Solent Events Diary

RSYC SOUTHAMPTON WATER SERIES 16 January – 30 October Throughout the year the Royal Southampton Yacht Club runs several Series of keel boat races in Southampton Water - Frostbite, Twilight, Summer and Winter Series. Catering for both IRC and Club rated boats, they run on Sunday mornings in the winter months and Thursday evenings in the summer. They welcome entries to individual races or whole series. Entry and full details are available on the website. rsyc.org.uk

2022 COWES ETCHELLS REGATTAS March – October Etchells are 30 feet of pure one-design sailing machine, designed to plane downwind and sail easily in light winds built locally by David Heritage Racing Yachts. It is the largest fleet of dry sailed keelboat in Cowes. Sailed by a crew of 3 or 4 keeping to a weight limit of 285kg, more fun than big boats but with less hassle and maintenance! A full programme for 2022 can be viewed on the website etchellsuk.co.uk Loaner boats are available and we have an active youth programme. Committee boat starts, windward/leeward courses. The World Championship will be held in Cowes in September organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron. Class Secretary: Jan Ford. Contact: 07747 602707 or secretary@etchellsukfleet.co.uk

JOG CHAMPIONSHIP 26 March – 30 September The Junior Offshore Group (JOG) was established in 1950 to allow smaller yachts to compete offshore; it organizes highly competitive races for IRC rated yachts. JOG runs a full programme every season, grouped into an Inshore and Offshore Series. Competitors enjoy a high standard of racing and a similarly high level of camaraderie at the parties which are held at the end of almost every race in a host port. Most JOG races start in the Solent from the club’s fixed line and distinctive starting box just east of Egypt Point, Cowes. Contact: secretary@jog.org.uk jog.org.uk

RSYC Southampton Water Series. : RSYC Racing

X ONE DESIGN CLASS April – October The XOD class is unique in having six active fleets around the Solent, located at Cowes, Hamble, Itchenor, Lymington, Parkstone and Yarmouth. Each Division manages its own, very active, mid-week and weekend racing schedules with 60 races or more per season. The annual championships are held during Cowes Week with between 50 - 80 boats participating. XODs attract many experienced helms and crew and the standard of racing at the front of the fleets is very high. XODs are traditionally the largest entry in Cowes Week sailing from home ports to participate each year.

RSYC DOUBLE HANDED SERIES 9 April – 15 October The Royal Southampton Yacht Club has been running its popular weekend Double Handed races for over 40 years. Catering for both IRC and Club rated boats, some races are run in and around the Solent, and some run to destinations along the South coast and across the Channel. This year they have 10 races split into two Sub-Series (Solent and Passage) with at least one every month. They welcome entries to individual races, Sub-series or the whole Series. Races start with the Spring Solent Double (2 races on 09 April) and finish with the Autumn Solent Double (2 races on 15th October). In between they will race to Weymouth and back, round the Island, to Cherbourg, to the West Princessa buoy and back, and to the Nab Tower and back. Visit the website for full details and online entry. rsyc.org.uk

RSYC Double Handed Series. : RSYC Racing

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ISLAND SAILING CLUB EVENING RACE SERIES 12 April – 30 August – Tuesday Nights The Island Sailing Club’s ever-popular Evening Race Series provide races for all sizes of boat on Tuesday evenings, with the exception of Cowes Week, and Cowes Classic Week through to 30th August when the traditional ‘Bang & Go Back’ Race marks the end of the evening season. Other open events take place throughout the year. Contact the ISC for details – ben@islandsc.org.uk. islandsc.org.uk

RORC EASTER CHALLENGE 15 – 17 April The RORC Easter Challenge is the Club’s official training regatta where race coaches and the team from North U Regatta services are among those imparting their knowledge both on the water and post-race at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse for free to all competitors. Crews can even request coaching on specific aspects eg: sail trim, starting, manoeuvres, etc. Uniquely for the event, RRS41 is relaxed, enabling coaches to come on board or crew to step off on to a coach RIB during racing. Combined with the popular debriefs after each days racing, and the unique prizes of Easter eggs, the RORC Easter challenge is the perfect way to kick start the domestic season. rorc.org

RSYC BEAULIEU RIVER SERIES 11 May – 2 September Having proved very popular, this Series is now in its second year. Catering for keel boat racing just off the Beaulieu River. The Series is held during the week mainly Wednesday or Thursday, tide dependent and uses Club class ratings. The racing schedule and entry details are available on the website. rsyc.org.uk

DE GUINGAND BOWL 14 May Presented to the club by ‘Buster’ (Vice Commodore 1957-1959) and Mrs De Guingand, the Bowl goes to the winner of the annual race bearing their name. This will head out from the Royal Yacht Squadron line, rounding marks and waypoints, and taking in the headlands of the central English Channel, before returning to the Solent to finish.

