Cowes Week 2010 was the most thrilling yet with changeable weather conditions making for a week of fast-paced and exciting racing for the 896 entries and around 8,000 sailors who were competing. Coupled with the associated events of the Extreme Sailing Series, Artemis Challenge and 1851 Cup, new classes to the regatta*, and a pop-up restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Robert Thompson, Cowes Week was a must-attend event this summer.
Ruling the Waves
The largest class racing at Cowes Week this year was the XOD fleet with 88 boats making for a hugely competitive class. This made victory all the more sweet for the winning boat, Catherine, who not only won her class but also took the glory as the overall winner of the White Group. The XOD class is set to be even bigger in 2011 with the class’ centenary celebrations.
The newest class to the 184-year old regatta this year was the Longtze class which competed in Cowes Week as part of its European circuit. The class welcomed a number of European boats to the world’s best-known sailing regatta and it is hotly tipped to be a growing addition to Cowes Week in the next few years.
Cowes Week was delighted to play host to a number of championship events this year, with the Tacktick Suunto Sigma 33 Class championship (won by Whippa Snappa) and the J/92 national championship (won by Just in Time).
Having narrowly missed out on the overall Black Group Trophy in 2009, Neville Upton racing in the Sunsail fleet with The Listening Company was back to better this performance with an overall victory; this goal was successfully achieved with a Sunsail class win topped by the winning of the Overall Black Group Trophy.
The youngest skipper to race at Cowes Week this year was 14-year-old Fred Warren-Smith who enjoyed a cracking Cowes Week winning the Squib class in Aquabat and also taking the 2010 Young Skippers Trophy.
Tight racing in the Dragon Class saw Eric Williams walk away with the Liz Earle Close Shave Trophy for his performance with Ecstatic, seizing his victory by the closest of margins.
A number of associated events added to the excitement of Cowes Week this year:
Extreme Sailing Series
The week set off to an exhilarating start with the Extreme 40’s racing into town in the second leg of the Extreme Sailing Series. The Extreme 40 catamarans competed in an exhilarating series of sprint races close to the shore, making for some seriously exciting viewing. Paul Campbell-James (the youngest skipper in the Series) on The Wave, Muscat was victorious securing his first ever win in the event.
1851 Cup
The brainchild of TEAMORIGIN, the 1851 Cup saw some exciting match racing between the British America’s Cup sailing team and current America’s Cup holders BMW ORACLE Racing. The competition included a race clockwise around the Island following the original historic course of the America’s Cup in 1851. While Ben Ainslie and his crew on TEAMORIGIN lost out on the race around the Island, the team came up trumps overall to win the Royal Thames Yacht Club's Trafalgar Cup.
Artemis Even Keel Trophy
On Sunday 1 and Monday 2 August, a fleet of six Simon Rogers-designed Artemis 20 keelboats, helmed by qualified UKSA skippers and crewed by novice sailors from a mixed background of disability and disadvantage competed for the Artemis Even Keel Challenge Trophy. In first place was Craig Rose, a local to the Island, who won alongside Rob Greenhalgh, offshore yachtsman and veteran of the Volvo Ocean Race and the Extreme Sailing Series.
Famous Faces in town for the Artemis Challenge
Tuesday 3 August saw the fourth Artemis Challenge at Cowes Week with a battle for £10,000 awarded to the winning skipper to donate to their chosen charity. The event was held as a Pro/Celeb race with Zara Phillips, Amy Williams, Martin Bayfield and the Phelps twins all taking part.
Cowes Week Limited was delighted when the winning skipper, Mike Golding, and his team donated the money to the RNLI; the official charity of Cowes Week.
Ladies Day
Ladies Day was celebrated on Wednesday 4 August. The Ladies Day Trophy was awarded to Louise Morton, an accomplished local sailor who has spent the past five years reviving the Quarter Ton class and is a great advocate for Cowes, Cowes Week and women’s sailing.
Sensational displays ashore
Thursday 5 August saw a breathtaking display from The Royal Artillery Parachute Display Team, the Black Knights, who jumped from a helicopter hovering over the Solent and glided down in a stunning formation proudly flying the Union Jack before dropping into the water just off Cowes Parade.
The unsettled weather at the end of the week meant an unfortunate cancellation of the Red Arrows display but nothing could stop the spectacular fireworks from lighting-up the skies over the Solent to provide a glittering finale to an action-packed regatta.
Here’s to Cowes Week 2011 which takes place from 6 – 13 August – see you there!