Admiral's Cup 2025 | Channel Race Start Pics
by Bow Caddy Media 19 Jul 23:34 UTC
A week low pressure system heading east up the English Channel made for some challenging conditions for the 30 boats in the Admiral's Cup fleet (and amongst the other yachts participating) at the start of the 164nm Channel Race today (Saturday).
In a very gappy 3-5 knot breeze, the fleet moved slowly east from the start line with the changing tide under them.
So local was the patchwork of breezes that one minute you were a rooster and the next, a feather duster.
Sean Langman's Back2Black suffered from one of those larger holes in the breeze closer to the mainland shore.
Gordon Ketelbey's team aboard Zen made an excellent early call on the mainland side of the race and on approaching the massive Nab Tower, was briefly leading the entire fleet - which included two MOD 70 trimarans!
After a couple of switchbacks between marks off the Isle of Wight and Selsey Bill the yachts headed south across the Channel for Le Havre.
A second, stronger Low will make for a fast run home with the breeze from behind, with winds potentially reaching 20+ knots.
The first boats of the AC 1 fleet in the Admiral's Cup are expected to cross the finish line off Mother Bank in the Solent early on Sunday morning.
You can follow the action on the YB Tracker here.