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August
Posted by: webmaster
| Cowes Week Yacht Regatta |
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BIG BOATS, BIG NAMES AND BIG FUN AT THIS YEAR’S SKANDIA COWES WEEK REGATTA
Starting Friday 3rd August – through to Saturday 11 August
Peta Stuart-Hunt gives an overview of some key happenings that are taking shape both on and off the water at this year’s Skandia Cowes Week, the World’s largest and oldest yachting regatta in Cowes, Isle of Wight.
This year marks Skandia’s 13th and penultimate year as the title sponsor of Cowes Week and the Event has witnessed some incredibly positive changes during this period. Skandia's long-term investment - both financially and in terms of the time they put in working with the Event’s organising committee at Cowes Combined Clubs (CCC) - has helped to make Skandia Cowes Week a world-renowned success, both on and off the water. Their commitment to sailing as a sport in general has also worked to the benefit of the Event, adding some big boat glamour, offshore sailing heroes and Olympic stars to the mix of competition, fun and excitement.
This year is no exception when it comes to attracting sailing stars, big boat glamour and excitement to Cowes. To coincide with the Rolex Fastnet Race, the biennial institution that lures the big guns to the Solent, CCC, under the guiding hand of its CEO Stuart Quarrie, is running a newly created IRC Class Zero Big Boat Series during Skandia Cowes Week.
Racing is taking place between the biggest, most expensive and exciting racing yachts on the global circuit; indeed the Series has enticed the owners and skippers of the world’s largest and fastest ocean racing yachts to come to this great regatta (Friday 3rd August - Saturday 11th August). The IRC Class Zero also meets the demands of the owners of mainstream Class 1 boats to separate canting keelers from boats with fixed keels.
Recognising that the majority of these big boats would only be able to accommodate a few days racing into their schedule prior to the start of the Rolex Fastnet, the Big Boat Series comprises three days of racing encompassing a round-the-cans Solent race on Friday, 3rd August – the day before the remaining classes start their Week - a race around the Island on Wednesday, 8th August and a short passage race on Thursday, 9th August.
Stuart Quarrie, explains:
“A typical Cowes Week course will provide tight Solent racing for these big boats on the day before the remaining 1,000 boats start their week’s racing. This allows the big boats the space they need and gives the Event a spectacular platform from which to launch the Week.”
Racing events staged to inspire great competition
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An integral part of the race around the Island will be ‘The Artemis Challenge at Skandia Cowes Week’, a race for Open 60 yachts that is being hosted and sponsored by Artemis. We’re expecting a sprinkling of celebrity guests to participate and Artemis is putting up a prize pot of £10,000 for the winning boat to donate to a charity of its choice.
Skandia Cowes Week is also hosting the Extreme 40s again this year. This exciting class is competing in Cowes in the UK edition of ‘The iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week’ and provides some spectacular racing; these boats hammering across Solent waters at full pelt makes for a truly exhilarating and breathtaking sight.
‘The iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week’ runs on Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th August.
Meanwhile, Performance Sailcraft Europe Ltd and Volkswagen Touareg teamed up to create their own very special invitation-only sailing event to find the ‘Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes’ at Skandia Cowes Week 2007. On Friday 3rd August 27 winning helms of some of the most competitive classes of Skandia Cowes Week in 2006, come together to race identical one-design Laser SB3s off Cowes in a one-day, three race regatta. For the first time, leading national and international helmsman have the opportunity to pitch their skills on the water without performance enhancing features, advantageous ratings or financial investment to compete for the coveted title ‘Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes’. Competition is expected to be fierce, with prizes of a Volkswagen Touareg, Volkswagen Eos and Laser GXD up for grabs.
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Champagne Sailing on G.H. Mumm Ladies Day
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Another great piece of news is that, as a result of the success of our first-ever Ladies Day @ Skandia Cowes Week last year, Champagne G.H. Mumm has stepped up to the mark and is sponsoring this year’s special day on Thursday 9th August.
With G.H. Mumm’s own commitment to celebrating remarkable feats of endurance and human achievement and as a long-time supporting sponsor of the Event, it’s an obvious and perfect fit and there is a whole host of fun and celebratory activities planned. The Skandia Cowes Week website is the place to look for further news and details.
In support of Champagne G.H. Mumm Ladies Day, the Ladies Day Trophy is being awarded in recognition of the achievements and contribution of women in sailing across the board – from the Corinthian sailor, and those overcoming difficulties in order to succeed in sailing, through to those who have undertaken remarkable challenges in sailing.
In 2006, the inaugural Ladies Day Trophy was awarded to Betty Moore. At 88, it was fitting that Betty should become the first recipient of the Trophy, having sailed in Cowes every year since 1947; demonstration indeed of a remarkable woman making a remarkable contribution!
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The Ellen MacArthur Trust
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The Ellen MacArthur Trust is in its second year of its three-year tenure as official charity of Skandia Cowes Week. Last year was an amazing result for everyone involved. The Trust raised an incredible £90,000, which has had a substantial impact on its programme for 2007, enabling it to more than double the number of children it will be working with this year. The Ellen MacArthur Trust Stand is back on Cowes Parade, with a state-of-the-art sailing simulator to help raise funds.
Monday 6th August is the official Skandia Cowes Week Charity Day. The Trust is planning to “Turn Cowes Blue”, rounding off the day’s events with The Ellen MacArthur Trust Ball in Cowes Yacht Haven which, if last year’s Ball was anything to go by, was the best evening’s entertainment I can remember having in Cowes… ever!
SKANDIA TRY SAILING INITIATIVE IS EXTENDED
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Skandia encourages disabled visitors to ‘Try Sailing’
The highly successful ‘Try Sailing’ initiative has been extended to allow disabled visitors the chance to get out on the water at this year’s event. For the past two years, hundreds of visitors have been able to take to the water for a free sailing lesson thanks to Skandia and the United Kingdom Sailing Academy (UKSA). Anyone over eight years old qualifies for the sessions, which can be booked at the Parade. Disabled visitors wishing to have a go can pre-book their place on the specially designed boats by registering via the ‘Try Sailing’ page at: www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk
‘Try Sailing’ was launched in 2005 and was an instant hit. Last year Skandia doubled the number of free sailing lessons on offer. Standard sessions will run from 9.30am until 6.00pm, with specialist disabled access sessions running from 9am to 4.30pm. All sessions will be available from Saturday 4th August to Saturday 11th August. The UKSA will be providing safety cover, tuition, buoyancy aids and insurance, as well as RYA-qualified instructors to run the lessons. The initiative will be promoted to visitors on Cowes Parade for the duration of the event.
For more details, visit: http://www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk
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