The age-old rivalry between Solent Swans Flamboyant and Jacobite was given some early spice at Skandia Life Cowes Week after a weekend of intense competition.

Following on from Cork Week, where Stephen James's Swan 48 beat Chris Jago's Flamboyant into third place on countback, Cowes Week has provided another arena for a re-run of the battle that has been fought between the two boats for years.

Yesterday, it was Jacobite that sailed the better race and came in first by more than four minutes over the Cowes-based Swan 44 in Class 2 IRC, having come fourth - to Flamboyant's third - on the first day.

In perfect conditions with bright sun, warm temperatures and around 16 knots of wind, the Class 2 fleet were recalled on the start but Jacobite, winner of the class in the last two Cowes Weeks, made the most of the opportunity.

"We were looking quite good on that start - had it kept going - and, on the second start, we were slightly behind the line in second row but we sailed a very good race and did well," said bowman Angus Fuller who later this year will sail on Team Spirit in the round the world race, the BT Global Challenge.

"The breeze picked up down at Yarmouth which suited the boat and the downwind runs against tides, with our big spinnaker, was a bonus."

"Its always a good day when we beat Flamboyant but since our rating went down, we don't worry so much about it."

"The sailing was fantastic - long spinnaker runs which is always fun," said Fuller who, with the rest of the crew, was forced to spend Sunday evening replacing a 12-year-old winch that had broken during racing.

Also in Class 3, Dutch Gibsea 414 Popou ran aground at Newtown after her spinnaker became entwined and left her drifting into low waters.

In Class IRC 1, the Irish-based Corby 38 Gloves Off won the Glazebrook Challenge Cup after seeing off competition from Saturday's winner McFly, Tony Mack's Beneteau First 47.7 and another Corby boat, Richard Matthews's Barlo Plastics.

A scrape on the shingle off Gurnard ledge the previous day made little difference to her performance though she was quickly cradled out of the marina for attention last night.

The first two day's racing suggest a close contest is in store for Class 1 this week, with any one of around eight boats likely to take honours. Peter Morton's new Mills 52 Mandrake and Peter Ogden's Spirit of Jethou both finished among the leaders and, despite a recall, Charles Dunstone's Nokia also sailed a tight race to finish seventh.

Royal Southampton YC members Peter and Flavia Bateson put in a strong performance in their Starlight 39, Starspray to finish second in Class 4 IRC while Glynn Williams and Kevin Sproul started their Cowes Week campaign in their Farr 40 Wolf with a two-minute win in the new IRM Class over WarlordVI, another Farr 40.

This class could deliver some of the most exciting racing this week with seven Farr 40s entered alongside the Sydney 40 Blue Genes and two other Farr yachts, Hawk and Chernikeeff.

SEE TONIGHT'S PAPER FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY RESULTS

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