Team RAF Benevolent Spitfire is an amateur sailing team made up of serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and civilians. Simon Ling recently told us about the team's preparation for the J/70 World Championships in San Francisco later this year. In the meantime, the guys were victorious at Cowes Week. Here's Simon again to recall that great event.

Cowes Week is always one of our favourite events on the calendar. Not only is it a great event to fly the flag for our charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund, but the racing brings a unique set of challenges, far different from the normal racing we experience. Whether it be the strong influence of tides on strategy, requirement to navigate around the Solent, congested race courses with other fleets, busy shipping lanes - it all makes for a challenging 4 days of racing.

This year was no different, and some 23 teams battled it out with 7 races over the 4 days. It was great to see the J/70 fleet continue to grow in strength and the large fleet made for some entertaining racing. The regatta got off to a great start on the Saturday with 2 1st places.

To round off a fabulous day of racing, we were then invited to the lawn of the Royal Yacht Squadron by a fellow competitor. It was a rare treat to enjoy a cold drink post racing at the spiritual home of yacht racing.

The team was pushed all the way by a very competitive visiting team from Germany, and in the end overall victory came down to the very last race of the event with a winner-takes-all scenario. Thankfully we managed to execute a pre-rehearsed starting plan that enabled us to lead to the first mark and then extend to take the victory - and in so doing we won the super series.

Cowes Week was the last event for us before the World Championships. The next time the team are on the water, we'll be practising under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in the days leading up to the 2017 World Championships, which take place from 24th September to 2nd October. With 80 of the best J/70 teams in the world battling it out in a venue known for strong winds, it promises to be a fabulous event. We can't wait.