Harry White, won the Under 25 Trophy and also the Musto Young Skipper Trophy, beating crews from Radley College, Greig City Academy, the Royal Thames Yacht Club and many other young sailors in various classes.

A swimmer gets a grandstand view of the Laurent Giles-designed 'Whooper', built in 1939, which won Cowes Week overall in 2018 and this year won IRC 5 with a day to spare, after four wins and two seconds. Owner Giovanni Belgrano fits Dacron sails to the highly original boat when racing in classic regattas.

David Thomas' Sonata design still has a loyal following and this year the class was won by Luke Goodall's 'Wasp', ahead of 'Dick Dastardly' (GBR 8504N) and third-placed 'Joey' (GBR 8426N).

Eventual overall winner 'Scherzo of Cowes', a Swan 36, to windward, was pressed hard all week by skipper Ian Handley and a family crew on the Mustang 30 'Banter', shown here to leeward, on her way to second place in IRC 6.

Nick Hampton's Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 'Scandal' won the Cruising Association-sponsored Club Cruiser classes overall with an impressive performance - five firsts and two seconds. Second was 'Aqua (Ushaka)', a 1987 Dehler. Third was 'Panda of Hamble', a 1983 Westerly Fulmar. USA entry 'Flying Jenny', skippered by Sandra Askew, shows off her eye-catching spinnaker in the Cape 31 fleet of 18, the largest the class has seen anywhere in the world since the first boat was launched five years ago. Victory at Cowes went to 'Squirt', sailed by Russell Peters and family.

Roger Wickens' Sunbeam 'Danny', built in 1938, took victory in the class with a day to spare and started the last day second overall on the White Group leaderboard, until an altercation with Grantham Rocks forced a final race retirement.

Laura Dillon on the Dutch entry 'Winsome' won the Ariel Trophy for best female on the helm, while the boat, a Sparkman & Stephens 41, marked its half-centenary afloat by coming second in IRC 5 after a week-long battle with 'Whooper'.

e Mermaid Trophy for best female crew went to Louise Morton's Quarter-Tonner 'Bullet', which was second in class.

Jack Banks & Olivia Finch's J/92 'Nightjar' is a well-known Solent yacht, normally raced by the Cowes RNLI lifeboat crew. On Cowes Week's Ladies Day the boat had an all-female crew.

Hong Kong visitor Jamie McWilliam's 'Macho Grande' won the Dragon class on countback, tied on points with Nick Stagg's 'China Wight' (pictured le ). Former America's Cup sailor Andy Beadsworth was third, crewed by his sons. All smiles on Robert Baker's J/97 'Jaywalker', which won IRC 4 with a day to spare a er four rst places – retaining the class title she won at Cowes Week last year.

Charle's Esse's X4.3 'Baby X' won all but two races in the Performance Cruiser A class and also won the Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting trophy. Also pictured are second-placed 'EHO1', a charter crew through Global Yacht Racing, and the 1977 Swan 'Desperado', which was third.

Dancing-on-the podium alert! David Franks' J/112E 'Leon' (pictured le ), Adam Gosling's JPK1080 'Yes!' crew (centre) and Paul McNamara's First 40.7 'Incognito' (right) enjoyed a great battle in IRC2, with 'Yes!' taking ve rst places, coming second in Black Group. e Dragon 'Dreki' enjoys a sun-drenched beat, but the class was won for a second time by 'Bluebottle', the Duke of Edinburgh's former boat that was restored for last year's regatta.

In the Sonar class, Simon Clarke's Jenny sailed a consistent series to win the class by a point ahead of Alistair Barter's Bertie. e Andrew Cassell Foundation's ACF Dolphin took third place with a disabled crew.

Kevin Downer and Tim Eccles' 23 Jeanneau 'Ziggy' took ve straight wins in IRC Class 7 and was third in Black Group. ey bought the boat for £500 and re tted her using second-hand gear.