Two-to-three metre waves and strong wind gusts created by Hurricane Gert made for a challenging day on the water on Thursday for sailors at Chester Race Week.

The wind gusting more than 25 knots - that's about 50km/h - made for a difficult race.

"It was blowing hard. We were all a little nervous about getting out there. It was going to be a scary day. We didn't want to break anything, didn't want to hurt anybody," says sailor Andrew Mitchell.

Many didn't finish their race, with some dealing with damage to their boat.

"We had water pouring over the front of the boat,” says sailor Carolne Nunn. “I'm sure everyone experienced that. There was a lot of damage."

Sailors say they spent much of Thursday fixing their boats so they would be prepared to race Friday, when waters were much calmer.

"We had all been listening to the weather forecast and knew we were in for quite some winds, but we didn't realize the extent until you're actually really out there," Nunn says.

Not everyone had to abandon their course. Some sailors say despite the breeze, they were able to push through and finish the race.

Sailors say the forecasted rain won’t stop them on Saturday.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Suzette Belliveau.