Flat Calm and Full Glasses: Mermaids' Standings Unchanged on Day Two of the Royal Thames 250th Regatta

Published 20:13 on 13 Jun 2025

Day two of the Royal Thames Yacht Clubs 250th Anniversary Regatta brought a change of pace for the Mermaid class, though not the kind they were hoping for. With wind readings at Cowes hovering around 4 knots and temperatures holding steady at 20°C by midday, conditions looked more suited to sunbathing than sailing.

The committee vessel, under the direction of Race Officer Phil Hagen, left the dock at 10:00am to assess the situation in the designated race area (Course C). Initial reports were cautious, and no firm decisions were announced immediately. Several Mermaid crews stayed shoreside in Seaview, scanning the horizon for any updates. Meanwhile, Charles Youngman was relaying observations from Cowes—it didnt look good for sailing Mermaids, he reported, a sentiment quickly echoed across the fleet.

By 11:30am, the race team managed to get IRC Classes 3 and 4 away, but with breeze dropping to just 6 knots, the Mermaids, Classics, and Cruisers were placed on hold. Within 15 minutes, wind in the racing area had dwindled to 2 knots, making any prospect of competitive sailing increasingly unlikely.

Still hopeful, the Race Committee issued a further 30-minute delay at 12:30pm to await any improvement. But after another hour of deliberation, Race Director Tim Hancock made the final call, hoisting AP over A for the affected fleets. His announcement was softened with a dose of humour that quickly earned Quote of the Day status:

Sorry, but beer deliveries are on their way.

With sails still furled, the afternoon took a more social turn. Some crews retreated to Osborne Bay for a round of drinks, some for lunch at RORC. There was even a spot of boat-watching, with the elegant Jolie Brise sighted on the horizon.

While a few murmurs of discontent drifted through the race village, most of the Sea View Yacht Clubs sailors agreed: the conditions simply didnt come good. No racing took place in the Mermaid class on day two, and standings remain as they were after the opening pair of races.

With Saturday offering the next opportunity to shake up the leaderboard, hopes now rest on a change in the Solents temperament.