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Monday 13 August 2012

Weymouth / London 2012 the X Factor Yarmouth the legacy of Cowes Week

Congratulations to team GB sailors at Weymouth in the London 2012 Olympic games.

Ben Ainslie won gold while Mills and Clark took silver to add to the second places of the windsurfer Nick Dempsey and the Star keelboat pair of Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson.

This British summer of sport continues to raise the profile of Sailing. This week is the start of Yacht Racing's premier regatta Cowes Week sponsored by  Aberdeen Asset Management.


Yacht racing's history began in 17th century England and is generally argued to be started by the establishment of the Royal Yacht Squadron Cowes Isle of Wight in 1815.
 However maybe  London could claim its origin! 

In 1661 John Evelyn recorded a competition between Katherine and Anne, two large royal sailing vessels both of English design, "…the wager 100-1; the race from Greenwich ( where the London 2012 Equestrian and modern pentathlon events took place) to Gravesend and back.”  One of the vessels was owned, and sometimes steered, by Charles II.
The king lost!

 

 If you wanted  fizz and the X factor in your sailing, it was to be found down in Yarmouth Isle of Wight the first weekend of London 2012.

The Taittinger Royal Solent Yacht Club's Annual Regatta 2012 took place last Friday through to the Sunday. 
The newly expanded Club house of the Royal Solent Yacht Club , Yarmouth Isle of Wight with banners for their 2012 Regatta Champagne House Taittinger and Financial Specialist Charles Stanley

Supported by Taittnger Champagne www.taittinger.com  in Association with Charles Stanley  (personal investment services) the Regatta has grown over the years.


In this year's White Group were races for the 6 metre class, International dragon, Folkboats, X One design and Y One design. The Black group included races for Division 1 IRC, Division 2IRC. Swan Classic, Contessa, Classic Cruisers and Gaffers.


X122  'Eve' and X125 'Arrow' battling it out on the Solent off Yarmouth



X 125 Arrow is named after the cutter
Arrow that competed in the first America's Cup in 1851



Arrow XOD 125 Spinnaker flying






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