Cowes Week
Cowes Week is the longest-running regular
regatta in the world. The event is held on the
Solent (the area of water between southern
England and the
Isle of Wight made tricky by strong double tides) and in the small town of
Cowes on the
Isle of Wight. It is run by the Cowes Combined Clubs, a syndicate of the yacht clubs in
West Cowes, headed by the exclusive
Royal Yacht Squadron from whose fort many of the races are started by cannon fire.
Cowes Week is held at the beginning of August, set after
Glorious Goodwood in the
social calendar, which in most years means,
from the Friday after the last Tuesday in July, until the following Friday. It is occasionally moved to another week if the state of the tides in the normal week is unfavourable, as happened in
2004. The regatta finishes with a Friday evening fireworks display launched from barges in the
Solent.
A typical Cowes Week now has at least thirty-five starts a day for classes of cruiser-racers, one designs and keelboats; around nine hundred boats take part. Cowes also plays host to visiting foreign warships,
sail training vessels and celebrated high profile
yachts. During this time the
Solent, which is a busy commercial waterway, is filled with boats of all classes and is particularly colourful due to the
spinnakers (the large triangular sail hoisted at the front of a
yacht when running downwind).
As well as the sailing activities, the week includes a large number of onshore events including live music and cocktail parties. From private or commercial house parties, and nominally private yacht clubs and boats, through marquees erected in the marinas serving food and drink, through to crowds overflowing from busy public houses and restaurants around the narrow high street, the water and the town become a hive of activity into the early hours of each morning.
The festival originates from the
Prince Regent's interest in yachting which continued after he became
George IV in
1820. The first race started at 09:30 on Thursday the 10th August
1826 with the prize of a "Gold Cup of the value of £100" and was held under the flag of the Royal Yacht Club, which later became the
Royal Yacht Squadron. Another race was held the next day for prize money only (£30 for first place, £20 for second).
Until
World War I, big cutters and raters were raced by gentlemen amateurs employing skippers and crew. In the
twenties and
thirties there were cruiser handicap classes and local one-designs (although the six to eight and twelve metre classes attracted the most racing interest). Following
World War II, when there was a revival of big
yacht racing, ocean racing classes started to predominate, especially after the first
Admiral's Cup event was held in
1957 and the growth in popularity of the two ocean-going races that start and finish the regatta
The Channel and
the Fastnet. The
Fastnet, which rounds the Fastnet rock far out in the Atlantic and can be dangerous, is held in odd-numbered years only, so another offshore course is sailed in even years.
In the decades following World War II, yachting moved away from its image as a rich man's sport to one which is enjoyed by many today in modest self-skippered 30 to 40 foot yachts. The attraction of Cowes Week has also given life to many water-based activities and sailing schools promoting the sport of sailing to all age groups and walks of life. Although certain functions in the week are still the preserve of the elite or members-only clubs, Cowes Week emcompasses a wide portfolio of events and attractions open to the public. These are marketed to a very diverse range of interests, including ones totally unconnected with sailing.
The Childs Cup is a special trophy awarded every year at Cowes week to the boat that wins the Wednesday race. It was donated by David, Michael and Ken Childs who sailed Victorys z67, z41 (sunk in 1997 Cowes week) and z 58 in
Portsmouth harbour, and whose nephew Robert Childs and great-niece Florence now present the award.
*
Official Cowes Week website*
Destination Cowes website
