#cowesweek – In the ownership of Peter Wilson of Howth two decades ago, the Corby 36 Mustang Sally was one of the most successful racing yachts in Ireland writes W M Nixon. When she first made the scene for the 1995 season, it's believed she won virtually every major trophy she raced for. But after the stratospherically successful years of Wilson ownership, it would have been unfair to expect the next owner to keep up the pace, so for a long time the boat was in the west of Ireland, being used as a training vessel for offshore sailing.
But then she was retrieved by the John Corby organisation for top Solent owner Adam Gosling, who wanted a boat of manageable size which would be aimed almost exclusively at success in Cowes Week. With a total renovation and re-tuning, yet with all the benefits of age allowance retained, Mustang Sally was given the Gosling trademark name of Yes!, and last night she was declared "Boat of the Week" at Cowes Week after a stunningly successful series. It's the second time Yes! has hit this pinnacle of achievement, and the foundations of it all were laid by Peter Wilson's determined approach to the new boat project twenty years ago. Once a good 'un, always a good 'un.