By Isle of Wight Observer
By A & S Whitewood
Celebrating the centenary year of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the 24th Admiral’s Cup made a welcome return to Cowes yesterday (Thursday), with official racing starting tomorrow. This year’s event sees 15 elite teams competing from around the world, with two boats each, one in the bigger AC1 Class and one in the smaller AC2, with the best combined score winning.
Great racing over both inshore and offshore courses face the crews over the coming days, culminating with the Fastnet Race, which starts in Cowes next Saturday (July 26), and finishes in Cherbourg, having rounded the iconic Fastnet Rock off Ireland’s South-West coast. Admiral’s Cup entrants will be joined by more than 400 vessels, with the fastest boats taking just days to complete the 695-miles course, while slower craft will take over a week.
For the racing in the waters off Cowes and in the Solent, some Admiral’s Cup skippers seek the experience of those with knowledge of these waters.
Several boats have sailors with Island connections on board, including Black Pearl, sailing under the New York Yacht Club banner. The boat’s highly experienced offshore team includes Volvo Ocean Race winner Guy Salter, who learned to sail in Gurnard.
Guy’s brother, Jules, is the navigator on board Caro (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron), the overall winner of the 2023 Fastnet Race. Jules, a professional sailor, started sailing from Gurnard at the age of five and, like Guy, has competed around the world for decades. His son, Edward, also races regularly.