There may have been no sailing on the opening day of a British Classic yacht week in Cowes, but that didn't stop the competitors having a fabulous time. The schedule called for the Panerai Classic Around The Island Race, with a 7.30am start time, but with little or no wind forecast the Race Committee wisely opted to change the programme and instead proposed a Solent inshore race. Although the morning brought hot sunshine, conditions over the mainland were hazy and the sea breeze stubbornly refused to develop. By 13.00 it was clear the situation was not going to improve and racing was reluctantly called off for the day.

Whilst the lack of racing was disappointing, Panerai British Classic Week is as much about the boats and their owners as it is about the race results, so great fun was still had by all. Cowes Yacht Haven's south basin is awash with gleaming varnish and highly polished brass work and there is nothing classic boat owners love more than a chance to check out each others boats, compare stories and exchange tips, so today gave them the perfect opportunity to indulge.

With nothing to trim or hoist, the cooks in the fleet turned their attentions to lunch and some spectacular cockpit picnics were enjoyed, all washed down with copious quantities of Pimms and well chilled champagne. For others the lure of a swim in Osborne Bay was overwhelming and a number of the crews headed off to the delightful anchorage off Queen Victoria's summer home for a cooling dip.

For Sam Laidlaw and Rob Gray's Sparkman and Stephens designed Clarionet, today's delay was rather welcome as the boat only went back into the water after a major refit this week and there are still plenty of small jobs to finish. Built by Clare Lallow's yard in Cowes, Clarionet is one of the most successful racing yachts of all time. In her opening season of 1966 she won or came second in almost every race she took part in, including winning Cowes Week and the RORC St Malo Race overall. But she was more than a one-season wonder, going on to win hundreds more races in her 47 year career including the 1987 RORC Channel Race, where she beat off the entire 42 strong Admiral's Cup fleet and her class in the 2001 Fastnet. Even at 43 years young she still finished 3rd in class in the 2009 Fastnet racing against some of the hottest modern race boats of the day! After her refit at David Heritage's Cowes yard she is looking as stunning as ever and everyone will be watching eagerly to see if she also retains her winning ways.

Just getting to Cowes has been a major achievement for some of the competitors including Simon Field's Swanilda, a 1960 Nicholson bermudan sloop built by The Berthon Boat Company, and James Kelman's Croix des Gardes, a 1947 Henri Dervin bermudan cutter built by Bonnin Arcachon, both of which sailed across the Atlantic to be here. Croix des Gardes left the 2012 edition of Panerai British Classic Week heading for the Panerai Transat Classique. At the end of that race she cruised through the Caribbean and up the east coast of the United States, before sailing back across the Atlantic just in time for this year's event. As if that wasn't an impressive enough achievement in its own right Croix des Gardes' crew for the entire trip included James's children Elizabeth, six, and Matthew, eight, both of whom were rather disappointed not to be able to race today.

Tomorrow's forecast looks more promising with 10+ knots from the north-east and hot sunshine, which bodes well for EFG International Race Day which will feature one race starting at noon. The regatta continues until Saturday 13th July with racing every day until Friday and a Parade of Sail past the Royal Yacht Squadron on Saturday.

For further information and details about the Panerai British Classic Week please visit www.britishclassicyachtclub.org/regatta.

#RTIR - Winning tactical advice from some well-known names and faces associated with the Round the Island Race has been posted online ahead of the latest edition of the iconic annual event at the Isle of Wight.

Later today (31 May) will also see the official pre-race press conference on the eve of the 2013 JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, the 82nd anniversary of one of the most prestigious events on the world sailing calendar.

A terrific line-up of guests including Dame Ellen MacArthur and Alex Thomson will be on hand for the presser, which will be streamed live online and will also feature a tribute to the late Andrew 'Bart' Simpson, whose memorial service and private funeral is also being held today. The Island Sailing Club will fly the ensign at half-mast this afternoon.

Later this evening, the race competitors will meet for the all-important weather briefing. Racers will be given the latest weather and tidal information luve, coboned with tactical advice from Met Office-trained professional meteorologist Chris Tibbs.

In addition, competitors can evaulate the weather prior to the race by viewing the course overview and tidal strategy videos at the Raymarine website.

Among this year's competitors are Yvonne Margerison and her long-term partner Mike Flint, who are racing in their 20th Round the Island Race.

