Yacht Racing at Cowes Articles
The Admiral’s Cup had lain dormant for more than two decades before returning to the water this summer. Its rebirth was no muted affair: it was a cannon broadside of international talent, national pride, and hard-fought racing that reminded everyone why the event was once dubbed the “unofficial world championship of offshore sailing.” For two weeks, Cherbourg and Cowes were alive with flags, fanfare, and fierce rivalries, as national teams once again went toe-to-toe for one of the sport’s most coveted trophies.
© James Tomlinson
Admiral’s Cup 2027 – Raising the bar for offshore sailing’s greatest prize.
31-10-2025
For offshore sailors, the Admiral’s Cup isn’t just another regatta. It is the World Cup of sailing – a blend of relentless inshore contests and long-haul offshore endurance races, culminating in the Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the sport’s most legendary challenges. The teams that emerge victorious don’t just win a trophy; they etch their names into history.
Key Dates for the Admiral’s Cup 2027 The 2027 Admiral’s Cup will begin on Tuesday 13 July with the opening day of measurement and inspection.
21-10-2025
The 199th edition of Cowes Week closed not with a whimper but with a crack, a bang, and a whoop that could be heard from the Squadron lawn to the last bar stool in the Anchor. The racing fleet may have stowed its sails, but on Friday night the town itself became the stage — streets alive with the stomp of sea boots, the flash of yacht club blazers, and the unmistakable smell of fireworks drifting in from the Solent.
10-08-2025
Big boats. Big stakes. Bigger delays. The Britannia Cup showdown saw Tony Langley’s Gladiator muscle into Class Zero, joining the heavyweight fleet on a day when patience proved the sailor’s greatest virtue.
09-08-2025
Cowes Week began under a light north‑westerly breeze, with all eyes on the forecast: Storm Floris, emerging from Iceland, promised a dramatic shift in wind direction and intensity later in the day
Due to the lighter airs and anticipated changes, race officials postponed the start for two hours and shifted larger Black‑Group yachts off the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) line to a committee‑boat start off Beaulieu, while smaller keelboats and one‑design fleets, including the J/70s, SB20s, Etchells, Dragons, Flying 15s and others, were held offshore near Thorness before any gun was fired
06-08-2025
Bolney Wine Estate Joins Cowes Week 2025 as Official Sparkling Wine Partner
Cowes Week Limited (CWL), organiser of the world’s most celebrated regatta, has announced a new partnership with Bolney Wine Estate — now the Official Sparkling Wine of Cowes Week 2025. The union brings together two British institutions known for craftsmanship, character, and quiet confidence.
03-08-2025
CHERBOURG, July 2025 — The rain eased and the rum bottles emptied as dawn broke over Port Chantereyne, Cherbourg. The tension, the tides, and the spinnakers finally settled after one of the closest Admiral’s Cup battles in decades, with Peter Harrison and Monaco’s own Pierre Casiraghi leading Team Jolt to a dramatic win aboard their TP52 Jolt 3 and the Carkeek 40 Jolt 6. Ten points clear of Karl Kwok’s ever-formidable Beau Geste, the Royal Thames lads (with help from the Yacht Club de Monaco) stood tallest after a week of ferocious racing.
02-08-2025
Rolex Fastnet Race | Admiral’s Cup Dispatch – July 2025
There’s a new name at the top—and it’s flying the Dutch tricolour. The young guns aboard ROST Van Uden (RMYC) have clawed their way into the AC1 lead on corrected time, and they’ve done it with nerve, timing, and a whole lot of boat speed. With 150nm to go, they’re three hours ahead after IRC correction and showing no sign of blinking.
01-08-2025
Its started on Saturday 26 July 2025
Veterans of the last two Rolex Fastnet Races are checking the weather with cautious optimism. After two editions that opened with 30-knot headwinds and a battering Channel slog, the long-range forecast for this centenary running looks — dare we say it — gentle.
31-07-2025
After the cannon roared, the fleet scattered like gulls in a gale. Black Pearl (YCCS), skippered by Stefan Jentzch, wasted no time — tacking straight toward the mainland shore. She sniffed out a lift and took it like a thief in the night, gaining ground fast. But out near the island side, Jolt 3 (YCM) helmed by Peter Harrison, was all business — early leader on the water and staying sticky to the fleet like barnacles on a buoy.
30-07-2025
Beau Geste and Nola Strike as Light Airs Test the Best in the Solent
Soft breeze, strong tide, and no margin for error. A classic light-wind shootout, where every shift mattered and boat speed had to be earned, not expected.
26-07-2025
The 199th Cowes Week 2025, kicking off its 199th year, is set to be a jolly good time on the Solent waters near Cowes, Isle of Wight, from August 2 to August 8. Born in 1826, this grand old regatta, the longest-running sailing bash in the world, mixes fierce races with a great social vibe. Picture this: 1,000 boats, 8,000 sailors, and 100,000 happy spectators, all soaking up the fun. It’s now a summer must-do for every British sea lover !
25-07-2025
Several yacht and boat races, events, and regattas are scheduled over the next few months, based on available web information. These events span a variety of locations and formats, catering to classic yachts, modern racers, and even youth sailors. Here’s a rundown of what’s coming up through to August 2025.
25-07-2025
The 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race marks 100 years of hard offshore truth — and the multihull fleet has shown up in force. A record 20 boats are racing in the MOCRA class, all gunning for the coveted Crystal Trophy, a prize that’s older than some of the hulls — and certainly a few of the crews.
25-07-2025
The Admiral’s Cup roared to life with a deceptively light start — and then reminded everyone why it’s earned its legend. The 160nm Channel Race looked tame leaving the Solent, but by sunrise the next day, the fleet limped back soaked to the skin, eyes red and salt-blasted. A confused sea, building pressure topping 25 knots, and a foaming downwind leg back from France — it was a full-pelt Atlantic slap in the face. The final reach to the finish? A screecher, with kites straining and helms gritted.
24-07-2025
Its starts on Saturday 26 July 2025
Veterans of the last two Rolex Fastnet Races are checking the weather with cautious optimism. After two editions that opened with 30-knot headwinds and a battering Channel slog, the long-range forecast for this centenary running looks — dare we say it — gentle.
24-07-2025
They came, they foiled, they snatched it. Peter Burling’s Black Foils pulled off a slick, late-game heist in Portsmouth to steal a home win from Dylan Fletcher and the Emirates GBR crew — putting New Zealand on top of the 2025 SailGP leaderboard in the process.
23-07-2025
Revived by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) for its centenary year and to be held biennially thereafter, the 2025 edition promises high-performance racing, intense offshore challenges, and a celebration of sailing heritage.
18-07-2025
The Admiral’s Cup returns to Cowes from 17 July to 1 August 2025, reviving offshore sailing’s iconic team race. National teams will compete in inshore and offshore events, celebrating Corinthian spirit, tradition, and global competition on the Solent.
17-07-2025
Some people drift into sailing. Rachel Mcguigan charged in—eyes up, hands on, no time to waste.
When she first spoke to Leo Cantwell, skipper of Aileron, he asked her straight: “What do you want to learn?” Her answer was clear and fearless: “I want to do a helming course. I want to learn bow. I want it all. I’m not mucking about.” And she wasn’t. Leo took her seriously—and from that moment, things started moving.
13-07-2025