Rolex Commodores' Cup - Sailing in the Solent

Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK - The 2008 Rolex Commodore's Cup concluded today with the boats sailing in rain, poor visibility, and 30 knots of wind that knocked the sailors about in the sloppy seas before pushing the yachts through the final gates. With 45 boats from 15 national teams, the week's racing was exciting and eventful, but it was the pre-race planning which the winning team, GBR Red, claims made the difference.

"We have prepared for this like no other GBR team has prepared in the past," noted John Shepherd of GBR Red. "In the last Rolex Commodores' Cup, we were the top boat overall, but our team didn't have quite the same consistent results, so I sat down with the other owners and said if we are going to do this again it has to be properly prepared for and planned." Two of the three Red boats, Fair Do's VII and Quokka 7, were specifically built to win the Rolex Commodores' Cup, and the third, Erivale III, was already known to be a good offshore contender. On Fair Do's VII, GBR Red rotated crew primarily in order to keep their inshore tactician David Lenz out of the offshore race.

Luckily, today's near-gale conditions were the first of the week, as they proved too much for many of the competitors. Worst hit was the Netherlands White small boat Slainte which was dismasted, and many boats retired with booms or sails damaged during today's many wipe-outs. Among the damaged fleet was Lady Courrier, where defending champ Gery Trentesaux snapped a boom on her first run.

"Congratulations to the English," said Trentesaux. "They sailed very well and were a level ahead. I think we were perhaps too late. We are 13 on board but we should have been 13 big guys to be faster! I am sorry for the French team. I don't like to break my boat, but I know that it is life, it is part of the game. We are very lucky, but we weren't lucky today."

The Rolex Commodores' Cup pits teams of three crewed boats each - small, medium and big - in a week long series of sailing races in the Solent (between the Isle of Wight and Britain), with one offshore race into the English Channel.

2008 Rolex Commodores' Cup Provisional Series Results:

1. GBR Red
2. Ireland White
3. Ireland Green
4. France Blue
5. Hong Kong
6. Netherlands Red
7. France White
8. GBR White
9. France Red
10. GBR Black
11. Netherlands White
12. France Green
13. GBR Blue
14. Netherlands Blue
15. Spain

- YC for YachtPals