Following the success of last year’s event – once again the biggest and best yet - we are again working hard to bring you exceptional racing and varied shore side parties.
We are delighted that Charles Stanley’s exceptional headline sponsorship will be repeated. In this their last year as our title sponsor, their involvement will not be as a corporate looker on, but as members of a shared experience as there will be Charles Stanley employees competing at the event again. The Royal London Yacht Club and Charles Stanley see significant business synergies with the owners and crews of the classic boats attending the regatta and we invite competitors to speak with the Charles Stanley representatives to find out more about their Investment Management proposition.
There are always exciting developments surrounding Cowes Classics Week, and this year sees us hosting the International Tempest Class World Championships within the regatta. We hope to be welcoming 25-30 boats from the UK and Europe to compete at Cowes for the first time in the Class history.
In addition, we look forward to seeing a fleet of vintage Dragons taking part, thanks to the cajoling efforts of Tim Street, and the Loch Longs from Aldeburgh will be joining us again.
These classes will race on committee boat circuits alongside our regular fleets of Solent Sunbeams, Bembridge One Designs, National Swallows, Flying Fifteens, and the largest fleet of all - the XODs.
We are waiting for final confirmation, but we are also expecting Bloodhound, the 63ft ocean-racing yacht once owned by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, to sail south, from her base alongside Britannia in Edinburgh, this summer in celebration of her 80th birthday, and to race in Cowes Classics Week.
After welcoming 2 Tofinou’s last year, we are this year extending a broader invitation to all similarly eligible boats to race within a separate Spirit of Tradition class, and in an evolution of our 50-year rule for GRP boats, we are extending an invitation to all Classic S&S Swans regardless of their design date.
On the metre boat scene, we shall be joined again by the Cowes-based fleet of Darings, and we look forward to welcoming back the 8mRs. It is regrettable that this year's Cowes Classics Week immediately precedes the 6mR European Championships in Switzerland, but we learn that some UK based boats not making the trip will join us, and we look forward to seeing them.
In view of an expected increase in competitors we shall be hosting two suppers each evening. We shall retain our usual mix of receptions, including a return to the Royal Yacht Squadron, and of course continue to serve home-made cake after racing.
A lot of the shore side programme is reliant on our loyal subsidiary sponsors who will again include:
- Cowes Harbour Commission - Moorings & Publicity
- Harken - Race Day Prizes
- Haines Boatyard - Competitors Reception & Race Day prizes
- Hudson Wight - Official clothing supplier
- Kendalls Fine Art - Competitors Reception
- NMS Marketing - Text service to competitors
- Winkworth - Tea & Cakes & Prize giving refreshments
We all look forward to seeing you in Cowes from 11 to15 July 2016.
Peter Taylor,
Regatta Chairman