The couple entered their first back in 1993 in their boat Charis and have taken part almost every year since, apart from one when their mast was broken awaiting repair, and another when they sold Charis and were waiting to buy their new boat Gernee (S31) which is entered this year.

Margerison and Flint are passionate about sailing, have been very active members at Rutland Sailing Club - Flint is a past commodore - and both are former commodores at the Newparks Cruising Association Club.

While there's been talk of their retirement from racing - let's hope that won't be till after tomorrow's race, where race organisers hope they'll put in a strong showing.

How to follow the Round The Island Race action

The action begins tomorrow morning 1 June at 5am, and spectators can keep fully up to speed on the racing as it unfolds via the official Round the Island Race website, with features from the live blog to live race tracking, weather updates, and the latest news and results.

The race Facebook page and Twitter feed will also be maintained with the latest happenings. For those wishing to contribute to the Twitter news as the racers sail around the island, use the hashtags #RTIR and/or #RaceForAll to raise another £1 for the official charity, The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

#FastnetRace - UK-based Global Sailing is offering what it calls a "unique opportunity" to race in the 2013 edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race.

"Forget the concept of 'just taking part' and join a team dedicated to racing hard," says the company's website. "We do not require any previous experience but we need enthusiasm, commitment and fitness."

Full training in racing and sailing techniques comes with the race package, from helming and sail trim to boat handling and preparation, tactics and navigation.

For a crew berth fee of €3,840 (€4,489), prospective crew will take part in a training weekend in the Solent in April, as well as four qualifying races - including the Cervantes Trophy between Cowes and Le Havre - and the Fastnet Race itself.

The fee also covers a sea survival course, return passage to Cowes, use of all safety equipment and foul weather clothing, all food and drink on board during training and racing, and other general expenses.

Full details are available at the Global Sailing website HERE.

#commodorescup – At 1000 the 21 competing yachts set off on the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup 24-36 hour long offshore race, the most highly scoring segment in this series for international three boat teams with amateur crews.

While conditions this year have been mainly blustery, the start today was in the same summery conditions as yesterday, with brilliant sunshine but precious little wind.

The race management team has set up a complex course for the offshore race, taking the boats east out of the Solent and through the Forts, before heading south to a virtual mark 17 miles out into the Channel. Once round this the boats retrace their steps north towards the Outer Nab mark, before taking a long leg east to the CS1 mark, 15 miles south of Brighton and back. In total the proposed race is 154 miles long, but it seems highly likely it will be shortened.

"I think we will drift down on the tide and we'll drift back up on the tide with some intermittent kedging!" summarised Andrew McIrvine, skipper of La Réponse in RYA Team GBR Blue of how he reckoned the race would pan out. But he also observed that the prescribed route allowed the race management team plenty of scope to shorten course if required.

Having just emerged from the meteo briefing with the Team GBR forecaster Chris Tibbs, McIrvine said that they were expecting possibly as much as 10 knots of wind this afternoon. "If we can get the north-south bit done, then at least if we do kedge we can get up closer into the shore. But kedging round the Owers when the tide is running at 4 knots isn't much fun."

Mid-afternoon the boats were still struggling to make headway down to the waypoint out in the English Channel, due south of Bembridge. With the tide due to change from eastbound to westbound at 1430 BST, all the boats were getting their easting in early with La Réponse taking the most extreme easterly route south as the faster Ker 40s, anticipating an earlier rounding, were playing out a braver strategy on a shorter more direct route to the mark.

A small problem is that this virtual mark is described as a 'port rounding' and this could prove challenging, as tactician Phil Lawrence on the Hong Kong team's EFG Bank Mandrake observed: "The big issue is that we're going to a mark out in the Channel, and we're on spring tides at the moment, and when we get there the tide will be ebbing very strongly [ie westbound], the wind will be a very light easterly, and we've got to get round it to port, which may prove mission impossible. I'm expecting a lot of issues there..."

So if crews find themselves becalmed down tide of the mark then they will be forced to kedge. On the dock prior to leaving there was much talk of this - first finding the kedge anchor and then determining how much line they should attach to it. McIrvine reckoned he could rustle up 130m on La Réponse. On CNBC in RYA Team GBR Red, skipper Paul Worswick said they were taking two 100m lengths which would allow them to set the kedge in 50m of water. "We are going to need that," he advised.

At 1600 BST Magnum III, Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, in RYA Team GBR White, was closing on 'Waypoint 1' with sistership Jonathan Goring's Keronimo on her hip and the Hong Kong team's Peninsula Signal 8 a little further behind.

