As the one hundred and eighty third year of Cowes Week comes to a close, the organisers report another classic year. "It's been a great week," said Stuart Quarrie, CEO of Cowes Week Limited. "In the first half of the week we had ideal conditions and great sailing; the second part of the week saw sunshine and light breezes which made for more challenging racing. Whatever the weather, the 890 plus entrants into Cowes Week 2009 enjoyed their time on the water creating an eye-catching spectacle for visitors on the shore."
Since 1826 Cowes Week has played a key part in the British sporting summer calendar and is one of the UK’s longest running and most successful sporting events. It now stages up to 40 daily races for over 1,000 boats and is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world.
Cowes Week is a fusion of many exciting elements, with its great mix of competitive sailing and social activities. The 8,500 competitors range from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors. In excess of 100,000 spectators came along this year to watch the sailing, enjoy the parties and live entertainment, and to experience the unique atmosphere.
On-shore there was plenty to see and do with street entertainers, family fun and the best of Island produce. Highlights for 2009 included the iShares Cup, hosted during the first three days of Cowes Week and the RNLI Charity Day and Ladies Day which celebrated women in sailing. In the evening visitors to Cowes Parade were able to enjoy the live bands at Cowes Yacht Haven and of course the spectacular traditional fireworks display on Friday night 7 August.
For a day-by-day breakdown of all the activities on the water, please visit the official Cowes Week website or click here to view the overall sailing results.