This Saturday one of the world’s most spectacular sailing regattas, Cowes Week, will celebrate its 185thyear with new title sponsor, Aberdeen Asset Management, on-board. This year sees a number of changes as organisers, in partnership with Aberdeen, work to ensure that 2011 is the best regatta yet.
Image from the Cowes Week in 2009 - Spinnaker fleet - Copyright 2009 Rick Tomlinson
Weather outlook
The outlook for the weather according to regatta CEO, Stuart Quarrie: “At this stage, it appears that the weather for Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week will be quite unsettled, but with generally decent breezes and the possibility of some windy days. The first couple of days look as if they will be dry, but by Monday there may be showers developing. The wind direction is likely to be predominantly from the west, varying as a series of low pressure systems track across the north of the UK.”
New additions and changes for 2011
A number of changes have been made for this year’s event as a direct result of feedback received from sailors, and in a bid to continue to make further improvements to this world renowned regatta:
- Racing for boats rated under the Island Sailing Club Rating System (ISCRS) has been reinstated for the entire week following interest from a number of cruisers. This has resulted in many boats opting to either race within this Class rather than in the IRC (non-spinnaker) Class or under IRC and therefore the IRC (non-spinnaker) Class has been removed.
- Racing is being provided for some of the largest and most glamorous boats in the world as they arrive in Cowes for the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race. Boats between 18.2m and 30.5m LOA with a TCC of greater than 1.4 will race within a mini-series – the Big Boat Series – over three days of the regatta (Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11).
- A mobile-friendly version of the event website has been created to give smartphone users instant access to results, news, start times, courses and entertainment schedules during the regatta. Smartphone users will simply need to go to Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week’s website and will be automatically taken to the mobile version of the site.
- A tracking system is being trialed with the IRC Class 0, Dragon and Multihull classes this year, thanks to funding from Aberdeen Asset Management. The ‘ngTrack’ system, developed by the event’s technology partner, NGR, uses competitors’ own smartphones instead of expensive dedicated tracking devices to monitor the locations of boats taking part. Position data will be transmitted in real-time to regatta HQ and, as this is a trial, will be available to a limited number of people to view online through a simple, easy-to-use viewer. It is the intention that, following the success of the trial, the facility will be extended to the wider Cowes Week fleet and spectator audience in 2012.
- Ramora UK, the world-renowned provider of Explosive Ordnance Disposal training and support services, is providing a free distress flare disposal service to sailors taking part in the regatta at Shepards Wharf Marina on Friday 5 August between 15:00 and 18:00. This will enable safe, legal clearance of out-of-date flares.
- A Skippers Briefing will take place in the mezzanine bar of the Cowes Yacht Haven Event Centre on Friday 5 August at 18:30 for the White Group and 19:30 for the Black Group. This is designed to provide some helpful hints for those racing, and highlight some of the nuances of racing at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week to help competitors avoid common mistakes.
- The top three boats in each class will have a choice of a daily prize: an engraved glass or a voucher courtesy of our Official Technical Clothing Partner, Gill (£15 for a win, £10 for second, and £5 for third place). Each daily class winner will additionally receive a race winner’s flag. All daily prizes should be collected from the Regatta Office.
Class anniversaries a cause for celebrations
There are plenty of celebratory activities planned throughout the week with some very special events planned:
- The XOD Centenary sees a staggering 145 boats entered in the class. This is by far the largest single fleet to have ever raced at the event and smashes the record of largest fleet size previously held by the Laser SB3’s by over 60%! The XOD fleet will hold a ‘regatta within the regatta’ on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with HRH The Princess Royal expected to fire the start gun for the XODs on Thursday 11 August. There are many celebratory plans throughout the week in support of this remarkable milestone for the Class. Details can be found on Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week’s website under the entertainment schedule.
- The Contessa 32 Class celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Class celebrations will take place throughout Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, with various social events after racing and a special allcomers` anniversary race on Sunday 7 August.
In addition to the traditional fleets racing at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, there are a number of favourite associated events returning to add some additional sparkle again this year, including:
- The Extreme Sailing Series (Saturday 6 – Friday 12 August): The Solent will once again play host to the only UK stop, for the fifth consecutive year, on the global nine-event Extreme Sailing Series™. Twelve Extreme 40 catamarans, with world-renowned sailors from 15 nationalities, will line-up on 6 August for seven days of high-octane ‘stadium sailing’ action the circuit has become renowned for. In 2011, Cowes Week title sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management , will have their own entry into the Series skippered by British Olympic 49er class contender John Pink.
- Artemis Challenge (Wednesday 10 August): The Artemis Challenge at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week is now in its sixth year and will see a fleet of five IMOCA 60s racing around the Isle of Wight, following the original America’s Cup route, raising money for good causes. Every year Artemis Investment Management donates a charity prize fund of £10,000 for the race, which goes to a charity of the winner’s choice. Whilst the IMOCA 60 skippers are used to racing alone or with just one co-skipper, they will be joined for the Artemis Challenge by an experienced racing crew and some special celebrity guests who will this year include Ewan McGregor, Zara Phillips and Natalie Pinkham.
The Artemis Challenge will start at 10am off the Royal Yacht Squadron on Wednesday 10 August.
Keep up to date with what’s happening on-the-water, on-the-move!
Staying in touch with what’s happening throughout the event has never been easier.
- A mobile version of the website is available on smartphones, providing quick and easy access to the all-important results as well as news, start times, courses and entertainment schedules. You can also enjoy the full version of the site in its fresh now-look format.
- Tune-in to Cowes Radio on 87.7FM for the latest race commentary news, entertainment, and of course results!
- EventTV, the official broadcast channel for Cowes Week, will be showing live and highlights footage of the racing action, a full classified results service and all the latest news, weather and racing information live from Regatta HQ on giant screens throughout Cowes as well as in most of the bars and yacht clubs. EventTV is on-air 24 hours a day during the event, courtesy of the event’s technology partner, NGR.
Enjoy the event in person and online – here’s to a fantastic inaugural Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week!
