The season's regattas were spiced up with the arrival of more America's Cup Jubilee yachts into the fleets and three 12 metres took part in the Berthon Source regatta at Lymington, though strong winds prevented a full racing programme.

A new event was hatched by Sir Chay Blyth for the Open 60s which had been redundant since the end of the Vendee Globe and both MacArthur and Golding announced their entries for the fully crewed five leg transatlantic race.

Skandia Life Cowes Week enjoyed a bumper attendance and crews relished the excellent conditions with Peter Ogden's Swan 60 Spirit of Jethou taking top prize in the IRC Class 0 but coming seventh overall in the Black Group which was won by the Contessa 32 South Haze.

Zinna, a Victory, won the White Group but for the big boats, it was a chance to warm up for the main event of the summer, the jubilee.

And what a week it turned out to be. The Solent was awash with billowing sails as 200 of the world's fastest, biggest and most historic racing yachts came together to create spectacular scenes that will be neither repeated nor forgotten for many years to come.

The UBS Jubilee Round the Island Race was won by Gianna Agnelli's sleek 92-foot Italian boat Stealth in a time of four hours and 48 minutes.

The EDS proved to be a major success and it was Kingfisher, skippered in part by Ellen and in her absence by one of her talented team Nick Moloney, who took honours with Golding finishing a disappointing third place after conditions failed to suit his downwind optimised Open 60, renamed Ecover.