Some of the finest classic yachts in the world will be gathering in the Solent this summer as part of Cowes Classic Week. 

These towering yachts, normally only seen in the Mediterranean, will be racing off Cowes, in the British Classic Yacht Club and Big Yacht Class Regatta (19th-26th July)with a second weekend added this year to increase spectator opportunities.

They are coming at the invitation of the British Classic Yacht Club, whose annual regatta, will run concurrently with the Metre Regatta and a new event, the Classic Keelboat Regatta.

When asked about the Big Yacht Class Tim Blackman, Commodore of the BCYC explains:

The Big Class includes the World’s largest Gaff Cutter in the form of Lulworth who will be racing the magnificent Mariquita and Mariette.  Now that we have our Big Yacht Class our value is much enhanced with a massive increase in media attention.

The object of the British Classic Yacht Club (BCYC) is to bring together owners and enthusiasts and promote the ownership and enjoyment of Classic Yachts.

The Grande Dames of the sea, which are twice the size of any modern big racing boat, will be racing on the Solent with the undivided attention of anyone with an eye for beauty.
 
The main fleet of boats in the BCYC contains many remarkable historic gentleman’s yachts including the two Phil Rhodes 45 footers Undina and Josephine recently starring in Three Men in Another Boat. These boats are not slow, the Commodore explains, one of our members with his boat Whooper from 1939 won the Round the Island Race outright a few years ago.

Key events this year are:

The British Classic Yacht Club Regatta (BCYC): 20-25 July, now in its 6th year, run by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club (RCYC). Each year this event has attracted greater numbers of yachts of greater provenance and historical importance, including yachts from famous designers such as Fife, McGruer, Nicholson, S&S and Herreshof.

This event focuses on larger boats, many from famous offshore racing events of the past or renowned passage-making and this year has attracted for the first time, a number of the classic Superyachts, such as Lulworth (23mR), Cambria (23mR), Mariquita (19mR), Mariette, the Lady Anne (15mR) and Adix (209ft, 3-masted).

The Metre & Classic Keelboat Regatta: 22-25 July, run by the Royal London Yacht Club (RLYC), has developed from last years Centenary Regatta of the International Rule (the Metre boats) and what is quite clearly a latent demand from keelboat classes, classics in their own right and classic divisions of long established classes. This event focuses on those boats built exclusively for inshore racing and, in another first, will challenge IRC to rate these boats.

A Celebration of 100 Years of Olympic Yachting: 24 July, hosted by the Royal Victoria Yacht

Club (RVYC). The very first yachting Olympics were held by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club in 1908 at Ryde with 6mR, 7mR and 8mR boats and with the 12mR sailing on the Clyde. It will be celebrated with the participation of the RYA including on water activities and an evening gala reception.

The Isle of Wight Classic Boat Museum in conjunction with RLYC will organise a rally for smaller yachts during the week to make Cowes Classic Week as inclusive as possible.

On Saturday, 26th July all the yachts from the week’s events will participate in a sail past, close in to Cowes Green to enable spectators to appreciate the magnificence of these yachts.

The Household Division Yacht Club will run their annual regatta on Saturday 26th and the Royal Yacht Squadron Regatta will be held on Sunday 27th July, both events for metre boats and invited racing classes.

If you wish to take part in COWES CLASSIC WEEK 19th - 26th July 2008 or require more information click  HERE:

Isle of Wight Community News @Island Pulse.