Cowes Classics Week - Regatta News

Details: 24 June 2024

Sailing Instructions.jpg For 2024 Cowes Classics Week is keeping things simple with separate SIs for Shoreline and Committee Boat fleets

In previous years there has been a single rather large Sailing Instruction document catering for every eventuality across both the Shoreline and Committee boat fleets, which was identified as an area in which we might improve what is already regarded as ’The Classics Regatta’.

There are now two separate Sailing Instruction documents published allowing skippers to easily focus on the essential guidance relating to their own fleets.

The Sailing Instructions are available for download from the Official Notice Board where you’ll also find instructions about our new online signing-on process.

With only a couple of weeks left before the first starting gun there is still time to enter, but you’ll need to hurry if you have yet to book your social tickets as some events are getting close to full.

Details: 21 June 2024

Spinaway XRather than sending you a form that needed to be printed and completed at home, and then lost to a soggy mess in the bilges on your way to Cowes, you can now provide all the required sign-on information online.

All we ask is that your required details are all submitted before you attend the Regatta Race Office to collect your Race Pack. If your form isn’t complete, then our lovely Race Office ladies will have to keep your pack behind the desk until all the details are present and correct!

To make the process even easier, you do not need to complete the form in one go as you can return to complete missing details or perhaps make a crew change right up until Regatta Registration closes, pressing the 'Save Signing-On Form' button each time to save your details so far.

The form is pre-populated with the information we have about your regatta entry for you to check, before entering details of your crew and digitally signing the declaration which is part of the regatta entry conditions (Notice of Race 3.4).

To find your signing-on form you must first 'LOG IN' to the website. Once logged in the ‘Signing-On’ form can be found in the main menu under ‘MY REGATTA’ or there’s another link to the form from the regatta Official Notice Board.

Details: 17 June 2024

Spinaway XFor the near-60 car owners across 23 car marques whose entries are registered, we look forward to welcoming you, and there’s plenty of attractions to ensure a busy and enjoyable day.

When you arrive

Please arrive between 9am and 10am. Approaching The Parade from either Bath Road or Castle Hill, you will greeted by the marshalling team who will direct you to your pre-allocated display space. Cars will be grouped by marque where there are multiple entrants per marque.

You will then receive the car description or story which you have kindly provided, laminated and ready to display on your windscreen, and also the CCD-2024 souvenir coaster to commemorate your participation in the event.

You are also very welcome to complimentary coffee and buns in the Dining Room of the adjacent Royal London Yacht Club, served between 9am and 10.30am.

During the day

There will be a number of attractions for all during the day – two flypasts and a display by classic planes; live music from the 40s/50s to complement the age of many of the cars and nearby boats; and a drive-past of classic Harley’s.

We would also like to interview some of the entrants over the PA system to provide the hundreds of visitors we expect with further insights and excitement about the amazing selection of cars gathered for CCD this year.

All cars are candidates for one of the Cowes Classics Day 2024 Awards

3 awards each with a premium bottle of English Sparkling Wine, kindly donated by Cowes Classics Week sponsor, Weyborne Estate: The People’s Choice; Best-in-Show; Most Eclectic Entry. For The People’s Choice award, all visitors will be encouraged to vote for their three favourite cars, from which the overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd-choice cars will be selected. For the other two awards, a team of judges will be walking round the display to identify and agree their selections. The awards ceremony will be on The Parade at around 4.15pm, after which the formal part of the event concludes.

Refreshments

Several choices for you and your party to enjoy during the day. As temporary members of the Royal London Yacht Club for the day, you are very welcome to come into the Club for lunch, where a varied menu of snacks, light lunches and feasts will be on offer.

Packed Lunches

Alternatively, you can order packed lunches to be delivered to your car for £11.50 at https://www.rlyc.org.uk/event/1029363 where you can select the number of lunches and choice of sandwiches.

Details: 30 May 2024

XOD fleet sailing downwindHaving just passed the 100 boat entry mark we are racing towards a vintage regatta, and can announce that the 2024 social events programme has just been launched with discounted tickets available online until Friday 14th June.

The Classics Week Social Team led by Lisa Marsden has worked hard to produce Sizzling Social events at attractive prices for every day of Cowes Classics Week. New for 2024 is a choice of Yachtsman’s Brunch and Club Suppers at the RLYC presented by our new resident chef, along with themed evenings at ISC, CCYC and RORC.

Back by popular demand is the Drinks Reception and Day Prize Giving held at the lovely Royal Yacht Squadron Pavilion, with wines generously provided by our new sponsor MDVC UK Wines, who are also providing La Grande Cuvée Red and Silverhand Solaris Wines for the prestigious yet unrestrained regatta dinner.

