16 division wins for North Sails
North Sails clients are successful in both IRC and One Design racing at Cowes Week this year. Cowes Week has been running since 1826 and is the UK’s longest running regatta, proving to be one of the most popular sailing events on the global sailing calendar.
This year with thirty-four classes entered from cruising boats to VOR’s, Cowes showed her true colors, and her competitors made history on the race course.
The week supplied a variety of conditions. In the beginning, boats had the leverage along the North shore of the Isle of Wight due to the lack of wind. Racing was eventually called off for all but class zero and the VOR teams.
By the end of the week, a low-pressure system settled in and brought big winds, giving competitors exactly what they came for.
Overall, the British summer weather behaved, with just two days of rain, with the extreme days bringing a prevailing Westerly at 15-20 knots. Cowes week attracts sailors from all over the world, allowing an amazing experience on the Solent from its complex tidal system to the hidden sand banks, the Solent really is one of the top sailing race tracks that exists.
The week fell just before the start of the Rolex Fastnet race, meaning larger boats such as the Class 40’s were seen practicing before the start of the prestigious RORC event.
One of the unrivaled highlights of the week was watching Team MAPFRE break the around the island monohull record in a time of 3 hours 13 mins 11 sec, and they did it in 30+ knots which shot them around the needles at the Western edge of the Isle of Wight! Nice job team!
Cowes Week was a success in both One Design racing and IRC racing across the board for North Sails, being the dominant sailmaker for most classes.
North-powered boats took the lead in IRC 0 – IRC 4. Some of the highlights were Peter Morton’s Girls on Film winning the Fast 40 Division. There was much excitement in the fleet when 42 South broke their mast on the second day of racing.
IRC 1 was swept by Sam Cox and his team on Nifty Racing, a King 40, but not without a fight from Tony Mack’s J/111, McFly who benefited as the wind picked up using their asymmetric spinnaker allowing them to settle in and get in the groove downwind.
IRC 0 was won by Bernard Langley’s TP52 Gladiator while IRC 2 with Andrew McIrvine’s La Reponse who had a great scoreboard of 4-1-1-1-1-5 across the series. In IRC 3, Adam Goslings Yes! had an impressive 1-2-1-1-1-2 run, and IRC 4 with David Franks’ Strait Dealer sweeping his competition in utmost speed.
Within the One Design fleets of the week, North Sails clients took the lead with Tony Mack’s J/111 McFly winning their division. In the J/70 fleet, Jack Davies’ Yeti, took the lead, with his crew all under the age of 25!
In the XOD fleet – the local One Design class member John Tremlett and his team on Lass took the win, followed by Swallow, skippered by Simon Russell. Oliver Morgan’s Christianna took the title in the Dragon Fleet and Robert Elliot’s Bon Vivant won the Etchells Division, sailing a great regatta.
North Sails is a proud sponsor of Cowes Week each year, offering the best in customer service to competitors in all classes. Congratulations to our clients for excelling in all divisions, and big thanks to our loft team for working overnight to keep sailors on the race course having fun!
For more information on our regatta-winning products, contact your local loft today!
