With a large local fleet conspicuously moored in the mouth of the Medina River, the Daring class is usually well represented at Skandia Cowes Week. This year was no exception with 29 of these beautiful looking boats lining up on the start line.

The Daring was developed from Arthur Robb’s 1956 silver Olympic medal winnerVision. The design went on to become the International 5.5 meter class, but evolution was ‘frozen’ to create the Daring one design in 1961. A true one-design class, sail inventories are controlled by a documented replacement programme. Restrictions even extend to synchronised hull cleaning sessions!

Today’s Daring winner was a bit of a dark horse. Andrew McIrvine only started racing in the class this year when he acquired a quarter share inDynamite. He had notched up a number of seconds, but this was a maiden win.

“We had a moderate start, but we got from seventh to second around the first weather mark,” McIrvine explained. “From then on we gradually overhauled the first boat,Darius.”

What makes his win even more exceptional is that yesterday he was racing aboard his 1720Go Ferretin which he finished fourth. McIrvine will be aboardDynamiteagain tomorrow before hopping back on the 1720 for the rest of the week.

Robin Richardson is another enthusiastic Daring sailor. He finished seventh today in the 29 boat fleet aboardDoublet. “It was a mish-mash with other classes. We were mixing it at the marks with the sportsboats and things like that. Several courses were set in the same general area of the Solent.”