Cowes Week 2025 was full of action. We had a number of new sailors on board so on the first day many were finding their feet. Still, we had a great sail and everyone was buzzing to try and make some places.

Day two we were getting into the swing of things but we heard about the bad weather coming on Monday. Race day Monday was cancelled, which was a bit of a blow. Some of us might have celebrated a little too much the night before.

Even though racing was off on day three, it turned out to be a fantastic day. We explored the Isle of Wight, enjoyed a great lunch and a few drinks, and just relaxed.

Day four was tougher. A few crew had to drop out so we were short-handed. Everyone had to take on extra jobs to cover for the missing crew. Things went well until we tried to launch the spinnaker and really wished we had that extra pair of hands.

Day five was similar, still short on crew, but lighter winds made it a lovely day on the water.

On day six we got a couple more crew back and had a really exciting sail. Near one of the marks, a few boats ended up on top of each other, with some collisions and a bit of sailor shouting across the Solent. The fun continued that evening with the last night drinks that went on well into the next day.

Day seven had slightly lighter winds. We were sent across the Solent and found ourselves racing another Fairview boat. We just managed to beat them by a nose.

Overall, it was a brilliant week. Loads of laughs, a few bumps and scrapes, too much beer and wine, and plenty of memories we won’t forget.