The PredictWind Cowes-Deauville Race Report

27th May 2025

JOG Yacht Racing’s Bank Holiday race got away from a committee boat start and a line managed by the Royal London Yacht Club off the Royal Southern buoy, marking the parentage of a race first started in 1962 with the Yacht Club de Deauville. 24 entrants from both sides of the Channel set off in light winds, necessitating just a 15-minute postponement, giving a chance for all classes to get away cleanly through the Solent Forts and past Bembridge to a finishing line at La Semoy buoy, close to the harbour approaches at Deauville. And what a competition! Excellent reaching conditions, as accurately predicted with the services of our sponsors, PredictWind, and communicated in an excellent pre-race briefing, prevailed once clear of local waters with the first finishers at 01:46 on Saturday morning and an elapsed time of just 15 hrs and 1 minute for the 100-mile course. With the whole fleet finishing by 04:00 the fleet were perfectly timed to arrive in the inner basin by Deauville Yacht Club for the gate access opening time and a welcome from the DYC with breakfast for everyone who took part. 

Competitors gathered on Sunday morning to be greeted by DYC President, Eric Lebon, who had raced with the fleet and the Deputy Mayor who gave up his Sunday morning to welcome everyone. Class winners received generous prizes from DYC and JOG.

Class 1 was won by, long standing, JOG member, Ed Broadway and crew on a Sunfast 3300, Class 2 by Robbie and Lis Robinson and crew on Hot Rats, First 35 and Class 3 by a two-handed team, Oli Hawkins and Lena Rogers on Sailfish, a Gibsea 90, who also won IRC overall on handicap. The DYC, OSIRIS, class was one by Aida, Archimbault 31 sailed by Julien Villey with line honours going to the Pogo 44, Sea Bemol, Phillipe Lefebvre.

Inevitably, as in most JOG races, there followed a most hospitable reception all organised and provided by the members of DYC. 

JOG Secretary and Race Officer in Deauville, Martin Banfield, commenting on the race and thanking DYC for their, ever generous, hospitality referred to this historic race as a “landmark and one of the highlights of the calendar” with the hope that the founding clubs would make sure of its continuing success.