Thanks to Suzanne and Alan for this latest sailing report. Ed
We had not planned to write an update on the Sevenstar Yacht Race, but the weather took over plans and the RORC Race Committee, after great thought, issued this statement on Saturday afternoon:
Amendment No.2 to the Sailing Instructions, has been released at 1510 today. This changes the course so that Britain and Ireland is left to Port (anticlockwise around).
“In consideration of the weather forecast for the foreseeable future showing a low pressure moving through The Channel in the early hours of the morning and eventually becoming stationary over Northern Scotland bringing a strong Westerly to North Westerly airflow for the first days of the race, it has been decided by the Race Committee to reverse the course to sail anticlockwise around Great Britain and Ireland. The decision was based on aiming to provide a more enjoyable race for all the yachts in the fleet. The start will still be from the Royal Yacht Squadron to the East.”
All the crews now planned for the change of route, which made the start from Cowes then via the Forts off Bembridge to the English Channel and not sailing past the South of the Island.
However a second change, again due to the weather, took place on Sunday morning just a few hours before the start when the following statement was made:
The Royal Ocean Racing Club has issued a statement announcing that the start of the 2014 edition of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race has been postponed.
The decision has been taken to postpone the start of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race 2014 by 21 hours. The new start time will be 0900 on Monday 11th August 2014.
The Race Committee took this decision after receiving advice that the low pressure system known as Bertha is moving more slowly than previously predicted, with the result that the forecast winds for the start and the immediate period afterwards includes sustained winds of 40 knots with gusts in excess of 50 knots in the English Channel.
The advice is that this delay will allow time for the severe winds to abate as the low pressure system moves North East.
Now, at the end of the race boats will travel via the South of the Island and return to Cowes via Ryde thus not using the Needles Passage.
First boats back to Cowes are due in approximately three and a half days.
Image: © Suzanne Whitewood