Beaulieu River Race. RSYC Racing

COWES SPRING CLASSICS 20 – 22 May Cowes Spring Classics is back to its traditional Spring date and will take place the weekend of 20th – 22nd May. The regatta, which is based at Shepards Marina, is for wooden classics designed before 1970 to include, Cruisers and Cruiser racers, Gaff Rigged yachts and Pilot Cutters, Day Boats and Raters, Classic Metre yachts, affordable Classic Cruisers plus modern Spirit of Tradition yachts. The racing will be organised by the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club in classes using either IRC or OGA handicaps. With its relaxed and friendly atmosphere, Cowes Spring Classics is now very much part of classic racing scene on the Solent. cowesspringclassics.com

VICE ADMIRAL’S CUP 20 – 22 May The Royal Ocean Racing Clubs Annual Vice Admiral’s Cup regatta will take place from Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd May 2022. This event held in the Solent is designed for class racing and closely banded IRC classes with a mixture of windward/leeward and round the can’s races. A social programme will be based at the RORC Cowes Clubhouse. Among the classes expected in 2022 are Performance 40, J/111, J/109, HP30, J/70, SB20, Quarter Ton.

Cowes Spring Classics. Chris Brown Photography

IRC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 10 – 12 June The annual championship which brings together the cream of IRC boats competing in tightly banded IRC classes. A unique formula allows an overall winner to come from any class, giving the smaller boats as much chance as the grand prix racers to claim the overall title if sailed well.

ROUND THE ISLAND RACE 25 June Round the Island Race is set to attract thousands of sailors from all over Great Britain, mainland Europe and from as far away as the USA, to the Isle of Wight on 25th June 2022 for the 91st running of this unique race. The race is popular with everyone from world renowned professional sailors to families and first-time racers, and it boasts a range of classes including monohulls of all sizes, multihulls, Gaffers, and Classics. Organised by the Isle of Wight’s Island Sailing Club since 1931, the Round the Island Race is one of the UK’s largest participation sporting events and is expected to attract as many as 1,500 boats. It will begin and end in Cowes, with starts beginning slightly later than previous years due to tidal conditions in 2022, competitors are expected to enjoy a spectacular first leg down to the needles and onwards to the finish line off Cowes. Spectators will be able to enjoy fantastic views of the race from St Catherine’s Point, Ventnor, Bonchurch, Culver Down and Ryde Pier. As in previous years The Ellen MacArthur Trust is the official race charity. Their work is focused on rebuilding confidence of young people after cancer, through sailing and adventure. Sailors interested in participating in the event are able to enter online. For more information about the race please visit the website. roundtheisland.org.uk

Round the Island Race. Paul Wyeth

Cowes Classics Week. Tim Jeffreys

COWES CLASSICS WEEK 26 June – 1 July The 14th edition of Cowes Classics Week runs from 26th June to 1st July 2022. Organised by The Royal London Yacht Club, it has become the largest classic yacht regatta in the world and offers a different racing and social experience to other Cowes regattas. Following immediately on from the ISC’s Round the Island Race, the event is expected to appeal particularly to visiting sailors. Class racing for all metre boats, classic racing keelboats and one designs including, but not restricted to, 12mR, 8mR, 6mR (classic and modern), 5.5mR, Daring, Dragon (classic and modern), Solent Sunbeam, Bembridge Redwing, Seaview Mermaid, Squib, XOD, Folkboat, Victory, Bembridge, Loch Long and Yarmouth One Designs, Flying Fifteen and Swallow. There are also classes for Classic Yachts including a non-spinnaker class, Classical/Revival Day Boats and Old Gaffers. A new category has been added for the Sparkman & Stephens Swans. Two races a day, or three if the weather necessitates, on committee boat windward-leeward and round the can’s courses, will satisfy the keenly competitive spirit of the one design classes, while handicap classes and larger yachts will sail over round-the-cans mid-Solent courses. A full social calendar of after-racing activity, including the legendary daily afternoon tea and cakes at the clubhouse, adds to the fun and social atmosphere of the week. Following the success of a new initiative in 2021, Cowes Classics Day on 26th June 2022 will see classic cars and classic power boats joining the classic yachts, creating a wonderful spectacle for like-minded enthusiasts of all things classic. cowesclassicsweek.org

BRITISH CLASSIC WEEK 16 – 23 July British Classic Week is the premier classic yacht regatta in the UK. Organised by the British Classic Yacht Club (BCYC), the event takes place from 16th – 23rd July 2022, attracting entries from all over the world and providing a breathtaking spectacle for onlookers. The fleet of up to 60 timelessly gorgeous yachts will do battle in a series of extremely technical and demanding races with both wind conditions and changeable tides testing the crews’ skills to the limits. The Solent races are absolutely unique, thanks to the historic backdrop provided by this corner of sailing heaven and the exceptional technical standard of the participants. Not forgetting, of course, that it was in this very stretch of sea between the Island off Cowes and the mainland that the America’s Cup was born. With racing organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron, spectators will be able to have a grandstand view of the six-race series, which includes a Nab Tower race on Monday 18th July. britishclassicweek.co.uk