The two lowest rated boats in the fleet - CNBC and the British Keelboat Academy on David Aisher's J/109 Yeoman of Wight, overall leaders RYA Team GBR Black - were also doing extremely well for their size and speed.

While the Ker 40s suffered in the 8-10 knot winds yesterday, Andrew Pearce reckoned that in the lighter conditions forecast for tonight the four near one designs competing should come into their own again. "5 knots is fine because we are so light for our sail area. In 8 knots, we can't get far enough away from the chasing pack."

Assuming that the boats get around Waypoint 1 successfully, then they will have to sail north with a building easterly tide to get back to the Outer Nab mark before heading east to the CS1 mark. This will be a case of making the best of the tidal gates and the available zephyrs off the shore. Fortunately while the virtual mark is too far offshore for competitors to experience a sea breeze the legs east and back might be close enough to shore for the crews to see a land breeze tonight.

McIrvine shared his predictions for this evening: "I think there will be a bit of a land breeze at night, or even some drainage winds from the harbours if you get in close enough. But there are also quite big spring tides at the moment with interesting shallow bits, so I think it's going to be a challenge."

CNBC's Paul Worswick said that the time at which they got back north to the Outer Nab mark would be crucial. "If we can't get around there to go off to CS1 we'll be kedging and then I think it will be game over for us. If we get around there with positive tide and some breeze then there's a possibility. At some stage everyone in the fleet is going to be kedging which is great for us as the second slowest rated boat."

Phil Lawrence was forecasting that the boats might see 2-5 knots during the night. "It's going to be more of a tidal race than a weather routing race - you've got to stay on top of what you've got, so very local. My prediction is that a Ker 40 or Yeoman will win."

McIrvine pointed out that in such light conditions it is much harder on the crew than when there's a lot of breeze. "It's fun to have some sun. We have been out in masses of breeze, so we have almost forgotten how to do this..." But these winds also present their own issues as the crew can start to get a little "ratty and frustrated", so a skipper has to demonstrate his or her own management skills.

Before leaving Magnum III's skipper Andrew Pearce agreed: "Tactically it is going to be very crucial getting it right, because in these light conditions a couple of miles apart between different boats you can get different winds and all sorts can happen. So the crew has to be ultra-aware for the complete duration of the race about what is going on around them. Races like this can be more taxing than even the Myth of Malham which was a tough race, but tough for different reasons. So it is going to be an interesting one."

The boats are expected back into Cowes tomorrow afternoon.

#commodorescup – Although it sets sail this morning without its defending champions from Ireland the seven international teams are ready for action at the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup that runs until next Saturday at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

On one of the first days of this summer when crews have been able to wear shorts and sunglasses, the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup fleet is in Cowes Yacht Haven preparing to go racing tomorrow in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's unique international three boat team competition for mostly amateur crews.

Skippers attended a briefing for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup today at the Royal Yacht Squadron

After an Opening Party at the Royal Yacht Squadron tonight, racing gets underway for the seven three boat teams at 1030 on Sunday with two inshore races. This is followed on Monday by the offshore race, designed to be 24-36 hours long, its scoring weighted by a 2.5x co-efficient.

On Wednesday there is a single inshore race, two more inshore races on Thursday, a Round the Isle of Wight race on the Friday, with a 1.5x co-efficient. A single inshore race rounds off the series on Saturday.

"We have sunshine!" exclaimed Chief Executive of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, Eddie Warden Owen. looking aloft. "All summer we have seen strong winds and this week we are going to have a variety of conditions and that is the most important thing you want in an international competition which is a serious regatta."

The latest forecast indicates that conditions, particularly on Tuesday and Wednesday, will be very light, but building towards the end of the week. But this may not be the case. "Depending on the way the high pressure works we could have good strong sea breezes," says Warden Owen. "If we have a lot of sunshine it could be 18-20 knots - so it is more a high pressure forecast than a light weather one."

However the RORC CEO admits overnight on Monday the racing will be challenging. "But that is part of the fun and it does mean that if there is one very strong team, they know it is going to be very difficult. You can't control the weather and therefore it doesn't matter how good a team you have, you still have to sail well as a group and keep an eye on each other."

Coming from furthest afield, the Hong Kong team has put in the biggest effort to be here. Ante Razmilovic, one of the charterers of the Grand Soleil 43, Quokka 8, in the Hong Kong team, says they have had a slight scrabble to get to the start line after their boat was dismasted two months ago. "The new rig went in about a week ago. It sailed for a couple of days before we took delivery, so we are looking forward to going sailing and not doing boat building!"

