A (very) brief guide to Cowes Week
The stakes at Cowes Week — traditionally the last event of the season — could not be higher
Words: Harry Shukman
The stakes at Cowes Week — traditionally the last event of the season — could not be higher. In fact, the stakes are so high that historians joke that the origins of world war one can be found in this sailing regatta. Over a century ago, the rivalry between Kaiser Wilhelm and his uncle, the future King Edward VII, came to a head off the Isle of Wight, where the two royals would compete against one another in increasingly large and fast yachts. Complicating the matter were the German emperor’s British cousins, who are said to have made fun of his deck shoes and poor sense of humour. In 1895, the Prince of Wales reportedly punched his nephew in the face, knocking him to the ground after being mocked for losing a race. One hopes that any rivalries this year will be confined to the racecourse and not expand to the battlefield.
Cowes Week is one of the UK’s longest running sporting events, and was first held in 1826, (back when the gold cup race came with £100). In the social calendar, it is crammed in between Glorious Goodwood and the Glorious Twelfth. Cowes is now the largest sailing regatta in the world, staging 40 daily races across eight days and attracting 100,000 spectators, plus 5,000 competitors at all levels from Olympian to weekender. Boats race on the Solent, whose unusual tidal patterns make for hectic and challenging conditions.
In addition to the races, Cowes is also the place to see and be seen, a bright lamp for royal moths. Club balls, dinners, parties and concerts take place throughout the week. Last year, the actors Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Talulah Riley, plus singer Camilla Kerslake competed. An estimated 50,000 glasses of champagne are downed each day.
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