A huge, relatively benign area of low pressure over much of northern Europe is serving little if any wind for competitors in Skandia Life Cowes Week and the trend looks…

IRC classes have taken a later-than-expected maiden start for this year's Skandia Life Cowes Week while other racing is postponed due to a northerly breeze bordering on a flat calm.

The results pack has been shuffled in the IRC Class 0 rumble for the prestigious Queen's Cup following a successful request for redress.

Victory over the elements

The elegant 21ft clinker one-designs of the Victory Class provide a welcome contrast from the mass of modern hardware found aroundCowes Week's courses.

Following the light wind postponement that delayed many classes this morning and the indifferent breezes that followed, the Hunter 707s still managed some very close racing.

A ninth and discarded DNS in the last two races of the Melges 24 World Championships in Travemünde, Germany were enough to give Harry Melges an overall win at the…

In bright sunshine and a fresh south-easterly breeze, crowds of competitors are heading for Cowes this evening for Skandia Life Cowes Week which officially starts tomorrow morning."

Why the start of Cowes Week marks a 4,000 mile leg for Emma Richards. She talks to us about preparing to race round the world

Melges worlds

Jamie Lea, helming the British boat Black Seal, gave Harry Melges a good run for his money yesterday and now takes second overall with two days to go

Harry Melges is currently lying in first place overall at the Melges 24 world championship in Germany

The last day of qualifying races got underway yesterday in Tallinn, Estonia at the 470 European championships in bright and sunny conditions with 7-12 knots of breeze

GBR sailors Chris Draper/Simon Hiscocks and Paul Brotherton/Mark Asquith are currently lying in third and fourth places respectively at the 49er European championship in Norway