Netguides Cowes Week Race Day

Friday 6th August - Cowes Week 2010

Netguides chartered a Sigma 38 from Cowes Sailing School for a day racing.

The weather wasn't great but there was plenty of wind forecast which has got to be good for Sailing.

Having met up at the boat and had coffee and a safety briefing we set off to race.

Jenny told me that Colin hadn’t done much sailing and she had twisted his arm to come along and was desperately keen that he enjoyed it – so Barrie (Skipper/Crew 1) put him on the helm to take the boat off the pontoon and start the race. He was a natural!

We left the marina the put the sails up, doing a drive by of Netguides Waterfront Offices for a wave to the staff, before heading out to sea.

Five minutes to the start and the wind blows up. Amanda (Skipper/Crew2) called for a reef to go in. One minute to the start and we have a reef in and are creaming up the start line for a clean start in our own patch of sea.

Everyone on the rail, quite a wet beat to the first mark, then a bit of a zig-zag course across and up and down the Solent. We didn’t fly a spinnaker because the wind was too much for our mix of crew but we diligently shook out our reef for each downwind leg and then put it back in for the upwind ones.

It was a great course reaching west past Newtown Creek and with enough runs to allow us to grab lunch on the hoof.

Everyone had a turn at helming and everyone got pretty wet but I think we all enjoyed it and all but Naomi made it to the BBQ in the evening. Sorry about the bruises Naomi! – I hope you have recovered now.

Check out the Expedition Video – published on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXmBzJIjCvY

And the Photo Gallery on the Netguides Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=199823&id=11835133987