With the exception of course changes for IRC classes 6, 7, 8 and 9, all competitors managed to race as planned today, albeit in a light northerly that backed and gradually died as the afternoon progressed.

It came as something of a relief for the more than 8,000 people sailing on the 816 boats sailing, not only to get out on the water but also to preserve their discards; an abandoned race can mean losing one, depending upon class and the number of total abandonments. Given that even minor errors in light winds are likely to push a boat well down the fleet, and bearing in mind the light winds forecast for much of the week, the ability to discard poor results may have a big influence in final results this year.

In the end the wind held well enough for most boats to enjoy a reasonable time of it on courses that were mostly constructed for reaching. Provisional results show that the majority of the hot-shots made a reasonable fist of the conditions.

Ben Ainslie at the helm of Robert Condon’s Volvo for Life, sailed an immaculate race to take the winner’s slot in Class 0. Ainslie commented after the race: “It was very much a Swan-designed course – lots of reaching and not much mark-rounding. The conditions were still fairly light and towards the end of the race it was difficult against the tide. Anyway, the sun was out and everyone seemed to have a good day.” Nick Hewson’s Team Tonic, with Jeremy Robinson at the helm finished second, and Peter Harrison’s Chernikeef II scored a respectable third.

In Class 1 IRC, Rob Greenhalgh who jetted straight into the regatta from the Tour de France a le Voile, took a class win aboard Kung Fu Fighter, just ahead of Charles Dunstone’s Carphone Warehouse. Another team who scored a top result today was Mcfly, the slippery new Swan owned and skippered by Tony Mack. According to Neil Mackley, it was the best race so far. “Not only did we have a decent breeze but we had an exceptional race with Carphone Warehouse and managed to overtake her on the last leg to the finish. We’re now heading for the bar to crack open a bottle of celebratory Champagne!”

Doug Flynn, skipper of First 40.7 Kirribilli, who finished in fifth place, commented: “The reaching course was not very exciting, but was only option for the race officers given the conditions. I think it was sensible to have a reasonaably short course as it was likely that the sea breeze may have filled in to conflict with the northerly wind.”

Ian Handley’s Bénéteau 40.7, Royalblue Addict had a successful time scoring a second place to Pissaro. “It was a challenging race,” commented Handley, “with lots of snakes and ladders and fickle winds. A lot of people would prefer more wind, but if you pick the shifts and find the pressure you can get a good advantage over your rivals.”

In Class 10 Bowsprit, Jo Richards’ team aboard Full Pelt sailed another cracking race but was unable to hold off the J/109 Waverider and had to settle for second place. Nigel Brooke and team, also in a J/109, added to their already respectable results this week by scoring another third in today’s racing.

Derek Blanke’s Hunter 707 Censored managed to hold off the ever-threatening Ian Southworth sailing Chilli Chaser, while the Doh! boys drove the Skandia Squad boat to a third to add to their already impressive set of results this week.

Another super-hot sailor who has appeared at the top of the fleet today is Russell Peters sailing his 1720 For Sale. David Greenhalgh’s G&T placed second.

The Daring Class results may yet be subject to a protest as it emerged that Dauntless was carrying an undeclared crew until the final leg. Skipper Giles Peckham stated that the miscreant jumped ship once it became obvious that Dauntless was going to be beaten into third place by leader Dionysus and second-placed Darius. We’ve yet to find the penalty for carrying a seagull, other than the obvious possibility of needing to scrub decks aprés race.

Results day three

Class 0 IRC
1Volvo For Life (Ben Ainslie & Robert Condon)
2Team Tonic (Nick Hewson)
3Chernikeef 2 (Peter R Harrison)
4Bear Of Britain (Kit Hobday & Tim Louis)
5Flirt (Richard Matthews & Dr Jose Alvarez)

Class 0 IRM
1Team Tonic (Nick Hewson)
2Bear Of Britain (Kit Hobday & Tim Louis)
3Mandrake (Peter Morton & Adam Gosling)
4Chernikeef 2 (Peter R Harrison)
5Wolf (Glynn Williams & Kevin Sproul)

Class 1 IRC
1Kung Fu Fighter (Rob Greenhalgh)
2Carphone Warehouse (Charles Dunstone)
3McFly (Tony Mack)
42Xl (Emergent Asset Mangement – David Murrin)
5Kirribilli (Douglas & Lynne Flynn)

Class 1 IRM
1Kung Fu Fighter (Rob Greenhalgh)
22Xl (Emergent Asset Mangement – David Murrin)
3Farrfalina (Rob Goddard)
4Arbitrator (Stephen Bailey)

Ker 11.3
1Kung Fu Fighter (Rob Greenhalgh)
2Minnie The Moocher (Anthony Richards)