Despite being based in Hong Kong, Razmilovic is a highly experienced Solent sailor and agrees with Warden Owen that despite the light forecast they will still get breeze over the course of the week. "The models never show the thermal effects properly so provided it is out of the right direction I'm sure we'll have half of this regatta in 12-18 knots - we'll just see how we go."

Hong Kong is this year fielding one of the strongest teams, this being the third time they have competed having finished runner up to the Irish in 2010.

The French team raised some eyebrows last week after their strong performance in the Cowes-Dinard-St Malo race. "I am very happy to participate here because Cowes is the Mecca of sailboat racing," said Olivier Pesci. "We are proud to represent France in this very high level competition. It is the fifth time we have participated and I think France has won two times - so why not a third?"

As to the light forecast, Hervé Borgoltz thinks the Grand Soleils will be just fine, although their J/122 may suffer slightly.

The Dutch crew on Harmen de Graaf's Baraka GP racing as the 'big boat' in the Benelux team is wishing they had more preparation time. The boat only arrived a few weeks ago and in addition to getting the boat ready they have sailed the Round the Island Race but have otherwise only managed to snatch a few hours of training and none of it in light conditions.

However the crew is experienced. "We have had five hours of sailing with this boat and we feel quite comfortable, but in a year's time we will have another opinion," admits Baraka GP's Dirk de Graaf, eldest son of owner Herman. The whole crew is looking forward to the Ker 40 one design dust-up with sisterships featuring in the Hong Kong, GBR Red and White teams.

One team relishing the light forecast is the British Keelboat Academy racing David Aisher's J/109, Yeoman of Wight, in GBR Black, the smallest, lowest rated boat in the whole Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup.

"The lighter airs suits us and we are moded for a light airs event," says the BKA's Luke McCarthy. Lower rated boats tend to perform well in light air - as one observer commented: "It doesn't matter how big you are, everyone drifts at the same speed...."

McCarthy continues: "We are rated with the larger headsails, so that suits us and some of the 40.7s have bigger jibs. I think from a team point of view in GBR Black, we have another small boat in Salvo, so if there is any lighter air park ups in some of the offshore races, it is conceivable that the smaller boat ends up being a little bit more favoured, if there are any lighter air sections in any of the longer races."

In GBR White Nicolas Gaumont-Prat, skipper of Philosophie IV, was also happy with the forecast. "The First 40.7 has always been very competitive and it has a good rating. Normally we are pretty fast in light wind, although we were pretty fast last year when we had some heavy conditions as well. The 40.7 has some overlapping jibs, so although she is a pretty heavy boat she tends to do pretty well in light winds."

While Gaumont-Prat doesn't sound English, he has been based in London for 12 years, is a member of the RORC and has been racing in the UK throughout this time. His crew is a mix of French and English.

Jamie Matheson, Executive Chairman of Brewin Dolphin, was looking forward to the week ahead. "I think everything is set fair. It looks like we are going to get decent weather and nice sea breezes, which is what the sailors want and that will make for a successful regatta. It is good to see the boats here and the whole place looking alive, so I am very encouraged.

"This is our first year of sponsoring the regatta. It is part of a three edition deal that we've done. We are not unfamiliar with sponsoring sailing, but this is a new venture for us and we are very excited about it. It is a different type of regatta from that which we have done in the past, but we are all looking forward to it."

Further details of the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup can be found here.

Crew lists and teams can be found here.

#roundtheislandrace– Actual, the French Multi 50 Trimaran has taken line honours in today's J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.

In an action packed race four incidents have been reported by the race management team at the Island Sailing Club. There have been two head injuries and one spinal injury. Families have been informed and the Island Sailing Club will provide updates as further information becomes available. A small multihull capsized North of Hamstead Ledge on the North-West of the Island. All crew are safely onshore in Yarmouth.

Whilst still too early to reveal the Gold Roman Bowl winner, some class wins are now looking more final with potentially an IRC 0 win for Tony Langley's TP52 Manroland Sheetfed, and David Apthorp's J/111 J-Dream, winning IRC Group 1.

