Year-on-year this regatta has welcomed more classes and more boats to sail at Cowes. Last year the Yarmouth One Designs and Dragons attended for the first time. This year, in another milestone, two classes that are not Solent based will attend – the Mylne One Designs from the Royal Mersey Yacht Club and Loch Longs from Aldeburgh and Cove. The fact that boats now want to travel across the country to attend is a testament to the appeal of an event that brings together sailors with a shared passion for these boats. In the past, almost every major yacht club would have had their own one-design fleet and these boats live on and are celebrated through this community.
This year’s celebrations include the Centenary of the X One Design Class and the 50th Anniversary of the Daring class, so plenty to celebrate. The XODs will race for the Royal Victoria Cup which is awarded by the Royal London Yacht Club to any class with a significant anniversary to celebrate
Also new for 2011 will be a menagerie fleet – not all classes can always attend in force and some boats are one-offs, so this provides the means for any classic keelboat to race.
For more information visit Cowes Classics Week
