Cowes 2012




Invitation to Cowes 2012

Come and race with us - for up to four weeks

The Sailing Olympics taking place 27 July to 11 August at Weymouth, on the South Coast of England, have triggered a significant number of sailing regattas in the Solent. The regattas include the Westward Cup, 12-Metre Worlds, Panerai British Classic Week, Oyster Regatta, Superyacht Cup and Cowes Metre and Classic Keelboat Week, as well of course as the annual Cowes Week regatta. Three, and possibly four, of these regattas are open to Eights.

Eight-Metre Worlds - July 15-21

The Royal Yacht Squadron (www.rys.org.uk), the Organising Authority for the 2012 International Eight Metre World Championship, has facilities and equipment second to none for organising racing and social activities. The Championship will be raced in the Solent, a superb stretch of sheltered tidal water between the south coast of the English mainland and the Isle of Wight.

British Classic Yacht Club - July 8-14

The British Classic Yacht Club (www.britishclassicyachtclub.org) has extended a warm welcome to Eight Metre boats to participate in the 2012 Panerai British Classic Week. This will take place the week immediately before the 8M Worlds, providing a perfect opportunity for skippers and crew to shake down and get to know the Solent waters, as well as offering a further week’s excellent racing and social activities.

Cowes Metre & Classic Keelboat Week - July 23-27

Subject to confirming compatible dates, there will be an invitation for Eights to race in the 2012 Metre and Classic Keelboat Regatta which will take place after the Eight Metre Worlds.

Cowes Week August - 11-18

And for those who still have the appetite, stamina, crew and pocket ….. why not take in the end of the Sailing Olympics and then stay on for Cowes Week August?


The Royal Yacht Squadron

The Commodore and Flag Officers of the

Royal Yacht Squadron

are delighted to host members of

International Eight Metre Association

  at Cowes on the occasion of the

International Eight Metre World Championships

Sunday 15th July to Saturday 21st July 2012


About the Squadron 

The Royal Yacht Squadron is a private club limited to 475 full members. It was formed in 1815, and has enjoyed unbroken royal patronage since then, starting with King George IV and continuing today with HM The Queen as patron and HRH Prince Philip as the Squadron's Admiral and an active participant. Today the view of the castle, with its red and white striped Platform roof, is known throughout the world and the club's start line has seen the beginning and end of many of the world's greatest yacht and power boat races. The Club formed an early association with the Royal Navy which led to its members having the unique privilege of flying the White Ensign. In 1851 the Squadron arranged a race round the Isle of Wight, open to foreigners (the Hundred Guinea Cup). The race was won by the New York Yacht Club yacht America, leading to the creation of the America’s Cup. The same course will be raced by competitors in the J Class Regatta and the Superyacht Cup in 2012.

The RYS has always played a leading role in the development of yacht racing and cruising. It is fully affiliated to the RYA and is the major organiser of Solent regattas. The Castle is exceptionally well positioned for running races, with a shore starting line giving race officers a superb line of sight from the ramparts and working space on the Platform behind. Following a major refit in 2011 the race officers have the most up-to-date communication facilities.

The race management facilities and experience of the Squadron’s members, the Jubilee Haven with its launches and boatmen and the superb shoreside facilities explain why the RYS is such a highly sought-after regatta host. In 2001 the RYS hosted the America’s Cup Jubilee Regatta, organised in conjunction with the New York Yacht Club to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the America’s Cup, attracting over 200 of the world’s most beautiful yachts to race round the Isle of Wight. In 2007, the RYS hosted the Centenary Metre Regatta marking the 100th anniversary of the International Metre Rule, attracting 78 entries from 12 countries, including eight 8’s and two 8CR’s.


The Royal Yacht Squadron showing the Jubilee Haven, the Castle, the Pavilion and Lawn

The RYS Mermaid waits longingly at the Jubilee Haven to welcome the beautiful Eights in 2012
 


Cowes and the Solent

About Cowes

Cowes sits at the top centre of the Isle of Wight, the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 3–6 km off the south coast, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent. The Island is known for its natural beauty, its sailing based at the town of Cowes, and its resorts, which have been holiday destinations since Victorian times.

