Monday, August 13, 2007

and they are off...


Copyright onEdition 2007© Click to enlarge

Copyright onEdition 2007© Click to enlarge

Copyright onEdition 2007© Click to enlarge

Copyright onEdition 2007© Click to enlarge

Copyright onEdition 2007© Click to enlarge
It was a picture-perfect day with blue skies and puffy cumulus clouds, and little sign of the severe weather that is forecast ahead. The IMOCA 60 class was first off at 1100 BST, followed by six more classes as the 15 -18 knot breeze and a four knot ebb tide produced a short choppy sea.

In the IMOCA 60 start, Hugo Boss shot off the Squadron end of the starting line and tacked up the Cowes shoreline taking advantage of the building breeze.

The strong ebb proved a challenge at the start for a few boats who were swept over the line early and had to fight a tightly-packed fleet to get back to the start and re-cross the line. Likewise, the Gurnard buoy, a mark of the course, caught up some of the boats which, short-tacking up the shoreline, neglected to leave it to port. They discovered their mistake once past and took a significant loss in time in turning around and sailing back around the proper side.