By Isle of Wight Observer
By Ollie Dewar
Some intensely close racing took place in the Western Solent during the Royal Solent Yacht Club’s Contessa Regatta.
A total of 27 boats competed with racing including the Inshore Series 2 for the Contessa 32 class, and Nationals for the Contessa 28 and Contessa 29 classes.
There were sparkling conditions and a steady breeze for the three races on Saturday, with Ben Rogers and Solan Goose consistently on the podium. Finishing the racing with a 2-2-3-1 scorecard in the 12-boat fleet, Rogers took the Contessa 32 Inshore Point Series 2.
With four boats competing in the Contessa 28 Nationals, the racing between Cloudy Bay and Margarita went to the wire, with local sailor, Jamie Allen and Cloudy Bay, grabbing the silverware on Sunday, with a 2-2-1-1 scorecard over the 1-1-2-3 of Margarita.
The fleet of seven boats competing for the Contessa 26 Nationals was dominated by local boat, Samphire of Hurst, skippered by Patrick Seely, with a faultless 1-1-1-1 tally taking the trophy.
Each class winner was awarded a magnum of champagne with Seely and Samphire of Hurst taking home a jeroboam as the regatta’s overall winner.