King George IV was an enthusiastic sailor, and his patronage of Cowes from the beginning of his reign was continued by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when they bought Osborne House and its estate in 1845 and rebuilt it as the magnificent pavilion and gardens which served as their country retreat and family home. HM Queen Elizabeth’s Yacht Britannia was a regular visitor for Cowes Week following her commissioning in 1954 until her decommissioning in 1998.
 
The Island's maritime and industrial history, based mostly in and around Cowes, encompasses ship building and boat building, sail making, the manufacture of flying boats, the world's first hovercraft and the testing and development of Britain's space rockets.

Today, Cowes is primarily a yachting centre. It is home to no less than three Royal Yacht Clubs, two sailing clubs, several marinas and numerous yachting support services, chandleries, shops, restaurants, bars and pubs.

Racing on the Solent

Cowes has been a major yacht racing centre since the first Cowes three-day regatta was organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1826 under the patronage of King George IV, who presented a cup to mark the occasion. The regatta grew into the present Cowes Week, the largest and best known sailing regatta in the world which stages up to 40 daily races, involving around 1,000 boats and 8,500 competitors during an eight day period every August, traditionally ending with a magnificent fireworks display.

The Round the Island Race, organised by the Island Sailing Club every June, was first sailed in 1931, and today attracts over 1,700 boats and 16,000 sailors, making it the largest and most spectacular yacht race of its kind in the world.

Positioned in the south centre of the Solent, Cowes provides immediate access to one of the world’s best yacht racing areas. Racing is organised throughout the season for a wide variety of yachts ranging from local day-boat classes, through IRC handicap racing to many regular visiting regattas for large yachts.

The Solent racing area is sheltered by the mainland to the north and the Isle of Wight to the south, and the north-east/south-west orientation of its two main areas offers sailing to suit virtually any wind conditions. Being tidal and coastal on two sides, the racing presents particular challenges, although these are minimised when racing on Olympic courses from a Committee Boat with starts in mainly neap tidal conditions, as will be the case for the 8-Metre Worlds.
 

Panerai British Classic Week

The British Classic Yacht Club invites Eight Metre boats to join the Panerai British Classic Week at Cowes in 2012. The Regatta will run from 8th to 14th July 2012 - the week immediately prior to the 8-Metre Worlds - and will provide an excellent opportunity for tune-up racing and getting to know the Solent as well as having a most enjoyable week’s racing and social programme. Races are normally round the buoys in the Solent, on handicap using the RORC IRC rating system (RORC allows self-certification using data from a valid 8M Certificate of Rating see www.rorcrating.com). However the BCYC has kindly agreed to schedule 8-Metre Class races if there are at least eight Class entries for the Regatta.



About the British Classic Yacht Club (www.britishclassicyachtclub.org)

The BCYC was formed in 2001 with the aim of providing support and bringing together Britain’s owners and other classic yacht enthusiasts. The Club, with a membership of more than 80 boats, has no land base but creates opportunities for cruising in company, organises racing, promotes the efficient development of yachts and runs social events. The BCYC is affiliated to the RYA where it aims to represent the interests of classic yachts.

The flagship BCYC event is the highly enjoyable annual regatta - the Panerai British Classic Week - held in Cowes each July, the event to which Eight Metre boats are invited in 2012.


Register your interest

Interest has been indicated (*confirmed) on behalf of the following boats:

Argentina           Delphis
Australia            *Juanita
Canada              *Raven.
Denmark            Anitra
Finland                Sagitta
France                *Hispania IV
Germany             Anne Sophie, Ayana, Edit, Elf II, Germania III, Sposa
Great Britain      *Athena, *Flirt8cious, Ierne, *If, *Lafayette, *Saskia
Japan                  *Aun
Netherlands       Hollandia II, *Falcon
Norway                *Carmen, *Carron, Sira
Switzerland       *Catina IV / Severn, *Glana, Yquem

It will greatly assist the organisers to know the level of interest not only in the Eight Metre Worlds, but also the Panerai British Classic Week July 08-14. There is also the possibility of participation in the Metre & Classic Keelboat Regatta (www.cowesclassicsweek.org) July 23-27 if there is sufficient interest - please let us know if you are interested so we can advise the organisers.
 
Please email 2012@8mR.org.uk to indicate your potential interest including an indication of potential supporter numbers and whether you will bring a support boat.
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