James Mitchell (pictured right) and his team aboard the Laser SB3 Sardonyx VII hit a rogue rock while lying in the top 30 during today’s opening race of Skandia Cowes Week.

Mitchell, crewing for William Edwards – the owner, chatted to yachtingworld.com as the boat was hoisted from the water: “We hit a massive rock while going upwind at 6kts. We were a mile this side of Elephant, the mark we were going to beating up the shore. It was a quite big rock because we could actually reach out and touch it.”

According to Mitchell the damage is so bad with irreparable delamination to the leading edge of the keel that they need to find a new keel. Mitchell concluded: “The keel is very wobbly. It will be cheaper to buy a new keel than have this one repaired but we are optimistic we will be on the water again tomorrow.”