The Cowes Week Show

The Royal Yacht Squadron is the most prestigious nautical club in the United Kingdom and possibly in the world. Its Casa-Club is located in the castle of Cowes on Wight Island in the United Kingdom. He is the patron of the Club Queen Elizabeth II and the Admiral Prince Philip. It was created on June 1, 1815 at the House Tavern in St James, London, by 42 fans interested in the sea sail. The founding partners decided to meet in London and in Cowes twice a year, to discuss sailing during dinner. It was essential to be a member of the Club to be an owner of a yacht of not less than 10 tons,..., this rule has now become that in order to access membership, it has to be a shipowner or regatist of recognized prestige, with a number of conditions of sports type. The Earl of Yarborough, later the first comandoro of the Royal Squadron, welcomed Prince Regent as a member in 1817. In 1820, when Prince Regent became George IV, Squadron acquired the title of Real. The Club began to organize the competition as a main feature of the annual race, which is now known as the Cowes Week.

In 1833 William IV changed the name of the current club: the Royal Yacht Squadron. His understanding with the Royal Navy began since his creation and Captain Nelson in Trafalgar, Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, led the list of Navy members. The spirit of invention led to yachts "of such speed in the navigation and beauty of the construction" that were useful for the Royal Navy. In 1829 the Admiralty issued an order to bear what is today the white flag of the Navy. The burgee (a flag with triangular identification of a member of the yacht club) is differentiated with a St. George Cross and the crown in a white background. Today, the Royal Yacht Squadron remains one of the most prestigious nautical clubs in the world after almost 200 years.

https: / / www.rys.org.uk /

In 2014, there were 763 participating ships of 33 different classes with more than 4,000 crew members

The beginning of the Cowes Week

Although the name 'Cowes Week' was used by the Royal Yacht Squadron Regata in the last century, it is really in 1826 that it can be said that the very story of the Squadron begins when the legendary "Jars of Cowes" are put into play to reward the winners of the races organized by the Club. The Squadron to the Southampton Town and Country Herald on July 31, 1826 his intention to organize a sailing yacht race with the name of the Gold Cup, then valued at 100 pounds. The competition would start on Thursday, August 10, and was open to yachts of any design or tonnage. The registration costs were two pounds. The race began with a gunshot through the Cowes Castle. The coastal-type tour consisted of turning after the departure to a flattened ship, the Yarmouth, from there to a flattened buoy in front of the Southsea Castle,..., then turning two black buoys on the channel and surrounding the Castle Cowes before concluding. Among the instructions to the participants it was stipulated that the yachts mapped to port should give way to the mapped to starboard. The maximum tonnage to admit a yacht in this first edition was 40 tons and no limit was placed on the sails to be used in the race. The awards were awarded at 30 pounds for the first, 20 for the second, 12 for the third, 8 for the fourth and for the other two pounds. In the Gold Cup seven were the participating yachts, on August 10:MENAI, 163 tons; Thomas Asseton Smith Esq ELIZABETH, 55 tonnes; Daniel Magniac Esq ESMERALDA, 63 tonnes; JL Symonds Esq FLECHA, 83 tons; Joseph solder Esq HARRIET, 95 tons; Count of Belfast 42-ton ELIZABETH; Count of Darnley DELFIN, 58 Tons; Captain Philip Browne RN ARROW, the favorite, won the HARRIET for 3 minutes, being the third MENAI.