LIGHTER winds in the morning gave competitors another great day on the water for day five of Cowes Week. 

In the HP30 class, Alain Waha's Far East 28R Gowest-Cogital is defending the Musto Young Skipper's Trophy he won last year. 

By the finish, Chris Townsend and Richard Powell's Gweilo had risen to the fore, taking line honours and winning on corrected time by a margin of 96 seconds. 

Jerry Hill's Moral Compass took second and Sture Wickman's Vitres took third.

The Rouse-Allen family's Contessa 32 Andaxi now tops the rankings for the Musto Young Skipper's Trophy with a commanding lead, with two races to go.

Isle of Wight County Press: The start of Performance Cruiser A class. Picture by Paul Wyeth/CWL. The start of Performance Cruiser A class. Picture by Paul Wyeth/CWL.

Among the big boats at the Regatta, Ian Atkins' Dark n Stormy picked up one of the sailing world's most prestigious trophies — the Britannia Cup — which was first awarded to King George Vl in 1950. 

Atkins, who is sailing in his 33rd Cowes Week, stormed around the 25-mile course to take line honours three minutes ahead of another GP42, Guy Gillon and Christian Hamilton's Khumbu.

In the Performance Cruiser A class, Richard Loftus' Swan 65 Desperado went on the take line honours, though Charles Esse's X4.3 Baby X took victory on corrected time. 

Global Yacht Racing's First 47.7 EH01 was third after time corrections, just 57 seconds behind Desperado.

John Howell and Paul Newell's A31 Arcus scored a decisive victory in IRC Class 3, almost seven minutes ahead on corrected time.

Isle of Wight County Press: The A31 Arcus scored a decisive victory in IRC Class 3. Picture by Paul Wyeth/CWL. The A31 Arcus scored a decisive victory in IRC Class 3. Picture by Paul Wyeth/CWL.

Mike Moxley's Malice was second across the line, followed in by Mike Bridges' JPK1010 Elaine Again. 

But neither saved their time against Clemency Williams Ives' lower rated J/105 Jos of Hamble, which took second place, three seconds ahead of Bridges, with Moxley dropping down into fourth, 17 seconds adrift.

In IRC Class 4, one of the lowest-rated boats in the fleet, Robert Baker's J/97 Jaywalker, took first place on corrected time, five minutes ahead of David Greenhalgh's J/92 J'Ronimo, with Jack Bank's J/92 Nightjar in third, a further five minutes adrift.

In IRC Class 5, the highest rated boat in the fleet, Harry Heist's S&S41 Winsome, took line honours, almost two minutes ahead of Paul Thomas' First 34.7 Cobra.

Although Giovanni Belgrano's 38ft Laurent Giles classic Whooper was third on the water, she took a fourth consecutive victory on corrected time.

In the XOD class, Clair de la Lune took her first win of the Regatta, ahead of William McNeil's Lara and Phil Brewer's Zest. 

John Tremlett's Astralita, which had been leading overall, finished sixth. 

He still heads the leaderboard, allowing for one discard, but is now tied with Max Crowe on 13 points. 

Jonathan Clark's Tortoise was able to discard today's eighth place and is third overall, three points adrift.