The triple Olympic gold and silver medallist Ben Ainslie and the race crew on board the largest boat ever to compete in the Race, the 162ft Eleonora, had a great day on the water but back on shore Ben Ainslie commented that they were unable to notch up a decent overall result and ended up in 47th place in IRC 0. Speaking about his day on the water, and his last big event before the Olympic Games, Ben said: "It was a lovely day, a beautiful boat and amazing racing, and totally different to what I'm used to."

Congratulations are in order for many of those out racing today with so many individual stories to tell as usual. Race Partner Britannia had a number of entries in today's race. The crew of Reflex 38, Jaguar Logic won class IRC 1B as well as taking 2nd overall in IRC 1. The crew only trained together for the first time the day before the Race and comprised two complete novices who have never raced before under the guidance of skipper, Tim Thuberon who put together a team who had never even been round the Island before! Well done them.

There were plenty of retirements throughout the day, and racing for some of the smaller classes including sportsboats, J80s, 707s, SB20s (formerly known as SB3s) and the small MOCRA multihull fleet (LOA less than 9.15m), had racing cancelled, but generally competitors enjoyed some fantastic racing in spirited conditions.

Pictured above is The 'Eleonora' at the needles, in the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, which started from the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, at 07.00 today.

The Round the Island Race is the 4th largest participation sporting event in the UK. Organised by the Island Sailing Club, it is dubbed Britain's favourite yacht race, attracting over 1,800 yachts and 16,000 competitors.

Sailors come to compete from all over the UK and mainland Europe and from as far away as the USA and Australia to converge on Cowes, Isle of Wight, for a one day yacht racing spectacular. They are there to compete in the famous J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, organised by the Island Sailing Club, and to follow its notorious 50 nautical mile course around the Island.

From a Race that had its first outing in 1931 with 25 yachts entered, this yachting extravaganza can rightfully claim its 21st century place as the 4th largest participation sporting event in the UK. Whatever the age, gender or level of ability, amateurs and professionals, first timers and old timers, this Race means something to everyone who enters it. Today, the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race is a festival of sailing that is as keenly followed ashore as it is afloat.

#quartertoncup – In the all amateur Corinthian Division of the Quarter Ton Cup in Cowes the defending champion Tiger and her young crew led by George Kenefick from Royal Cork (ably assisted by Mike Budd), leads the fleet with five first places and a black flag. The battle for second is tied between Paul Kelsey's Runaway Bus and Richard and Anna Thomas's Sergeant Pepper, both stalwarts of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup, who each count eleven points, putting them six points behind Tiger. Eric William's delightful little Love In A Mist, the smallest boat in the fleet is fourth with Dun Laoghaire's Ken Lawless & Sybil McCormack's Supernova fifth. Royal Irish club mate Paul Colton's Cri-Cri is sixth and Lucy Wood and Tara Stone's Rum Bleu seventh.

Whilst the weather may have been overcast on day two of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup the fleet most definitely was not and the 30 teams enjoyed three more stunning races. It was a day of high drama in every sense with constant parry and thrust on the race course and the black flagging of four of the top ten boats in race six. With the discard not coming into play until a seventh race has been sailed the black flags hit the overall results hard. Those affected were Rickard Melander's Alice II, Rob Gray's Blackfun, George Kenefick's Tiger and Louise Morton's Espada, all of whom are ranked in the top ten.

The Irish teams had another great day with Ian Travers and Eamon Rohan's Per Elisa and Diamund Foley's Anchor Challenge, being helmed this week by Paul Gibbons, both putting in solid results. Per Elisa won race four, stumbled with a fourteenth in race five but came back with a fifth in race sixth to move up from ninth overall to fifth. Anchor Challenge struggled in the first race finishing twenty-first but then won races 5 and 6 which shunts them from fifth to third overall, six points behind Aguila.

#quarterton – Ireland will be out in force next Monday with six entries and three new teams competing for the Quarter Ton in Cowes. The three new teams are Paul Coulton's Cri Cri, a recently refitted 1979 Alain Jezequel design; Jason & Dominic Losty's Fauroux designed Illes Pitiuses; and Diamund Foley who now owns Espada's sistership Anchor Challenge.

Irish sailor of the year George Kenefick and his young team aboard Tiger, the 1989 Fauroux previously known as ASAP, will also be crossing the Irish Sea once again to defend their Corinthian title for all amateur crews. Tiger, the ICRA Class 3 champion, has just undergone some keel surgery - having just been fitted with a Mills Keel.

