Craig Summers reports from the RS Elite International at Cowes

Published 10:40 on 15 Jun 2022

My respect to all our sailors who compete away from the Club!

For some reason, now unknown to me, I suggested to Mark Holliday that we enter his RS Elite into the 'RS Elite International Grand Prix' at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes from 9 to 12 June and he did! Read more.

So last week with a crack crew picked by Mark, I joined him and Tim Jones to enter our first event together. It was 4 days, 10 races (plus a Charity Race) of very windy, very competitive and rather brutal racing in the Solent!

I am battered, bruised and aching all over and have learnt an incredible amount about keelboat racing! I can now reflect that I did everything as I should have but with a slight delay: compare it to how we used to watch a video before good broadband - I was slightly 'buffering' before action and consequently unfortunately for Mark and Tim each main sheet trim was slightly later than needed, each spinnaker hoist and drop could have been slicker (though things did improve) and each spinnaker trim was mediocre and consistently over sheeted! But it was the most fantastic fun, incredible to be part of, an enormous learning curve for us and most of all spending 4 intense days with good friends with no bad words between us - even in the most pressurised moments!

The Royal Yacht Squadron was a great host and I do have Committee Boat or (in the RYS terms) Committee Vessel envy.

Big congratulations to James Grant, who was at the top of the fleet all week and finished second by 1 point! And to the very talented Paul Fisk with Pippa Jubb who finished 6th overall.

I now have even greater respect for all our Juniors competing in events and realise what my daughters went through!