Sailing: Home breeze as wind dies

A FRUSTRATING marathon in what was billed as the short offshore race in the Commodores' Cup produced some of England's best results and a resounding win overall for one of the smaller boats, Germany's Thomas I Punkt, the class 3 Mumm 36, writes Stuart Alexander from Cowes.

At last there was a home sail number in a top slot, Peter Morton's Tram leading class two. After a fast start to the 152-miler, the wind died overnight, leaving many of the 27 yachts drifting mid-Channel.

COMMODORES' CUP SHORT OFFSHORE (Race 6): Class 1: 1 R Arndt (Antibody) Ger Red; 2 J Risley (Numbers) US Red; 3 C Little (Bounder) Eng. Class 2: 1 P Morton (Tram) Jersey; 2 H Jahn (Flash Gordon) US White; 3 D Walters (Jackdaw) Eng. Class 3: 1 T Dodson (Thomas I Punkt) Ger Green; 2 D Clarke (Pigs in Space) US White; 3 J Reichers (The Wall) Eng. Overall: 1 USA White 51.5pts; 2 Germany Green 74; 3 US Red 86.75; 4 Germany Red 89.75; 5 Neth 98.25; 6 Jersey 105.25; 7 England 114; 8 Argentina 123.75; 9 Wales 151.