The history of Cowes Week is also a story of royal passion. For generations, members of the Royal Family have played a key role in the regatta – as sailors, patrons and organisers.
King Edward VII and High Society
Edward VII (1841–1910) invited representatives of European royal families to Cowes Week, transforming the regatta into a meeting place for high society. “He was extremely competitive and very sociable,” says Victoria Preston, curator and deputy chair of the Classic Boat Museum.
In 1893, he had the legendary ‘Britannia’ built. His duel with his nephew, Emperor Wilhelm II, attracted particular attention – he initially defeated him on several occasions before Wilhelm gained the upper hand with the new ‘Meteor II’.
Find out more about 200 years of Cowes Week:
The “Sailor King”
Georg V (1865–1936), known as the ‘Sailor King’, inherited the ‘Britannia’ from his father and ran her with genuine passion. He was not merely the owner; he also lent a hand on board. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he significantly boosted the prestige and popularity of Cowes Week – local businesses such as the sailmaker Ratsey & Lapthorn benefited directly: they produced several sets of sails for the ‘Britannia’.
In 1931, the ‘Britannia’ was refitted with a Bermuda rig to replace its cutter rig, in the hope that it would be able to keep up with the other J-class yachts. But this plan did not work out, says Preston. The boat’s balance suffered as a result of the change. The mast was now positioned too far forward, and the yacht could no longer keep up when sailing close to the wind. When George V died in 1936, he stipulated that the “Britannia” should be scuttled off the south coast of the Isle of Wight – no one else was to own her, let alone sail her.
Prince Philip and passion
Prince Philip (1921–2021) left his mark on the regatta in a different way. As an active sailor on the ‘Bluebottle’ (Dragon), the ‘Coweslip’ (Flying Fifteen) and ‘Bloodhound’ (63-foot Camper & Nicholson), he was directly involved in the action on the water – in 1956, ‘Bluebottle’ even won an Olympic bronze medal.
Later, Philip sailed regularly on various ‘Yeomen’ yachts, including in the Queen’s Cup at Cowes Week. His greatest achievement, however, was to to bring together fragmented regattas under a single set of rules, thereby laying the foundations for the modern major event.
Since then, the clubs have been working together, following the same rules and with most starts taking place from the Squadron. “It shouldn’t make any difference who fires the starting gun,” says Sheila Caws, a historian and author from Cowes.
“That was a crucial development at the time, and that’s still how it’s handled today.”
Princess Anne is keeping the tradition alive
From a royal perspective, Princess Anne (born 1950) succeeded Prince Philip. She is now the face of the Crown. She is less active as a sailor, but can be seen at official engagements, says Caws. She continues to uphold the royal tradition of Cowes Week to this day. As Admiral of the Yacht Squadron, she holds a historically significant position. In her private life, she is said to sail a Rustler 42.
Fabian Boerger
Editor News & Panorama
