History
The Cowes Town Regatta Committee is an historic organisation formed to arrange yacht racing for local residents. The exact date of its foundation is not known but in 1842 an advert appeared in the Hants Adv (August 13th) for Cowes Regatta (as Cowes Week was then known) including “One sailing and five rowing matches, for prizes worth £50”. The following week, the both Hants Adv and Hants Tel reported that “During the whole of the day, boat racing and the Royal Marine band kept the numerous company amused.”.
By 1851 royalty were coming along to watch and subscribing towards the prizes (Hants Tel). In 1874 the regatta organised by the Committee was called the Royal Cowes Town Regatta, but the prefix ‘Royal’ was dropped in 1936 on instructions from the Home Secretary following the death of King George V.
Originally, the Committee organised sailing, rowing, and shore-side events during Cowes Week prior to the evening fireworks display. The rowing and shore-side events were discontinued in 1953, and in 1964 the Committee became one of the group forming the Cowes Combined Clubs, responsible for the annual Cowes Week regatta, originally running the racing on the Friday. Duties were re-arranged two years later to allow the Island Sailing Club to conduct the Friday racing with the Cowes Town Regatta Committee organising the racing for the White Group of smaller keelboats and Solent Classes on the Thursday.
In 2015, the Cowes Town Regatta Committee for the first time ran the racing for both Black & White Group on the final Saturday of Cowes Week starting White Group from the Royal Yacht Squadron line and Black Group from a committee vessel, with the assistance of Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 the Cowes Town Regatta Committee organised the racing for both Black & White Group classes on the final Saturday of Cowes Week.
In 2020 the Regatta was cancelled due to the onset of covid 19 world wide.
In 2021 the Regatta was shortned to finish on the Friday. Cowes Town Regatta ran the Final Friday's day of racing. Unfortunately all racing was abandoned on the day due to high winds and safety concerns for all competitors.
In 2022 Cowes Town Regatta ran the final Friday in conjunction with the Royal Southern Yacht Club. Starting 9 White group classes from the Royal Yacht Squadron line with the rest of the competitors racing from three Committee Vessel lines. In contrast most of the fleets were finished on the Royal Yacht Squadron Line by the Cowes Town Regatta Team, making a great final day spectatcle to the weeks sailing!
In 2022 the committee were pleased to award the John Dudley Memorial Trophy to the Sonata class. John a former Chairman of Cowes Town Regatta was an owner of a Sonata he frequently sailed in Cowes. His wife Jenny presented this award at the main Cowes Week awards ceremony shortly after the Fridays sailing finished.
In 2023 Cowes Town Regatta ran the Start and Finishes from the Royal Yacht Squadron. The week was marred with unseasonally bad weather with two days being cancelled due to 60mph winds. Fortunately, the Friday proved more favourable and most of the White Group plus IRC Group 7 started from the RYS line in 5 minute inyervals, with rest of the starts from committee vessels. However, to make a spectical of the week, all lesses apart from the X-Class, finished at the Squadron Line. With around 500 boats finishing in a 2 hour flurry the committe had their work cut out but as always met the challenge head on! A small prize giving is hoped to be run in the Autumn time.
List of Chairmen since 1935
1935-46 Sidney C Lallow
1946-54 JCW Damant
1954-66 Sir James A Milne
1966-85 Clare FW Lallow
1985-87 Edgar A Way
1987-89 EPB White
1989-13 Ian C Lallow
2013-16 Rodney PM Jones
2016-19 John Dudley
2019- Martin Bean