Round the Island

Cowes this Saturday and every possible mooring-spot is filled as 1840 or so yachts - a new record entry - lined up to race round the Isle of Wight. It's like sailing in a blizzard of Kevlar and Carbon! We simply flew round until the big downwind spinnaker blew apart in a lot of wind and water going part St Catherine's lighthouse on the South side of the island. Sigh.

Mind you, we managed to keep going and (using the asymmetrical reacher instead - it was more than a bit unstable though!). But if we had trouble, so did others: there were five boats aground in big seas; there were five injuries including one person helicopted off to hospital with a bashed head; four boats were dismasted (including one dismasted by Hugo Boss with Lewis Hamilton aboard - cue headlines - poor Lewis, he was just a guest) , five were damaged badly enough to need a tow; one boat sank (and quickly); one boat capsized;and there were 11 man overboards.

Sailing really IS like standing in a cold shower tearing up all your banknotes. . .