THE sixth race in the Coastal Offshore Group Series (COGS) took place on Saturday, a tactical tidal trip around the Lizard Peninsula, from the mouth of the Helford River, across Mounts Bay, to Penzance harbour.

The race, which is organised by Helford River Sailing Club and sponsored by A2 Rigging, set off in perfect summer sailing conditions, with a 10 knot down-wind start, and a colourful parade of spinnakers, as the seventeen strong fleet headed south, past Nare Head towards the only mark of the course, the Manacles Cardinal.

As the wind gradually backed, kites had to come down and once round the mark, it was hard on the wind for the long beat to the tip of the Lizard.

With an ebb tide beginning to race west, staying in the fastest parts of the current was crucial, and boats traded places, sometimes by large margins, as helms made good and bad decisions.

At the tip of the Lizard the overfalls made for an uncomfortable ride as the apparent wind dropped and boats see-sawed up and down in the short seas caused by the tide sweeping round the point and over a shallow ledge.

Once round and back on flat

water, kites came back up for a broad reach in building wind to the line.

With favourable conditions the bulk of the fleet reached Penzance before 3pm, well before the gates opened to allow access to the still waters of the harbour, so it was an uncomfortable couple of hours bouncing up and down on visitors buoys as the day turned to fog, before crews were able to park their boats and get to the welcome of some local ale at Penzance Sailing Club.

COGS would once again like to thank both clubs for their generous hospitality, and to thank Mel Sharpe of A2 Rigging who has now been sponsoring the race for fifteen years.

Results, IRC: 1st Daring, 2nd Scorpion, 3rd Afrita, 4th Just Plain Krazy, 5th Inn Spirit, 6th Orijin, 7th Juno, 8th Elsa, 9th Chiara. E Fleet: 1st Tai Mo Shan, 2nd Noon Hi, 4th Nightowler, 5th Carte Blanche, 6th Gorra Knack, 7th Ghost II, 8th Poppy (Ret)