The Corinthian Trophy was first awarded in 2011 and is expected to be hotly contested again this year. Ken Lawless and Sybil McCormac make a welcomed return on Supernova, with the final Irish Entry this year being Eamon Rohan's and Ian Travers' Ceccerelli designed Per Elisa which won the last two IOR Quarter Ton Cups in '95 and '96.recent aquisition has just completed an IRC optimisation in Cowes. This boat won the last two IOR QTC's in'95 and 96'. She has been fitted with a new rig and David Hollom designed fin keel. A retro styling completed her refit. Per Elisa wil be staffed by former Blondie IV crew from the Royal Cork, KYC and the UK.

Jason Dominic Losty's Fauroux designed Illes Pitiuses was refitted along-side Per Elisa over last winter in Cowes. Being a near sistership of the formidable Tiger, she is sure to be fast out of the traps. She is being crewed by a comination of Cobh and Royal Cork Crew including notables such as Kieran Dorgan and Dave Rose.

Foley will be sailing the Farr designed Anchor Challenge with Mark Mansfield (recent 1720 National Champion) with the balance of crew coming from Royal Cork Yacht Club. Notables includes Mansfields former Olypic partner- Killian Collins and Paul Gibbons of recent Tiger fame. Anchor Challenge won the QTC in 2010 so is a definate force to be reckoned with this year.

The eighth edition of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup revival regatta will be hosted by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Cowes, from Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 June 2012. The event will bring together Quarter Tonners from across the UK and Europe to enjoy three days of competitive sailing, camaraderie and fun.

These historic little ships hold a very special place in the hearts of many sailors and each year more boats are rescued from neglect and brought back to their former glory by their enthusiastic owners. Owning a Quarter Tonner is a little bit like owning a vintage car and their owners put just as much time, money and love into rebuilding and maintaining them as any classic Bentley or Alvis owner. The original Quarter Ton Cup competition was raced annually from 1967 to 1996 and was the World Championship for small offshore racing boats. Many of today's top sailors and yacht designers cut their teeth in the class and a lot of the designs were truly unique and revolutionary in their day.

Joining the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup revival fleet for the first time this year will be Peter Morton's new boat Bullit, a Fauroux design from 1977 which won the 1979 and 1980 Quarter Ton Cups and has just been completely refitted. Morty's crew will include the infamous Kelvin Rawlings, without whom the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup would not be complete, and Jules Salter who loves the event so much that he will fly in specially from the Lorient stop-over of the VOR to participate!

Past ISAF Vice Chairman George Andreadis is also be returning to the Quarter Ton Fleet for the first time in 21 years with Atalanti IV, the boat he had built by Jeremy Rogers to Rob Humphries' design for the 1991 Quarter Ton Cup where she finished 6th. Atalanti IV has been in George's famous yacht storage facility ever since the end of the 1991 Cup, but she returns to the water this summer looking absolutely stunning following a full refit. Having just come second in the Quarter Ton Class at the 2012 Vice Admiral's Cup George will no doubt be hoping for a podium finish in the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup too.

Class regular Rob Gray also has a new boat this season in the shape of Black Fun, a 1976 Laurie Davidson design which won the '76 New Zealand Quarter Ton Championship with four straight wins. We also look forward to welcoming Freres Sur Mer, a 1981 Fauroux design from the Netherlands.

Joining the newcomers will be a host of familiar faces led by reigning Coutts Quarter Ton Cup holder Louise Morton and her crew aboard the 1980 Bruce Farr designed Espada. Also keen for a crack at the trophy will be Rickard Melander from Sweden sailing the 1990 Phil Morrison designed Alice II. Stalwarts of the Coutts Quarter Ton Cup, Rick and his crew have been gradually improving their performance each year and, having just won the Quarter Ton Class at the Vice Admiral's Cup, clearly have their sights firmly setting on the main event. Other regulars will include Graydon Dawson's Diamond, Willy McNeil and Mike Pascall's Illegal Immigrant, Ian and Catrina Southworth's Whiskers, Menace owned by Derek and James Moreland and Tim Rees, Paul Treliving's Odd Job and Paul Kelsey's Runaway Bus.

With so many new teams joining the regulars an excellent turnout is expected. Racing will take place in the Solent with social events being held each evening at the Royal Corinthain Yacht Club's delightful Cowes clubhouse. The Coutts Quarter Ton Cup Gala Dinner will take place on Tuesday 26th and the guest speaker will be sailing legend Brian Thompson, who holds 27 sailing world records, has sailed more offshore racing miles than any other Briton and who will also be racing in the regatta with Rob Gray.

