After the disappointments of last year’s doldrum days, an advancing low looks like it might well provide Skandia Cowes Week with early days of brisk racing.

The low, currently sat well out to the west, is not particularly deep but as it moves towards Ireland current synoptics suggest that it will squeeze up against large areas of high pressure to the east, giving a decent pressure gradient across the whole of the English Channel. Unless its progress slows competitors could well be looking at increasing winds on Saturday between south and west; forward forecasts currently suggest that conditions could be similarly breezy for at least the first part of the week.

This will contrast sharply with the remainder of this week. Yachts making their way to the Solent from today onward seem likely to face fairly flaccid conditions.