Time: 22:04 – by Steffan Meyric Hughes
RICHARD MILLE CUP, DAY 1: Mariquita rules the waves
The forecast for light winds meant a shorter course, the Cumbraes Race, for racing on the first day of the Richard Mille Cup. Twelve boats left the start line at staggered starts between the mainland and the island of Great Cumbrae, in four classes. Shortly after the start, the wind died and the first leg, in light airs, saw the fleet tacking north to the tip of Great Cumbrae, at times struggling to keep way on. In Class One, the big boats, the three-masted schooner Atlantic, flying four headsails and even her two triatic sails, nudged ahead, trailing the other two schooners; the three-master Adix and the twin-masted Elena. In the light, fluky conditions, however, this was going to be anyone's race. With the weather in charge, class and length were proving to be of less relevance than usual.
In Class Two, the gaffers, it was a contest between three big, Fife-designed gaff cutters: Mariquita established an early lead, followed by the other two: Moonbeam and Moonbeam IV.
The smaller boats in Class Three, after their later start, quickly used their lighter weight and nimbler tacking ability to catch up to the bigger classes. The 8-M yacht Saskia led the charge, going all the way to the head of the fleet, overtaking Adix by the lee, with the 54ft Sparkman and Stephens sloop Sonny following close behind. Meanwhile, the bigger boats were forced to make channel-wide tacks to maintain their boat speed. An hour after the start, Adix had taken a lead in Class One, and Mariquita, at the head of Class Two, had overhauled the smaller boats, which after their great start, had fallen into a wind hole, and the bigger ones, rounding the windward mark first in the fleet at 11.17am after nearly an hour of racing. Sonny, Class Three, held on for second place. Both of them were heeling to a fresh breeze after leaving the lee of the island, and bore off onto the long run south behind Greater Cumbrae with renewed energy. The bigger boats began to show their longer legs, spreading spinnakers as the sun began to break through the ceiling of cloud. Saltires hanging from the spreaders flickered amicably in the breeze.
By the southern end of the far side of Greater Cumbrae, Mariquita had established an unassailable lead, followed by Adix, with the smaller Saskia still hanging in there to preserve the fighting spirit of the Class Three boats. It was time to thread the needle between Great and Little Cumbrae. It was a one-horse race now for line honours in the bigger boat classes, with Mariquita having extended her lead still further, and Adix hanging on, with another wind hole giving the rest of the fleet a chance to catch up. By the time Mariquita crossed the finish line at 2.15pm, the rest of the fleet was nowhere to be seen. Nearly two hours later, Moonbeam IV and Adix ghosted slowly up channel, neck and neck until 200 yards from the end, with the lighter Moonbeam pipping Adix at the post for second, leaving Adix in third.
The most thrilling battle of the day was between Atlantic and Elena, who had a photo finish at the line.
At the end of Day One, the winners on corrected time are as follows:
Class One: Atlantic
Class Two: Mariquita
Class Three: Sonny
Class Four: Kismet