Class 2 IRC
1Weerga (Wessel Liezenga)
2Born Slippy (Julian Bates)
3Longbow (Capt P Cooper)
4Firestorm (Jonathan Perry)
5Danebury Exabyte 2 (Danebury Vinyards)

Prima 38
1Born Slippy (Julian Bates)
2Longbow (Capt P Cooper)
3Firestorm (Jonathan Perry)
4Closing Time (David Riley & Andrew Yates)
5Mighty Max 2 (Andy Williams)

Class 3 IRC
1Pissaro (Mr Barry Polley)
2Royalblue Addict (AustinFitton & Handley)
3Jackdaw (D K Walters)
4Sleeper (Jonty & Vicky Layfield)
5Alvine Xii (Harry Evans)

Beneteau 40.7
1Pissaro (Mr Barry Polley)
2Royalblue Addict (AustinFitton & Handley)
3Fastwave (St James’s Place Partnership)
4Chieftain (Ger O’Rourke)
5Fulcrum First Challenger (Fulcrum Trading)

Class 4 IRC
1Owl (Peter Bruce)
2Capitali$M (Tim Harrington)
3Passion (Mr Paul Jones)
4Triple A With Flair (Captain Jim MacGregor)
5Dog Tag (Mr J Delacave & Mrs B Butcher)

HOD 35
1Owl (Peter Bruce)
2Capitali$M (Tim Harrington)
3Dog Tag (Mr J Delacave & Mrs B Butcher)
4Carpetbagger (Michael Ronson)

Class 5 IRC
1Electra (Mike Tatterall)
2Evelyn R (Jon & Karen Yorke)
3Yamaha Waverunner (Charles Devanneaux)
4Prime Cut (Peter Parker)
5Software Mistress (Ian Maclean)

Class 6 IRC
1Dick Dastardly (Guy Nicholls and Partners)
2Spirit Of Defiance (Mark Jephcott)
3Cyclone (William Curtis)
4Kit Off (Stuart Edmundson & David Atkinson)
5Respect (John Danby)

Class 7 IRC
1Disko Trooper (Jules HallRob Garlick & Will Hamilton)
2White Mischief (Andy Hind)
3Cloud Nine (Martyn & Magnus Wheatley)
4Floater (BarrieMatt & Chris Aston)
5Tsunami (Roger & Liz Swinney)

Class 8 ISC
1Mikado (Michael Briggs QC)
2Moonlight Saunter (David & Jennie Skinner)
3Moonlighting (Roger Frost)
4Second Love (Michael A Palette)
5Ocean Venture (A J Wyeth)

Class 9 ISC
15 More Tarts (Five Star)
2Hannchen (Colin Dobner)
3So! (Simon Osgood)
4Uforia (Denis Steele)
5Rio (Mike Shepherd)

Class 10IRC Bowsprit
1Waverider (Mike Bennett)
2Full Pelt (Stephen Fein)
3Judgement Day (Mr & Mrs N Brooke)
4Shades Of Blue (Ed Holton)
5Moose On The Loose (Mervyn Gutteridge and Duncan Money)

J92
1Big Wednesday (Roger Mavity)
2Vampire (David Moore)
3Forza (Jack & Joan Hardie)
4Jos Of Hamble (Professor Roger Williams)
5Moby J (Mark Franklin)

Contessa 32
1Drum Beat (Eldred Himworth)
2Gualin (David & Mary Parson)
3Blanco (D RichardsR Rouse & T V Anner)
4Blue Shark (Mr K Mizen & Mr D Lang)
5Nimbus (Michael Hill)

Mumm 30
1Highlander III (Gregor Logan)
2Monkey Business (David WilkinsonIan Poynton & Peter Edwards)
3Marauder (Tim Barclay)
4Pogo Bogo (David Knight)
5Tigger (Chris Thorne)

Sigma 33
1Summation (Julia Wright)
2Mithril (Tom Hayhoe & Natalie Jobling)
3Whippa Snappa (Richard J Puddifoot)
4Hooligan (Steve Sault)
5Oxygen (Michael Birmingham)

Sigma 38
1Rapscallion (Pete Diamond)
2Wind’S Will (Michael Green & Roger Kendrick)
3Alliance (J L Brantley)
4Red Arrow (RAFSA)
5Mefisto (Mr Kevin Sussmilch)

X332
1X-Therapist (Russell Hodgson)
2Yellow Rose (Marten Jan Ringers)
3X Parrot (Mike Garvey)
4Hoodlum (Peter Jones)
5Xpletive (Flying Fish)

Daring
1Dionysus (Bruce Huber & Jonathan Goodwin)
2Darius (T M ParrG S V Kenyon & M A Dunlaevy)
3Dauntless (Giles Peckham)
4Streak (Hamish Janson & Juliet Dibben)
5Dreamer (John Ewart & Lavina Perry)