#rorc – For the second year running Anthony O'Leary's Ker 39, Antix, has finished runner up at the IRC British Nationals in Cowes. Royal Cork's O'Leary sailed consistently well all weekend and were desperately close to winning but the IRC One title went to Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, Magnum III, beating Antix by a single point in the seven race series.

In Class four another Cork Harbour helmsman George Kenefick (Afloat's sailor the year for 2011) on the tiller of Michael Kershaw's Chimp finished third beating Nigel Bigg's Checkmate XV, the recent winner of the BMW ICRA Class two championships in Howth.

Glorious sunshine and a moderate south-westerly breeze was a welcome change after two days of kite shredding conditions at the RORC IRC National Championship.

The RORC Race Committee snapped off three tight windward leeward races in the eastern and central Solent, stress levels were high with several general recalls adding to the drama. The closely bunched fleet caused a heavy traffic zone, where small errors meant leaking precious points towards the championship.

In IRC Three with a perfect seven wins, David Franks' JPK 1010, Strait Dealer, won class and was declared the overall champion for the RORC IRC National Championship: "It really hasn't sunk in yet," admitted Franks. "I understand that we are the smallest yacht ever to win this prestigious trophy and I will get to keep it for a whole year! It might seem like this was an easy win but far from it, we just made fewer mistakes than any one else. This has been a highly competitive and thoroughly enjoyable event and one that I will savour for years to come, but I am delighted for the whole team, which has sailed so well every race to pull off such a great win."

There was heartache for some in IRC One with a massive swing on the leaderboard. The overnight leader, Tonnerre de Breskens, had a torrid time, scoring a 9th and a 13th in the first two races. Tonnerre came back to win the last race of the day but the damage was done and the Dutch yacht dropped from 1st to 5th in Class. François Goubau's First 47.7, Moana, came right into the running with a win in the first race of the day but the Belgian team was early at the pin end of the last race and failed to return, scoring an OCS when class victory was in sight. Anthony O'Leary's Irish Ker 39, Antix, has sailed consistently well all weekend and were desperately close to winning the big boat class, but for the second year running Antix was runner up. The IRC One title went to Andrew Pearce's Ker 40, Magnum III, beating Antix by a single point in the seven race series.

'Fantastic, just elated!" exclaimed Andrew Pearce. "We have put in six months of dedication and hard work to improve the team's ability and to become national champions is such a joy. In the team brief this morning, our tactician Andy Beadsworth said not to worry about the points but to just sail as best as we could. Today wasn't perfect but we sailed so much better today. It is a great feeling to win, I can safely say this is the biggest win I have ever had in the sport."

In IRC Two Jim Macgregor's Elan 410, Premier Flair, scored two seconds and a third today to wrap off the division title. Andrew McIrvine's First 40, La Réponse, is in the same team as Premier Flair for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup and had a very good day on the water with three podium places, including a win in Race 6 to take second in Class. Sailing Logic's Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma skippered by Tim Thubron, were pushing hard today, but had to settle for third in a very competitive class.

"I think that the results speak for themselves, we have had three days of incredibly close racing," commented Premier Flair's skipper, Jim Macgregor. "I have to take my hat off to the RORC for organising such a well organised and enjoyable regatta under difficult conditions. It was great to see La Réponse scoring so well, which bodes well for our chances in the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup."

In IRC Four Grant Gordon's J/97, Fever, scored three bullets today to stamp their authority on the class to win overall by a significant margin from Mike and Jamie Holmes' J/97, Jika Jika. Michael Kershaw's Chimp defeated Nigel Biggs' Checkmate XV in all three races today to win the battle of the Half Tonners.

At the official Prizegiving, RORC Commodore Mike Greville, who has been racing all weekend on Ker 39, Erivale III, thanked the Race Committee and all of the volunteers who have given up their time to put on the event and especially thanked all of the competitors who came from overseas (Ireland, France, Belgium, and Holland) for the event.

