Day 8 of Skandia Cowes Week 2008

I was fortunate enough to race in Skandia Cowes Race Week with a close friend, Tim Pennington, at the close of my 2008 summer.  It was my first trip to England and I don’t think I could have had a better time. Cowes consisted of 8 days, 1 3-4 hour race a day.  It felt like a marathon regatta.

Our boat, Xcitable a X-362 , went into the final day of Cowes Race Week sitting in a locked up third place in IRC 4.  IRC 4 was mostly 30-37 ft, but also included a 44 footer.  Peter Hodgkinson and Sarah Bailey own the boat with Peter skippering and Sarah on strings (pit).  In first place was a Beneteau 34.7, 10-R, Salvo that was blistering fast all week and was top three overall in the regatta.  Second place belonged to Winsome who was fast in the heavy air reaches. We would have needed to beat Winsome by 6 in order to move up to their second place spot. 

It was blowing 25 knots and gusting to 28 at the start due to low pressure system that was passing through Cowes as we counted down the prestart in full foulies and mandatory lifejackets.  The wind was ripping up from the southwest in the direction of the incoming current so the chop wasn’t too bad.  We battled off the start working the lee mainland shore fairly aggressively in the top 10.  We tried hard to stay out of the adverse current keeping in mind that we had ran aground earlier in the week in the same area. 

We were picking off boats as we continued and sailed two short windward leeward loops of about 0.8 nm. Tim was solid trimming the chute and we raced these four legs hard, finally rounding a mark to starboard down and in the middle of the Solent.  The rounding went Salvo, us, then Winsome with about 30 seconds between first and third, about 1.5 hours into the race.  The next leg was a reach and Tim and I worked with Peter to keep Winsome behind us as she cruised with her long lines and huge #2 headsail. 

We rounded a mark back on the Isle of Wight side and I was the most amped up I’ve ever been.  I screamed “I’M A SAVAGE!” as I frantically reeled the main back in.  The wind was coming off the land at about a 45 degree angle, which made for some crazy 30 knot oscillating puffs.  I was working my ass off playing the traveler, fine tune, and main sheet simultaneously to try and keep the boat cruising without rounding up.  I was receiving great wind information from the rail and it made such a difference in our boat speed.  I remember hearing: “Good boat speed on Salvo.  Definite gains to us.”  It was such a great feeling to know that Peter and I were fully in tune and knocking off the distance between us and second.  However, there was one gust that I wasn’t completely on top of and I looked forward, saw more breeze and yelled, “Breeze on the bow!”  Tim respondedwith, “WHY IS OUR MAIN TRIMMER CALLING HIS OWN PUFFS?!”  hahaha thanks Tim. 

By the time we reached the windward mark we had stretched the lead on Winsome and were about 10 seconds back from Salvo.  However, we knew they would get a huge tidal advantage as we were still trying to get over the mark.  Salvo stayed on port and headed out into more current before setting their chute and heading down.  (By the way, the 34.7/10-Rs all fly symmetrical spinnakers off the mast. None of that asym stuff…)  We saw no reason for going sideways 100 ft for the little current increase, so we immediately popped the spin and went flying past them on the inside. 

I was calling puffs from the absolute transom as we barreled downwind and away from shore.  Heading away from the shore, the breeze built to a steady 28 knots.  We were making 11 knots steady under “control”and hit a max speed of 14.  Hauling ass, hootin’ and hollerin’. 

The next mark was to starboard and we noticed that there was a tanker coming out of the Solent right near the mark we needed to round.  Rick was driving for the long downwind leg and he was doing a great job.  Right as we started to dive deep downwind to get under the tanker Salvo got hit with a massive puff.  They rode it high to try and get the inside, but in doing so began to broach.  Good for us…

As they broached and disturbed the air around us (see picture), we were slammed by a 31 knot gust.  We were so dead down to get under the tanker, we immediately lost steerage and we began to Chinese-gybe (death-roll).  Ross, our bowman, was on the leeward foredeck as it became the new high side and he was thrown across the deck.  He got knocked out for a second and Tim was immediately there to hold him into the lifelines as we were being slammed sideways.  

I was dangling from the lifelines and called for heads as the main came violently across.  Peter fell across my mainsheet before someone finally released the spinnaker halyard.  The boat began to right and Rick steered us back downwind.  Ross was sitting against the rail and caught the metal ring on the jib clue right in the temple and down he went again.  At this point Tim pointed out the obvious fact as to why he was even on deck and below he went.  As the chute was slowly dragged back on deck Rick wanted and began to gibe, but Peter was still across my mainsheet and an uncleated traveler.  I screamed stop to Rick and luckily the main did not flick. It would have been ugly.  It was one of the most gnarly events of my entire racing career. 

Peter finally called off the racing after he assessed the situation and we limped back into Cowes with a ripped spinnaker, broken carbon pole, and bruised egos.   

All in all it was an amazing regatta capped by some intense wind, a podium finish, and a sweet awards ceremony.  It was a first for the boat and owners, Peterand Sarah.  The Mumm champagne tasted great and I’ll never forget my first Cowes Week with one of my best friends. 

There’s no doubt about it, I’ll return to Cowes.