Royal Thames Yacht Club 250th Anniversary Regatta Day 1
by Magnus Wheatley 12 Jun 03:21 NZST
11-15 June 2025
The Royal Thames Yacht Club 250th Anniversary Regatta got under way in blistering fashion with the RS Elite Class, competing in their National Championships, opening their regatta with two highly competitive and tactical races. Windward/leeward 1.1-mile legs were set over on the Hillhead plateau with the Committee Boat sat just off the West Knoll marker buoy and with a solid 12-14 knot dead easterly breeze over a bumpy seaway, it was a tough opening day.
The tide was firmly on the ebb as the first start got away on time just after midday with the fleet taking very different approaches to the first leg initially. The winning move appeared to be to sail to the left side of the course just on the bank and then play the middle up to the windward mark, and it was Joe Llewellyn helming alongside America's Cup star Chris Draper as middle-man and James Grant on the bow on 'Team Musto' who made the best of it, to round ahead of Russell Peters, Greg Wells and Zeb Elliott on 'Riff Raff'.
These two outstanding crews enjoyed a blistering battle around the first lap, but the key moment came on the second upwind when Peters wound up on the inside of a lift on starboard tack just enough to be able to make a port tack cross of 'team Musto' and seize the lead. However, the lead was short-lived as Llewellyn called a brilliant lay line at the final windward mark and, coming across on port, just tacked around ahead to bear away to the spreader mark ahead, as Peters marginally overstood. Fine margins!
Down the final 0.9-mile leg to the finish, with the tide, it was desperately close but a smart gybe by Peters onto port first and a completely filled spinnaker down a wave proved crucial as inch by inch the 'Riff Raff' team clawed over the top of 'Team Musto'.
There was little that Llewellyn could do and as Peters soaked down to the finish line, he knew that first blood in the National Championship was going the way of the defending National Champions. Thrilling racing to open the championships.
The second race of the day saw the seaway increase and some more consistent pressure down the racetrack. The pin end of the line was identified early by the fleet as being favoured and saw a large gaggle fighting for the optimum position. Joe Llewellyn was right in the mix again and appeared to get the jump on the fleet from the starting signal, but with Principal Race Officer Tim Hancock displaying a 'U' Flag meaning no boats to be over the starting line in the final minute of the sequence, 'Team Musto' fell foul and unbeknown to them having sailed a stunning race, having lead the fleet from wire to wire in a masterful display, only learnt of their UFD disqualification as they crossed the finish line.
Russell Peters, who couldn't close the gap to 'Team Musto' gratefully accepted the race win, leading a condensed pack that saw Tom Hewitson's 'Soak Therapy' take second, and Ossie Stewart's 'More T Vicar' in third.
The UFD disqualification sees 'Team Musto' shuffle down the pack overall to 11th but with ten races planned for the RS Elite fleet, they will be eyeing the discard system to get onto the podium. Peters leads with two race wins from two on the opening day, with Hewitson and Steward making up the podium places. All to play for in this red-hot fleet full of World, National, European, Olympic and (possible) America's Cup champions.
Tomorrow sees the start of the regatta for the rest of the fleets, and the Royal Thames Yacht Club's 250th Anniversary Regatta is all set to welcome competitors and their families to Cowes for what is shaping up to be a remarkable festival of sailing.
Yachts have been arriving all day into the Cowes Yacht Haven, Shepards Marina and the laid harbour moorings to come ashore to the warmest of welcomes from the Royal Thames Yacht Club at the dedicated Race Village in the Cowes Yacht Haven, and at the clubhouse on the Parade.
For further details, the Notice of Race, Competitor Safety Key Information and specific Sailing Instructions for courses A, B, C and D, please see the dedicated regatta website, racing.royalthames.com