One of the stars of Skandia Life Cowes Week yesterday was David Pelly, former assistant editor of Yachting World magazine, who sailed a superb race at the helm of an RS K6 to scoop the top prize from the highly competitive 15-boat fleet.

Pelly, who’d never stepped foot in a K6 before yesterday and who can’t even remember the last time he sailed a dinghy, was clearly delighted about his performance on the racecourse and promises he’ll be back in the class as soon as he get the next opportunity. “The K6 is a really rewarding and surprisingly simple boat to sail. In the light winds that we experienced I was able to sail a tactical race and not have to worry too much about tweaking the rig; I left that to my super-hot crew, Paul Young.”

Although Pelly hasn’t sailed a dinghy-style keelboat for a long time, he has been racing a Hunter 707 for the last few years, so is no stranger to the racing scene.