On the Water and Ashore

Whether or not you are a competitive sailor with an eye to top level yacht racing, the Cowes Week regatta is always fun.
The regatta, this year sponsored for the second time by Lendy, is one of the UK's longest running and most successful sporting events and is a key highlight of the British sporting summer. It has been held in early August every year since 1826, except during the two world wars.
Traditionally, Cowes Week takes place after Glorious Goodwood and before the Glorious Twelfth, the first day of the grouse shooting season – although just occasionally the traditional dates are changed to ensure optimum racing, taking account of the tides or, as in 2012, to avoid a clash with the Olympic Games.  
Small wonder that over the years the event has attracted British and foreign royalty, and many famous faces.
Nine yacht clubs around the Solent organise the racing and this year more than 800 boats are competing in up to 40 different classes over eight days, and around 8,000 yachtsmen are in town, and with vibrant shoreside activity  over 100,000 visitors could well join the busy Isle of Wight town.