Conditions at Cowes Week can only be described as interesting, for some competitors, the short, steep chop and strong, gusty wind proved too much…

Several Maydays in the space of an hour kept Solent Coastguard on their toes during this afternoon’s racing. Two MOBs, several dismastings, sinkings, injured crewmen and at least one hi-line transfer to HMCG helicopter, India Juliet, has led to a busy day for the organisers that won’t be forgotten in a hurry.

Details of retirements are pouring into the race office, including the ACC boat, High Voltage. One crewmember commented that they “had to drop the sails before they fell down.”

Today’s conditions will tell tale in the results later today, whereby the comment ‘DNF’ is likely to register frequently. The highly tuned, lightweight racing yachts, not keen to damage expensive sailcloth and carbon spars tended to take advantage of their discard and retire for the afternoon, while even the game participants thought it wise to drop their kites in the rough following swell.

The smaller day boats and keel boats found the following sea hard to contend with, experiencing violent death rolls and the occasional broach. The larger cruising yachts reveled in the seas, better able to cope with the swell, and despite one or two broaches, fared better than would normally be the case against the leaner racing fraternity.

Results later…