Dear friends and supporters of "The Rule", square metre and metre boats,
David Elliott, one of the organisers of Cowes Classic Week, invites us to join this year's Classik Week in Cowes, taking place in July (19-26), with or without boat... . So, if want to join the races or happen to be in the UK at the time, David would be pleased to welcome and support you in Cowes. You can register yourself upfront (until June, 17th with an extended "Early Bird Rate" using the link http://www.cowesclassicsweek.org/entry.html.
This is what David writes on the website supporting "The Metre & Classic Boat Regatta" in Cowes:
"Following last year's inaugural Metre & Classic Keelboat Regatta which ran alongside the British Classic Yacht Club Regatta, Cowes has become the centre for classic sailing in Northern Europe, consistent with its heritage. By working together again, Cowes Classics Week is emerging as the week in which to hold events for classic boats attracting a major international following. These events will bring to Cowes the largest fleet of classic boats ever assembled in the UK.
The Metre Regatta evolved from the successful Centenary Regatta for the International Rule held in Cowes during July 2007 at which 80 Metre boats attended from places as far apart as Australia and the USA. The news this year is that a new British 8mR Class Association has been formed and The Metre Regatta will follow on from their first National Championship. There had been a latent demand from the keelboats for a similar event, now fulfilled. The British Classic Yacht Club Regatta is now in its 7th year, growing in stature year-on-year. And this year, smaller cruiser/racers have been invited to broaden the community still further.
Fleet racing will be organised for individual classes where numbers are sufficient. Otherwise, a class result may be provided in a mixed fleet and handicap racing under IRC provided for others.
Amongst the racing keelboats, support has already been received from owners of Darings, Sunbeams, Bembridge Redwing, X One Design, Bembridge One Design and Victories in sufficient numbers for fleet racing. It will be a great opportunity for the many one-design classes from around the country to come together once a year. In the past, almost every major yacht club has commissioned their own one-design. Many of these normally only have the opportunity to sail in small local fleets based around the few remaining boats and enthusiastic owners and some fleets are so fragmented that they have little opportunity to sail together. On the whole, they are fairly easily moved and mainland facilities have been organised for launching and the crossing to Cowes.
The Household Division Yacht Club hold a one day regatta every year on the Saturday before Cowes Week followed by the Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta on Sunday - traditional warm-up races for Cowes Week - see details.
It is hoped that fleets may adopt the event as a regular or occasional slot in their calendar although the format is designed to enable all-comers. [...]"
For further information you can either check the Cowes Classic Week webseite or contact David Elliot directly via e-mail (
INVITATION (PDF):
P.S.: How to find your way to Cowes... :
More Infos (Ferries, Car Hires, Sailmakers, ...):
More Information about Cowes, Ferries, Sailmakers... .
June 2nd, 2009