The Metre Rule, the hallowed formula of yacht design, has produced several decades of America's Cup yachts and a century of 6-metre challenges between the Atlantic seaboards. Last week the Rule showed off its product range at the Metre Regatta in Cowes last week, celebrating its hundredth year. But the yachts that caught the eye more than any were the stunningly restored 8-metres, and the intensely competitive 2.4- metres which looked every bit the miniature grand prix boat as its sixteen-strong fleet beat up the shore off Cowes, carrying state of the art sails and finely polished hulls.

Boats from twelve nations attended, but the press on the opposite side of the world had their expectations firmly focussed on John and Michael Stephen's elegant 76-year-old 8-metre Saskia which had come from Sydney, and they were not to be disappointed. A straight set of first places earned her the Atlantic Trophy in her class of nine cruising and racing eights, all built between 1925 and 1967.

The 2.4s used the Metre Regatta as their UK national championship but overall Metre Regatta winner in that class, Frenchman Damien Seguin could not claim this honour, so it went to the first Brit, Martin Pascoe in Resolution. As a sit in' boat, the 2.4s have a strong following of disabled sailors who compete on a level playing field with able bodied sailors and Damien's victory was all the more admirable as he sails with only one hand.

The 6-metre class was the biggest fleet, and had the most cohesive starts. It was clear that they'd had plenty of practice at last week's World Championships after which around half the fleet stayed on in Cowes for the Metre Regatta. Still racing in either the Classic or Modern division, as they had done in the Worlds there was a spread of results amongst the Moderns but the dominant performer was Peter Norlin and his crew in Jungfrun from Sweden. British 1952 classic Titia owned by Andy Postle and Brian Pope won her division.

Meanwhile four quite different 12-metres raced each other, and although Richard Matthews' strongly crewed Crusader, Britain's 1987 America's Cup hopeful, won every race, second places were shared equally between the 1958 Sceptre, the 1986 Italia and the 1903 Kelpie. Yes, that's 1903.

Two 5-metres from Sweden and two 5.5-metres from France also took trophies home with them, respectively Sensa, Blavinge Malloh Rhu, and Korrigan.

Despite three good races the four day regatta was blighted by the record-breakingly appalling weather that Britain has suffered in July. Metre boats are not high-wind friendly, and two days of 25 plus knots meant that only two days out of four were sailed.

Regatta sponsors Slam, Harken and Spinlock gave generous prizes in addition to some of the historic cups and keeper trophies that were presented at the Royal Yacht Squadron, organising club.