Ideal conditions for today’s racing at Skandia Cowes Week as the morning brings blue skies and a good Force 3-4. With the low pressure 997mb over the North Sea drifting slowly south, it will fill to 1001mb near East Anglia tonight before moving away to the east. The high pressure 1018mb west of Ireland will intensify, ridge to the Azores High and move east to be over SW Ireland 1022mb tomorrow. This west-north-west airflow will be unstable and give a gusty wind. The maximum temperature in Cowes is expected to be 22 degrees Celsius.

Expected wind
06:00 – 09:00 W-NW 10 to 15 knots
09:00 – 12:00 W 10 to 15 increasing 15 to 20 knots
12:00 – 15:00 W 15 to 20 increasing to 20 – 23 knots at times, slowly veering W-NW
15:00 – 18:00 W-NW 15 to 20 increasing to 23 knots at times

Much like yesterday, gusts are likely to be a third as high again above average wind speed; more if associated with rain showers or thunderstorms. Tomorrow is expected to bring a more northerly breeze of 13 to 18 knots, with sunshine in the morning and possibility of rain in the afternoon.

Events to watch out for today

Look out for Mary King, an Olympic three-day British equestrian event team member who will be sailing in a Laser SB3 with the Draper/Hiscocks Volkswagen team. Mary will be at the Cowes Yacht Haven Volkswagen stand from 15:00 to 16:00.

A must for today is to get down to the Cowes Green to see well-known British actor Jeremy Irons racing with Team Conrad Humphreys on the Volvo Extreme 40s from 16:00 to 18:00.

On the Princes Green witness adventurer Bear Grylls and the Navy Raiders skydive from 5,000ft at 18:30, (hear the commentary on Cowes Radio). And at 18:45 Bear Gryllis will hand the Champagne GH Mumm Voyager Expedition Kit to Olympic medalist Nick Rogers and round-the-world sailor Nick Moloney who will sail to the Trinity Landing to climb aboard the three-masted barqueArtemis. Then witness the two Nicks hand the Expedition Kit to Polar adventurer Tom Avery who will then climb one of the masts ofArtemis.

To find out about the changes to Skandia Cowes Week in the coming years and to air your views go to the Trinity Theatre for a strategy presentation from 18:00-19:00.

There’s plenty of entertainment in the Parade Village throughout the day. Do an Irish jig with the Tin Lids from 12:00-14:00. Followed by solo artist Dave Waite and cover band The FBI. Also, watch daring acrobatics by the Black Eagles. And check out the All Stars on the main stage at Cowes Yacht Haven tonight.