Cowes Week already...

Skandia Cowes Week (I was wondering what they were doing with my pensions money) runs from Saturday to Saturday 2nd to 9th August, so it will potentially affect two weekends in the Solent. There are full details on their official web site http://www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk/. There will be a lot of racing, and mixing racing yachts and anchored angling boats is likely to end in tears sooner or later as racing yacht crews are highly competitive and may not see a small angling boat anyway. Best to keep well away from the action, which would be made easier if the organisers published courses in advance but instead they make it up on the day based on weather and tide. If you do plan to fish near the racing, please make sure you are not on a course line or anywhere near a buoy they turn around, and remember to rig your black anchor ball signal.

If in doubt keep away or at least keep a good look-out and be prepared to move. Whatever the rights and wrongs of being hit by a racing yacht, it it better not to be and if there is a chance you can avoid it then it would be sensible to be cautious. There is also a strong possibility of skippers of large spectator boats not being their normal alert selves after a few glasses, so it is not just the racing yachts to watch out for!

If that all sounds a bit nanny-like and gloomy, sorry! To end on a cheerful note, in previous years there have been spectacular fireworks on the last night so if you are fishing on the evening of 9th August anywhere in the northern end of the Solent you may see a great show.