A Europe-wide heat wave may be grabbing all of the headlines, but settled pressure means more pressure for those trying to engineer sailing courses at Skandia Cowes Week.

The high over the North Sea has taken out a long-term parking arrangement and extended a friendly finger right across England. That should give blistering temperatures in the mid-30s inland and up in the high 20s in Cowes. The predicted wind pattern looks uncannily like yesterday’s, with prevailing winds out of the east in danger of being countered by late afternoon sea breezes from the west although the former might be strong enough to defeat the latter, which will be a relief for the later starting classes if it happens.

Current winds showed 6-7 knots from the north-east at Chichester Bar (timed at 0925), barely a breath out of the north at Southampton Weather Centre, 9 knots from the north at Shoreham, and 4 knots out of the north at Bournemouth (all timed at 0850). The ybw.com/Met Office Nowcast service is currently predicting strengthening winds in the Central Solent that should be easterly by 1100 and as much as 11 knots.

Could we be on for an earlier start? The postponement flags are enjoying another airing out of the locker this morning but there is a feeling afoot that they might get put back there just a bit earlier than yesterday, even if the flags here at Cowes Yacht Haven are droopier than Nora Batty’s stockings.