ETCHELLS NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP National: 15 – 17 July | European: 2 – 4 September For more than 50 years the Etchells class has enjoyed solid and steady growth with over fifty active fleets worldwide. The National and European Championships will each see three days of racing on the Solent, run by The Royal Yacht Squadron, in preparation for the World Championship being held in September in the Solent. Class Secretary: Jan Ford. Contact: 07747 602707 or secretary@etchellsukfleet.co.uk etchellsukfleet.co.uk

British Classic Week. Chris Brown Photography

TAITTINGER ROYAL SOLENT YACHT CLUB REGATTA 22 – 24 July Following 14 years of sponsorship from Champagne Taittinger, this increasingly popular regatta records growing entries year on year and 2021 proved no different with a record entry of 202 boats. Hosted by the Royal Solent Yacht Club in the picturesque harbour town of Yarmouth, the regatta attracts a real mix of sailors and yachts and is popular for its fun vibe, combined with up to four exciting inshore races based in the Western Solent over the weekend. The legendary Taittinger Champagne Reception will return on the Friday evening and the Towers Party by kind permission of John Caulcutt will be on Saturday evening. The Royal Solent is looking forward to welcoming competitors old and new to the 2022 Taittinger Regatta.

COWES WEEK 30 July – 5 August 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. The seven-day regatta now stages around 40 daily races for up to 600 boats and has a varied race programme to suit the most competitively campaigned boats, cruiser racers, and everything in between; there’s something for everyone at this, the world’s best known sailing regatta. Cowes Week attracts thousands of competitors ranging from Olympic and worldclass professionals to weekend sailors, and in excess of 100,000 spectators come to watch the sailing, enjoy the social scene, and to experience the unique atmosphere. It’s a regatta that tests all the different sailing skills and also brings together sailors from all over the world for its hugely competitive racing. cowesweek.co.uk

HALF TON CLASSICS CUP 14 – 19 August The Royal Ocean Racing Club are delighted to have been chosen to host this week-long regatta for these much loved and competitive yachts. A mixture of windward-leewards and a race around the Isle of Wight will mean a busy but enjoyable week for the 30 expected boats. A full social programme is also planned for the RORC Cowes Clubhouse.

Cowes Week. Paul Wyeth

CHICHESTER HARBOUR RACE REGATTA WEEK 15 –19 August Come and join Chichester Harbour race week, hosted by Hayling Island Sailing Club, for some great racing over three race tracks, each offering a mixture of handicap and class starts. chichesterharbourraceweek.sailevent.net

FOLKBOAT WEEK 20 – 27 August Hosted by the Royal Solent Yacht Club in Yarmouth, 2022 sees the 57th year of this popular event. Folkboat Week, sponsored by Lymington Yacht Haven, has run every year since 1966 and has grown in popularity with large fleets based in Yarmouth and Lymington. Folkboat Week attracts both Nordic and Classic Folkboats.

COWES TORQUAY COWES INTERNATIONAL OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACE 2022 27 – 28 August 2022 will once again see the legendary Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Powerboat Race return. Teams from around the world are expected to line up at the Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes at approx 10am. The 200 Mile classic has long been recognised as one of powerboating’s toughest challenges and comparisons have been made with Le Mans and the Indy 500. A fleet of 25 boats are expected to start and if conditions are calm, the winner could complete the course in less than 3 hours. Starting 30 minutes later, there is a shorter race, The Cowes/Poole/Cowes, for boats that don’t have the required range for the CTC and this fleet will race from Cowes, past Bournemouth Pier and returning through the Western Solent. All Race boats can be viewed in the wet pits in Cowes Yacht Haven from Saturday 27th August. cowestorquaycowes.co.uk

LITTLE BRITAIN CHALLENGE CUP 9 – 10 September First started in 1988, the Little Britain Challenge Cup is the premier construction and property industry event. Taking place in Cowes, with racing run by the Island Sailing Club, the action-packed two-day regatta attracts a large cross-section of organisations and individuals who are involved in the property and building world. Classes for one-design boats, cruising and sports boats are organised. Based at Shepard’s Wharf Marina, crews can look forward to a great social programme after racing each evening. littlebritain.co.uk

SOUTHAMPTON INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW 16 – 25 September Join us for Southampton International Boat Show at Mayflower Park, Southampton from 16-25 September 2022. The show features everything the leisure marine industry has to offer. Ranging from paddleboards to superyachts, and all the products and services you need to enjoy life in, on or around the water!

2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, COWES 18 – 24 September The World Championship is being based in Cowes and raced in the Solent, run by the Royal Yacht Squadron, this will attract previous World Champions alongside many new hopefuls. Competitors will be coming from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, USA, Canada and the UK. For information please contact Class Secretary: Jan Ford. Contact: 07747 602707 or secretary@etchellsukfleet.co.uk

Southampton International Boat Show