A History of Cowes
In the days of Queen Elizabeth 1st, a small boat called Rat O’Wight was built for her on the banks of the river Medina. This is the first record of sailing at Cowes, henceforth to become known as the yachting capital of the world, but it took until 1812 for the first official regatta to be held, and until 1826 for the first organized 3 day event and the birth of Cowes Regatta.
From small beginnings come what is now probably the greatest sporting event of its kind in the world. Held every year since 1826, with the exception of the two World Wars, early August has found yachts converging on the small town to enjoy excellent racing and quality partying. The current regatta style of eight days of racing has been in force since 1953 and this year there are over 900 boats in over 35 classes – everything from the Clipper 68 fleet to lasers.
For the first nine years of the current regatta format, each yacht club around Cowes became responsible for a day of racing with their own race programs and sailing instructions. This was then changed in 1964 by creating the organization called the Cowes Combined Clubs, and in 1994 Skandia became the major title sponsor and its involvement has significantly helped the development of the event. Two ocean races bookend the regatta – The Channel and The Fastnet.