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Twenty-six <strong>Oyster</strong>s entered this, the 20th regatta for <strong>Oyster</strong> yachts, which, as usual, was very kindly hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron at their landmark headquarters, the Castle, on the Cowes waterfront. The event opened with the usual skippers’ briefing, which was given by principal Squadron race officer, Rear Commodore Yachting, Simon van der Byl, assisted by <strong>Oyster</strong>’s own race officer, Alan Brook. Earlier in the day, Simon’s wife, Suzy, made a thorough inspection of the assembled <strong>Oyster</strong> fleet at Cowes Yacht Haven, in her role as Concours d’Elegance judge. Before the first night dinner, Squadron Commodore, The Lord Iliffe, extended a very warm welcome to owners and guests, warm indeed being the flavour for the week since, with building high pressure, summer had returned and the forecasters were talking about record temperatures. Tuesday’s plan was for two relatively short inshore races starting and finishing off the RYS line, but with the high pressure as forecast, racing was postponed until late morning by which time a building sea breeze was enough for even the smallest yachts to make headway to windward against a fading foul tide. First away in Class 2, looking very sharp off the line, and short tacking up Cowes Green to make best use of a favourable back eddy, was John Nelson and Philip Riesco’s <strong>Oyster</strong> 42 Sundancer of Chichester. In Class 1, starting 20 minutes later, Richard Matthews, sailing the <strong>Oyster</strong> 82 Zig Zag, was cleanly away and, as expected, led the fleet upwind. Most yachts elected to carry offwind sails and with the sea breeze building to around 14 knots during the afternoon it was champagne sailing all around. There was some keen competition between the two <strong>Oyster</strong> 655 sister ships, Richard Smith’s Sotto Vento and Acheron, which included an uncharacteristically aggressive luffing match. In the end Sotto Vento had the best of it but was beaten on corrected time by the vintage <strong>Oyster</strong> 68, Jose Alvarez’s Starry Night, sporting a new spinnaker for the occasion, and no doubt benefiting from an age allowance befitting her years. > OYSTER REGATTA COWES 2008 Thank you to our day sponsors for their continued support: FAR LEFT: Richard Smith’s <strong>Oyster</strong> 655, Sotto Vento ABOVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Lord Iliffe welcomes the <strong>Oyster</strong> owners The Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes Suzy van der Byl and <strong>Oyster</strong>’s Barry Ashmore judging the Concours d’Elegance www.oystermarine.com 13