By Isle of Wight Observer
Yes, it’s true; Cowes Week does have fewer boats than it used to do, and I sometimes hear it said that it’s “not what it used to be” and from some perspectives that might also be true. We don’t have fireworks anymore, nor the Red Arrows, but as I depart after six years as a regatta director, what I do know is that Cowes and the Isle of Wight still have an amazing regatta run in August every year – probably the greatest sailing regatta in the world.
This year we had 463 boats, which by anybody’s standards is a lot! Regatta attendance across the world is down for all sorts of reasons. The way people spend their time has also changed since the pandemic and setting aside a full seven days to come and do Cowes Week is a major commitment. It can also be quite an expensive week. AirBnB reported that across their platform, Cowes Week saw the greatest uplift in the price of rentals other than at the football World Cup. It is important that competitors, many of whom visit from other parts of the UK or even internationally, feel that the overall cost is affordable.
The Regatta has also evolved and modernised in the last six years. As a sailing event, it is now much more flexible, meaning more boats get more races each year, even if the wind doesn’t wholly co-operate. That, alongside other racing innovations, has cemented the event’s position as the most important keelboat regatta in the UK, and probably in northern Europe. We don’t get the big boats like we did back in the ‘80s, but there are all sorts of technical reasons for that, not least that the number of big boats owned and raced in the UK has declined massively. Does that matter? From an organisational perspective, every class has equal billing, and we put the same effort into setting courses for the Flying 15 dinghies as we do for the 50-footers in Class Zero.
It’s easy to feel negative when things change. We all used to love the fireworks on the Friday, but the cost of them has become completely unaffordable. From closing the roads to additional policing and security, the overall spend is quite significant and, at the end of the day, Cowes Week is a sailing regatta that needs to focus on competitors first and foremost. That said, the event still runs a regatta village on the Parade with eight nights of free entertainment which many locals enjoy and brings thousands of visitors to the town. Restaurants are full, the marinas are chock-a-block and the town has its busiest week of the year.
Cowes Week has changed, but I’m proud of the fact that it has adapted when money is tight. I can look forward to its 200th-anniversary event in 2026 with confidence. That anniversary regatta will be a major celebration of the town of Cowes, and we hope to bring boats and sailors from all over the world to celebrate. If nothing else, that is a positive objective to contemplate, and I hope that the entire town and indeed the Isle of Wight generally will get behind that opportunity. For details of how to join our “200 for 200 Supporters Club”, please contact the office admin@cowesweek.co.uk.
I can’t say that every day of my time as regatta director over the last six years has been easy, but I am proud to have been one of the guardians of the event and I look forward to being back on the start line as a competitor in 2024.