British Classic Week 2025
DAY ONE KICKS OFF WITH CHAMPAGNE SAILING
Day one at British Classic Week in Cowes saw fast-paced racing around the cans sponsored by Spirit Yachts for over 50 classic and modern classic yachts.
Organised by the British Classic Yacht Club with race management by the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS), British Classic Week brings together some of the finest classic and modern classic yachts from across the UK and Europe.
Northerly winds gusting 22 knots saw racing delayed by an hour for Classes 1 to 5. Starting on the RYS line to the west in a short Solent chop, Classes 4 and 5 set off on a 10nm course upwind with the tide to The Boss.
Rounding The Boss to port, it was champagne sailing with spinnakers up as the sun broke through on the downwind leg to Monex Marine. Rounding the mark to port, Classes 4 and 5 sailed a short leg to the east along the Isle of Wight shore to Salt Mead.
Rounding Salt Mead to starboard, Classes 4 and 5 set off upwind across the Solent to West Lepe, followed by a powered-up reach with the turning tide to Cowes Week. Bearing away around West Lepe some yachts hoisted kites for a broad reach back to the RYS line.
Owner of Race 1, Class 5 winner Timoa, Andrew Gilmour, commented, “Good call by Peter Saxton (PRO) and the team to delay the start to let the front go through. Great sailing in sunshine and around 15kn of shifty breeze from the north. Sailing short legs at all angles to the wind suited the classics - a great day on the water.”
Sailing a similar course, Classes 1 to 3 set off on class starts from the RYS line to The Boss. It was a fantastic spectacle for passing cruising yachts with everything from modern classic Spirit Yachts to 36m gaff ketch Cariad and the iconic 1929 staysail schooner Viveka owned by Sir Keith Mills.
Rounding The Boss to port, the yachts hoisted spinnakers and sailed a stunning downwind leg in 10-12 knots to Monex Marine. Dropping spinnakers and rounding up around Monex Marine to starboard, it was a reach on to Newton East. A series of windward leeward legs followed, before Classes 1 to 3 sailed a long reach homeward from Zwerver to Cowes Week, where spinnakers were hoisted for the final leg of the 18nm course to the RYS line.
Race 1 was won by Spirit 52 Flight of Durgan in Class 1, Viveka in Class 2, Regatta Chairman Giovanni Belgrano in Whooper won Class 3 (by only 37 seconds on corrected time), West Solent One Design Enchanted took Class 4, and Stella Timoa won Class 5.
DAY TWO- BRITISH CLASSICS GO AROUND THE ISLAND
It was an early start for the British Classic Week fleet on day two, as Classes 1-3 prepared to race around the Isle of Wight.
Sponsored by Global Forecaster, racing began with class starts on the Royal Yacht Squadron line to the east. Sailing with the tide, and with up to 15 knots of wind from the North, it was a challenging tight reach down the eastern Solent for the first 10nm.
As soon as the wind angle allowed, spinnakers were hoisted on the bear away as the fleet was met with lighter conditions along the Seaview coastline.
Giovanni Belgrano, winner of Class 3 on Whooper, commented, “By Seaview we were in a tricky, choppy sea. It was difficult to steer and keep the boat going well.”
Giovanni added, “We gybed at Bembridge and pushed hard as we didn’t know what we would face at Ventnor and St Catherine’s. We debated whether to go high and hope for breeze under the cliffs or to take the rum line. In the end, we stayed inshore and it paid off. There was less breeze, but we wriggled through before the big wind hole came in.”
The yachts behind weren’t so fortunate, with one crew member from Spirit C72 Gwenhyfar II commenting, “The race was reset at St Catherine’s as we all bunched up when the wind died.”
Once they got clear of St Catherine’s, the breeze filled in and the fleet had a glorious upwind leg with the tide and strong currents pushing them to the Needles in 10-14 knots and bright sunshine.
Rounding the Needles and hoisting spinnakers as they went, most of the fleet were faced with the still oncoming tide on the homeward leg back to Cowes. Tucking close inshore as the wind steadily built, the yachts tucked into the island shore to dodge the tide.
Giovanni added, “We stuck to the island shore and benefitted from the gusts coming off the island due to the hot weather, this helped us along. Normally it makes sense to go North and come across to Cowes but this time it worked to stay island-side.”
The final run into Cowes was champagne sailing with Code Zeros and spinnakers decorating the Solent horizon as the yachts crossed the RYS line.
In the meantime, Classes 4 and 5 took on a long inshore course in the Solent, starting to the west and tight reaching against the slackening tide all the way up to Hurst. Conditions were challenging as the wind died for the long leg back into the central Solent and across to South East Ryde Middle, taking a circular course around Royal Yacht Squadron, Hamble Yacht Services, and Team O before heading back down to the RYS line to finish alongside the mid-fleet around the island yachts.
A well-deserved cold beer on the dock was enjoyed by all courtesy of Bainbridge Sail Cloth after a long but memorable day on the water.
Race 2 was won by Spirit 52 Happy Forever in Class 1, 10M Bojar in Class 2, and Whooper in Class 3. In the long inshore, West Solent One Design Enchanted took Class 4, and Stella Timoa won Class 5 – both yachts taking two class wins from two races.