Hunter 707
1Censored (Derek Blancke)
2Chiilli Chaser (Ian Southworth)
3Doh! (Tom Davidson & Andrew Aldwinckle)
4The Ant Hill Mob (Russell Mead)
5Surfeit (FosterDeakin & Webster)

National Sonata
1So (Neil McLure & Keith Stewart)
2Cobweb (Matt Glasgow)
3Missred (Toby Gorman)
4Hobo (David Sprague & Gareth Morris)
5Pizzicato (Tom White & Simon Townsend)

International Dragon
1Hestia (Frank Jan Beuningen)
2Etc Hell (Graham Bailey)
3Water Rat (Ian Ratnage)
4Rackham (Robert Gray)
5Rumours (Len Jones)

International Etchells
1Fuzzy Duck IV (WoodmanProudlove & Ford)
2007 (Mike Sparks)
3Diva (Mr Gareth Jones)
4Love Shack (Tim Spalding & Gareth Lloyd-Jones)
5Pointless (Messrs Ewart-Smith & Richards)

International Flying Fifteen
1Saffina (Roger Palmer)
2Funny Enuff (John Mander)
3Affore The Weak (Nick & Estelle Clarke)
4Dusty IV (Tony Bedingfield & Paul Wills)
5Fritilary (Gil McCutcheon & Mike Boll)

National Squib
1Firecracker Too (Andrew Porteous & Jerry Westbrook)
2Firestreak (Miss Sarah Everitt)
3Artful Dodger (N J Emery)
4Yes M’Lady (Stephen & Angie Whittone)
5Kewdeethree (Mrs Margaret Barsby)

National Swallow
1Solitude (A J Lunch & A M Reid)
2Ptarmigan (David Leon)
3Avocet (Mr & Mrs J A Houghton)
4Echo (Charles Hindson)
5Serenade (Mr & Mrs Hugh Kemlo)

Redwing
1Quail (James Wilson & Johnathan Peel)
2Lady Laetitia (William F CleggWilliam H Clegg & Erik Cole)
3Siskin (Mr T Montagu Douglas Scott & Miss A Montagu Douglass Scott)
4Rosetta (George Greenwood & Dale Fishborn)
5Flamingo (Mr & Mrs John Cleave & Mr & Mrs Mark Konig)

RS K6
1Fat Face (Martin Wadhams)
2Kalamity (Richard Sullivan)
3Pippi (Peter Kirkby)
4Spark (Paul Handley)
5Team Purple (Philip Wright)

Seaview Mermaid
1Halluf (Richard Ohlenschlager & Simon Lloyd)
2Zara (Will Caws & John Betchley)
3Scuttle 62 (Nick Wakefield)
4Amethyst (Nigel Proddow & Roger French)
5Sheen (Andrew McCullough & Jonathan Woodall)

Solent Sunbeam
1Daisy (Dr Mike Moss & Mike Law)
2Fay (Kirk Webster & Richard Pearson)
3Danny (Roger & Jacky Wickens)
4Spray (Alan Stannah & Richard Kent)
5Joy (Peter O’Hea)

Sonar
1Geronimo (Day & Hamilton)
2Dolphin (Duncan Bates)
3Sonic (Simon Barker)
4Sonnet (Steve Sleight)
5Biscuit (Christopher Driver)

Sportsboats Rule
1For Sale (Russell Peters)
2G&T (David Greenhalgh & John Taylor)
3Hyde Sails (Mark Richards & Rob Andrews)
4Wee Jamarama (Stewart Hawthorn)
5Proctor Winning Masts (Zeb ElliotChips Howorth & Neil MacGregor)

Bull 7000
1Rustler (Robin & Jill Stevenson)
2Seeing Red (Phil Cornick)
3Hullabulloo (Martin Forster)
4Bimbull (Ron Fry)
5Rampage (Russ Fairman)

Cork 1720
1For Sale (Russell Peters)
2G&T (David Greenhalgh & John Taylor)
3Cosmic (Ashcroft & Tebay)
4Flamboyant (Chris Jago)
5Phoebe (Bertie Bicket)

Laser SB3
1Hyde Sails (Mark Richards & Rob Andrews)
2Wee Jamarama (Stewart Hawthorn)
3Proctor Winning Masts (Zeb ElliotChips Howorth & Neil MacGregor)
4Laser Sb3 (Richard GibsonNico Honor & Sandy McPhail)
5Dave (Peter Jackson)

Victory
1Zephyrus (Shaun Hopkins)
2Minx (D M Freeman & A Terry)
3Zinnia (Jeremy Lear & John Tremlett)
4Variety (Janet Dee & Robert Parkin)
5Ripple (Team Evans Dolan Stone)

X One Design
1Harmony (John & Linda Tattersall)
2Relaxation (Alistair Ashford)
3Lone Star (Stuart Jardine)
4Lass (RussellAkhurstMaple & Faulkner)
5Beatrix (William Norris)