After being forced to cancel all races yesterday, with winds along the Solent gusting at up to 30 knots, the third day of Cowes Classics Week got off to a better start today (Thursday) with three races run in testing conditions under cloudy skies and rain squalls but with the sky clearing in time for the final pursuit race.

This, the second Cowes Classics Week, is defeating the economic downturn, with nearly 80 yachts entered this year as compared to 58 last year and with three new classes addeed. The event shows every sign of becoming one of the most important on the yachting calendar, preceding, as it does, Cowes Week.

The first day (Tuesday) had all classes competing in two round-the-cans courses. Richard Pearson, class captain of the Sunbeams, in Fay, broke his mast in the first race but was able to get it replaced during the lay-off on the following day and won a third today. In the same class, John Davis in Fleury notched up two firsts today.

After an enforced rest on Wednesday, with winds howling in the rigging of all the yachts holed up in Cowes Yacht Haven, all competitors were geared up for a crowded day’s racing today with three planned windward-leeward courses, finishing with a pursuit race for all competitors. By then the wind was gusting upwards of 20 knots, obliging all but three of the Six Metres to retire.

Neil Payne, in Lizzwhizz, an XOD broke a jib halyard on the third race and finished on mainsail alone. David Gower, in his Daring Dolphin, who won the regatta last year, just pipped Andrew Porteous’ Squib, Firecracker Too, to the finishing line in the pursuit race. Competitors were full of praise for the race organisers in organising the handicap as all the classes were represented in the first finishers - a considerable achievement.

With very few points separating the leaders in most classes, they have everything to sail for tomorrow.

Russell Miller