RESULTS:

RORC IRC National Championship Winner (Jackdaw Trophy)

Strait Dealer, JPK 1010, David Franks  (+ Winner of IRC Three)

IRC One

1. Magnum III, Ker 40, Andrew Pearce (GBR)

2. Antix, Ker 39, Anthony O'Leary (IRL)

3. Moana, First 47.7, François Goubau (BEL)

IRC Two

1. Premier Flair, Elan 410, Jim Macgregor (GBR)

2. La Réponse , First 40, Andrew McIrvine (GBR)

3. Visit Malta Puma, Reflex 38, Sailing Logic, Tim Thubron (GBR)

IRC Three

1. Strait Dealer, JPK 1010, David Franks (GBR)

2. Elaine, Elan 37, Mike Bridges (GBR)

3. Salvo, Corby 33, Peter Morton (GBR)

IRC Four

1. Fever, J/97, Grant Gordon (GBR)

2. Jika Jika, J/97, Mike and Jamie Holmes (GBR)

3. Chimp, Half Tonner, Michael Kershaw (GBR)

#rorc – Strong winds gusting up to 25 knots in the Eastern Solent made for an exhilarating second day of the RORC IRC National Championship. With 25 knots of wind gusting up to a full gale, pulses were racing, the conditions were such that many yachts chose not to hoist spinnakers downwind and storm sails and lifejackets were deployed in the lively conditions.

Mike Bartholomew's King 40, Tokoloshe, corrected out to win today's race in IRC One. Tokoloshe handled the conditions better than most, making a big gain on the first beat by using the lift off the island shore. After a textbook kite hoist, the South African boat handled the feisty conditions with some ease until a vicious gust knocked them into a spin, tearing their spinnaker in half. "Great racing, just fantastic!" exclaimed Mike Bartholomew. "We knew we had done pretty well at the finish but it could have been a really expensive day, as we lost most of the spinnaker over the side. However, to my delight, Eddie Warden Owen and Nick Elliott from the RORC were out following the racing in a RIB, to my surprise they picked it up and returned it to the boat after the finish, which really capped off a fine win."

Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens, was second today, retaining the lead in the big boat class for the series. As Tonnerre came round the top mark, the Dutch flier hoisted their spinnaker, pulling the trigger downwind at over 20 knots. The sleigh ride did not last too long, after burying the bow Tonnerre went 'down the mine' for a spectacular wipe-out.

François Goubau's First 47.7, Moana, was one of the few yachts to reef their mainsail today and showed impressive upwind performance to take third place in IRC One from Anthony O'Leary's Antix by just 13 seconds.

In IRC Two Sailing Logic's Reflex 38, Visit Malta Puma, corrected out to win today's race and move up to first in class after four races. The sailing school yacht chose not to use a spinnaker and the decision seemed to pay off. "I actually wanted to put the kite up," admitted Visit Malta Puma's Skipper Tim Thubron. "The crew made me change my mind, which was probably a good thing having witnessed some of the big broaches out there today. On the short course we would have not gained significant time on the run with a kite up, I was absolutely delighted with the win today and especially the performance of the crew."

Marc de Saint Denis's MC34, Courrier Vintage, with the highly experienced Géry Trentesaux at the wheel was a rocket ship downwind, scoring a second in the race to move the French team within a point of the class leader. Jim Macgregor's Elan 410, Premier Flair, put in a great performance today, only to be called OCS but at the time of this report is seeking redress. Even so, Premier Flair remains third in class on their strong performances.

In IRC Three David Franks' JPK 1010, Strait Dealer, scored their fourth win in a row but only just. Defending class champion, Mike Bridges' Elan 37, Elaine, was only 10 seconds behind on corrected time, with Peter Morton's Corby 33, Salvo, claiming third today and in class after four races.

"We certainly learnt a lot about the boat today," commented Strait Dealer's skipper, David Franks. "This weekend is the first time we have taken the boat out in big breeze and it has been a real eye-opener. I like to race offshore as well as inshore and out in the ocean you have to be able to race in any conditions, so today was a very valuable lesson."

In IRC Four Grant Gordon's J/97, Fever, won the day and now leads the class from Mike and Jamie Holmes' J/97, Jika Jika. "We had a bad start but the crew did a great job upwind. We led at the top mark and from there we could cover Jika Jika," commented Grant Gordon. "I have to say, it is a shame to be back on the dock, that was some of the best sailing I have done in the boat but on balance it was a good call to get us out there for a race but also to pull as back in early. On the way back to Cowes we saw a couple of gusts close to 40 knots. I thought the race management today was first class."

Tomorrow is the last day of racing at the RORC IRC National Championship and all classes are still wide open. The weather forecast is for a more moderate breeze of between 10-15 knots, which should provide more of a tactical test after a two day masterclass in the black art of heavy weather sailing.