The final day’s racing in the Westward Cup Regatta took place in the Solent on Saturday 10th July, with the four competing yachts getting the gun at 1100 to allow the breeze to build nicely and get these massive yachts off and running. As it turned out, all four put on an end of term show screaming towards the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) start line doing eight knots to the delight of the crowds amassed under the Castle battlements and along Princes’ Green in Cowes.
The RYS Race Committee plotted a 30nm course that took the Westward Cup fleet up to the Needles for a rare photo opportunity for those lucky enough to be in the vicinity and then home to Cowes by mid-afternoon, setting an average speed around the course of 7.4 knots.
The 15m Fife-designed Tuiga took the final day’s line honours, also winning overall and therefore being the first beneficiary of the Westward Cup. Mariquita, the sole survivor of the 19m Class built in 1911, was second over the line, followed by Mariette, built in 1915 and 138ft and then the stunning Eleonora, the 160ft replica of Westward, launched in 2000.
It was the dream of one man, Zbynek Zak, the owner of the largest of the four yachts, Eleonora, that ignited the passion behind bringing this Regatta to life and to Cowes in 2010. The Westward Cup was initiated to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the launch of the racing schooner Westward in 1910.
Tragically, Eleonora suffered a major blow to her racing capability when she lost her two top masts last weekend when out practice racing before the start of the regatta on Tuesday. The drastic outcome of losing around 45ft of mast and 50% of her sail plan put paid to this stunning Big Class yacht being able to race on an equal footing. However the owners maintained a full programme of competition and gave the thousands of spectators over the week plenty to cheer about as she elegantly manoeuvred around the Solent and was moored off Cowes for everyone to enjoy seeing each evening.
A special prize of a painting of Westward was presented to a representative from the winning schooner, Mariette, by its artist Marc Berthier. The overall Regatta prizes were then presented as follows:
Overall winner of the Westward Cup was Tuiga. 2nd place overall went to Mariette and 3rd overall to Mariquita. — Peta Stuart-Hunt
Great Photos by Mike Jones at www.pikepictures.co.uk