60 CLASSIC BOAT OCTOBER 2016COWES CLASSICS WEEK 2016
Dragon conversion Greensleeves II (our concours
winner), three vintage racing Dragons (including
Tschuss, built in 1971, restored by Elephant Boatyard
and racing for the first time in two decades) and the
lovely little mid-20th century classic British cruising
yachts – Stellas, Twisters, Folkboats, SCODs
and Contessa 26s.
The century-old XOD class is always a remarkable
sight when it turns out in number, and the Solent
Sunbeams are a joy to behold. This year’s invitational
class probably had the most fun of all. The two-dozen
Tempests – two-man, planing trapeze boats built in
GRP and designed in 1964 by Ian Proctor – came from
five nations, and clearly enjoyed the lively, tidal
conditions for this year’s worlds, many of them having
sailed only on lakes before! The class competed in the
1972 and 1976 Olympics.
This time, the winners were Frank Weigelt and
crewmate Christian Rusitschka sailing Holzwurm for
their fifth world title. Among the other classes were the
6-Ms and 8-Ms providing a spectacle, particularly the
glorious 8-M Athena, with her bright-finished hull. She
looked a picture, even limping home with a broken
spinnaker pole in the fresh conditions.
Just as lovely was the 1936 8-M Helen, in off-white,
and usually resident in the Mediterranean. Charm of
Rhu, an 8-M cruiser-racer from McGruer, also sporting a
varnished hull and looking great, was there with owner
Martin Thomas, who had invited a special crew to be on
board: “We used the event as a reunion for my university
friends of 40 years ago,” he said, “so we had a fun
week”. One can only imagine!
Among the cruising yachts were no fewer than six Kim
Holman-designed Twisters, including the first Twister of
them all – Twister of Mersea. The Twister might have
been designed to win races (Kim used to say the name
was inspired by the Beatles song ‘Twist and Shout’, but
he was better known for bending rules than for his love
of pop music or dancing), but it is a pretty husky
bluewater cruising yacht too, and the conditions suited
these heavier boats well.
Alan Beswick, racing with his wife Gillian, said “The
wind and courses have been right for us all week.”
One of the pleasures of Cowes Classics Week is having
one’s preconceptions challenged. Unlike some of the Med
regattas, where you go to see the finest classicTop to bottom: Magnus Wheatley, from sponsor Charles
Stanley, helmed his own Daring in the regatta. Here he is
giving an amazing carved wooden trophy to winner Julia
Bailey – no prizes for guessing the class!
Tschüss, the 1971 Dragon recently restored at Elephant
Boatyard and seen here racing for the first time in 20 years;
a mass of XODs; party time at the Royal London YC