Cowes Week 2026 - Sun 2nd - Day 2

So we sat down last night with a non alcoholic beverage and discussed, planned, plotted, moaned and came up with a plan to improve our result and move up the leader board.

Some things we planned really worked, centring the main sheet car on the track prior to tacking meant that we were powered up more quickly after coming through the manoeuvre…….great.

Having the all the spinnaker gear rigged and ready to role prior to actually needing it.  Worked a treat.  Also, to tie the spinnaker sheet and guy down with the tweakers to give us more stability through the run.

All we had to do was to have a great start and a great down wind leg unlike yesterday.  D’oh…..  we were miles of the start after being far too cautious over a down tide start line and not wanting to be OCS (see yesterday).  But, as it turned out, were so far of the pace and in traffic that  it took us about three minutes to get over the line and into the race.

A nice beat with the boat going ok in 10 knots of wind but we soon worked out that it really liked the 12-15 knot gusts and lifted quickly and was far more responsive.  Sadly, these were few and far between.  We got to the top mark in touch with the fleet and with a few Behind us, so we were pleased.  Then came the spinnaker hoist !  Bloody hell, what a disaster. 

Much swearing as the halyard got caught around the steaming light and then was rigged incorrectly around a shroud.  When that lot was sorted half the spinnaker was getting a good wash in the sea and twisted itself into a right knot.  There I was sitting on the bow, trying to find so else to blame while swearing and shouting, getting wet through as the sail was dripping wet.  Anyway, 5 minutes later it was up and drawing and worked a treat.  Can i just say, that the foredeck of a GK29 is really quite small for a rather large, mildly over weight 57 years old to be balancing on a rolling boat.

So all in all some things better but the result showed no improvement at all.  Shame for all the effort that went into coming 23rd.

15 miles sailed in 2 hours no 38 minutes and 5 seconds.

Thought for the day - “Boat better, Crew better………..find someone to blame.  It can’t be my fault all the time.”