Details: 06 March 2024

Old-Gaffer 'Dorothy' racing at CCW in 2023Cowes Classics week 2024 announces new link with The Classic Channel Regatta and Yacht Club Classique for the “Five Lights” Series.

The Notice of Race has been published and entries are now open here.

Early Entry fees are discounted to encourage the majority of entries well before the closing date. Cowes Classics Week is organised by a team of volunteers and confirmation of our assumptions and forecasts is vital to ensure the resources are available to present first class racing and social events. We believe that we are the only regatta to offer a family entertainment day ahead of racing in the form of Cowes Classics Day on Sunday 7th July followed by varied social events and dining opportunities every day.

New for 2024 is the association with the Classic Channel Regatta, a uniquely enjoyable biannual event with a varied blend of racing and a lively and informal social programme, bringing together classic boats and their crews from Britain, France and further afield. There is to be a feeder race from Cowes to Dartmouth as a link between our two regattas with the race starting at Cowes on Sunday July 14th, arriving at Dartmouth on the 15th in good time for registration in Dartmouth on the 17th. The organisers are hoping to get the passage race NoR published shortly and you can already pre-register online.

Details: 06 March 2024

Cowes Classics Week 2023 Notice of Race tile

The Notice of Race for Cowes Classics Week 2024 has now been published.

The Notice of Race has been published today 6 March 2024, and online entries are now open.

Please note that the social programe is still being worked on and we will email everyone once the 'hottest' tickets in Cowes become available for purchase through this website.

Download the Notice of Race here or from the online Official Notice Board.

Details: 27 February 2024

New for 2024 is having a class for Rustler 33'sCowes Classics week 2024 announces new link with The Classic Channel Regatta and Yacht Club Classique for the “Five Lights” Series.

The Notice of Race will be published and entries opened to the 2024 event early in March on this website.

The second biggest annual regatta in Cowes is run by sailors for sailors, involving over 90 volunteers over 4 race courses offering excellent Corinthian racing conditions. Each year the organisers note carefully the competitors’ comments and make appropriate changes to ensure an ever-improving experience. In response to a significant number of comments a Pursuit Race for dayboats will be offered on Monday 8th July followed by series races from Tuesday to Friday morning. Shoreline racing will be Monday to Friday. This enables those that wish to enjoy a whole week of racing to do so but offers others the choice to race for 3.5 days.

The Classic Channel Race is a well-established part of the Yacht Club Classique “Five Lights Series” and enjoyed by a number of Cowes Classics Week competitors. The two events have now agreed a formal co-operation and The Classic Cowes-Dartmouth Race will start on Sunday 14th July on the Royal London YC line, giving those yachts competing in Classics Week Friday afternoon and Saturday to prepare for the race to Dartmouth.

Details: 28 July 2023

It was terrific to see so many returning competitors to the 15th Edition of Cowes Classics Week joined by lots of newcomers including the magnificent Swan 65 Eve from Sydney Australia.

At a time when many regatta’s are reporting declining numbers we are delighted that Cowes Classics Week is showing modest increases year on year. It is not our aim to make the regatta bigger, but we do strive to make it better.

Following this link will take you to our Wash Up Survey. We have changed it a little this year and are sending it out much sooner as many of you requested last year. We do carefully consider every returned survey and respond to what we learn. This enables us to continually improve the regatta so do please take a few minutes to complete and return the survey as the more responses we have the higher the quality of data.

Details: 17 July 2023

The 125 competitors registering for Cowes Classics Week on 9th July were treated to Cowes Classics Day, a celebration of classic forms of transport, with over fifty cars, buses and motor yachts and a vintage biplane fly-past outside the organising club, the Royal London Yacht Club. The following five days of competitive Corinthian racing were complemented by a full social program hosted by six local yacht clubs.

The winds were strong all week but each fleet was able to race every day. Three race tracks provided racing for the nine fleets of dayboats on the GJW Direct windward-leeward courses, while the classic yachts and old gaffers enjoyed round-the-cans racing from the RLYC club line.

Details: 13 July 2023

Another cracking day of sailing on the Solent with brighter and rather more manageable conditions than Wednesday.

The fleets set off in a westerly wind of about 15 knots and a weakening ebb tide. During the morning the wind gradually increased to 20 knots reaching 25 knots by 13.00 by which time the tide was beginning to flood.

Only 4 points separate the top three boats in the National Swallow fleet with Mike Wigmore in Gwaihir holding the lead 2 points ahead of Jeremy Sibthorpe in Osprey.