Cowes Tourist Guide Isle of Wight Cowes Week Sailing Competition

Cowes Tourist Information

Cowes is the Isle of Wight's most northerly town. The River Medina splits the towns of Cowes on the west bank of the river and East Cowes on the east. Cowes is one of the main sailing centres in the world. Accordingly much of the town's attraction lies in its sailing and yachting activities and heritage. You can find out more about Cowes sailing heritage by visiting Cowes Maritime Museum. The Museum exhibits a range of model boats as well as Uffa Fox's famous yacht Avenger. It also holds a comprehensive photographic and paper archive that tells the story of yachting and shipbuilding in Cowes - this is available to view by appointment only.

Cowes Maritime Museum, Cowes Library, Beckford Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 7SG. Tel: 01983 823433.

The town attracts visitors from all over the world and is a good place to start is the Tourist Information Office handily located at the ferry terminal in the centre of Cowes. It is open April-October. Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm. Sunday 10am-3.30pm. Cowes Tourist Information, Fountain Quay, Cowes. PO31 7AR.

West Cowes is the more traditional town here and the narrow streets are evocative of a typical seafaring town. However, many of the shops and restaurants hint at the cosmopolitan clientele that are attracted to the town for anchorage and sailing competitions.

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Cowes Week

Cowes Week is the biggest event in the yachting calendar and is the oldest annual sailing regatta in the world - running since 1826. It's exclusivity was sealed by the patronage of the Prince Regent and the royal family have continued to attend since.

Cowes Week takes place at the beginning of August and attracts around 100,000 spectators to the island. The eight day event includes a host of sailing competitions in which 1,000 boats take part. The social side of the event attracts royalty, celebrities and mariners from around the world attending a whole host of parties in the venues and restaurants in and around Cowes itself. The whole event has a fun festival atmosphere whether you're on the A-list or not.

The races are quite some spectacle to watch and you can book onto spectator boats to get the best view of the action. Check out the Cowes Week weblink right for more information. The best vantage point on land for the racing start lines is at Cowes Parade. It is also the central information point for Cowes Week and you can sign up for a free sailing taster session. Street entertainment, live music, a champagne seafood and oyster bar, the Sail for Gold bar and BBQ keep the crowds fed, watered and entertained. Cowes Yacht Haven is the social centre for the event where yachtsmen and spectators alike can mix amongst the champagne bar, beer tent and food court. There is also a range of retail outlets and of course live entertainment to add to the festival feel.

Racing enquiries are fielded by the Regatta Office at18 Bath Road, Cowes, behind the Bandstand on Cowes Parade. For participants and friends the Shepherds Wharf Marina is the hub for live screen coverage of the events, Crew Bar, live entertainment, restaurant and Infernos Crew Nightclub with themed club nights. The whole event culminates in a fantastic firework display with an amazing display over the water.

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Ferries to Cowes from Southampton - Cowes Chain Link Ferry

Connecting East Cowes to Cowes is Cowes Ferry, a chain link ferry also known as the Floating Bridge. It operates every day of the year from 5am on Mondays-Saturdays and 6.35am on Sundays. The ferry takes foot passengers, cars, lorries and motorcycles until around midnight. You cannot pre-book but just turn up and board. Crossings are free to foot passengers and cyclists. Tolls are applicable for vehicles and are collected on board.

Red Funnel Ferries run the Red Jet Hi-Speed passenger catamarans service to Cowes. It's a foot passenger ferry service only and you don't even need to book - just turn up and travel. The journey takes just 23 minutes and runs throughout the year, seven days a week.

Car ferry services run from Southampton into East Cowes. Check our East Cowes page for more information.

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Gurnard Bay Beach

Just around the coast from Cowes is Gurnard Bay. It's a small settlement where the shingle beach is the attraction particularly for swimming for all the family and watersports such as windsurfing and dinghy sailing. Beach huts line the beach and make an excellent place for watching the sailing go by. A cafe and pub provide refreshments and there's a slipway for launching boats.

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