Ten reasons to visit Cowes in 2012

Ten reasons to visit Cowes in 2012

2012 should be another vintage year of sailing for the 'home of world yachting'. Cowes has attracted an extraordinary and un-missable calendar of events to the Isle of Wight. Cowes will certainly be the place to be for enjoying the world's largest and most glamorous  super yachts, mega yachts and J Class boats. 

Here's our top ten Cowes 2012 events:

1. The Superyacht Cup 

Cowes - 22nd to 25th July 2012

The Solent will be filled with a fleet of elite sailing yachts to celebrate the start of the 2012 Olympic Games. Superyachts generally are recognised as being over 80 feet (24m) in length and  to  date more than 20 of these enormous vessels have registered to race in Cowes.

Superyacht Cup Cowes 2012

2. Queen's Diamond Jubilee Regatta

Cowes - 2nd to 5th June

Organised by the Cowes Clubs with the emphasis on fun to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The racing will include One Design and IRC Racing as well as dinghy racing, match racing and team racing with a full shore-side  social calendar.

3. Panerai British Classic Week

Cowes - 7th to 14th July 2012

A magnificent spectacle of classic yacht racing which will include a five race series and a race around the Isle of Wight. Demanding and competitive racing that encapsulates the Corinthian spirit associated with classic yachts.

4. The Hundred Guinea Cup

Cowes - 21st July 2012

The final race of the J Class Solent Regatta will start on the Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes and be sailed over the original clockwise 1851 America's Cup course around the Isle of Wight. This J Class event will attract many thousands of spectators as there are numerous vantage points close to the race courses for viewing this spectacular fleet.

Hundred Guinea Cup image courtesy J Class Association

5. Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup

Cowes - 21st to 28th July 2012

The leading amateur international regatta welcomes teams from around the world and past editions have seen teams from as far as Hong Kong, South Africa, the USA and Russia, as well as strong representation from Europe and regional UK teams. The trophy was won in 2010 by the Irish team who will be hoping to retain their title in 2012

6. Round the Island Race

Cowes - 30th June 2012

Now in it's 81st year, the 2012 J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race will see thousands of competitors from across the globe descend on Cowes to race the famous course around the Isle of Wight. The 2011 race saw almost 2000 yachts entered with competitors battling high winds and weather conditions to test the most experienced sailor. 

Start of 2010 Westward Cup, Cowes, image courtesy Chris Boynton

7. Westward Cup

Cowes - 11th to 19th June 2012

The Westward Cup was initiated in 2010 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the launch of the racing schooner Westward. The yacht was one of the fastest and most famous of the Big Class racing yachts, regularly competing in Cowes and most successfully against King George V’s yacht Britannia. 

8. Cowes Classic Week

Cowes - 23rd to 27th July 2012
The biggest gathering of classic day racing keelboats in the UK. This is the fifth year of Cowes Classics Week and racing has run over this period for 8ms, 6ms, Darings (glass 5.5s) Dragons, Bembridge Redwings, Solent Sunbeams, Loch Longs,  Bembridge One Designs, X One Designs and Yarmouth One Designs. There is expected to be over 100 boats this year. The event is run by the Royal London Yacht Club in conjunction with the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Royal Victoria Yacht Club and the Island Sailing Club.

RS Elite Nationals Cowes image courtesy www.marklloyd.com

9. Wight Vodka RS Elite 2012 Nationals

Cowes - 30th August to 3rd September 2012

The Royal Yacht Squadron will host the RS Elites which are a high performance one design modern keel-boat, the regatta will have a local flavour with participation of  Isle of Wight companies, the regatta will support the Cowes RNLI inshore rescue boat as the named charity.

10. Cowes Week 2012

Cowes - 11th to 18th August 2012

Last on the list, but very much NOT the least. Arguably the world's most famous sailing regatta, Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week has been a mainstay of the British Summer Season since 1826. It stages up to 40 daily races for around 1,000 boats and is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world.
This is just a selection of the full events calendar hosted in Cowes during 2012. Keep in touch with COWES.co.uk to keep updated on the latest information. Join us on Cowes Facebook and Cowes Twitter too.

Cowes Events are sponsored by Britannia Corporate Events






If you're looking for crew or visitor accommodation during the Round The Island Race weekend, contact Solent Nightz complete accommodation service.