Does Markova like to play cat-and-mouse with hapless victims? In the closing stages of yesterday’s race she employed some cunning manoeuvres at Hard to dissipate a comfortable lead over Rockhopper and was 3 boat lengths adrift when we rounded Sparkes. The sound of her bow wave getting ever louder added to the tension of the last leg. We finished a second or two ahead and nowhere near the good minute we needed. Cruel but fair and an exciting end to an enjoyable race.