Solent in Cowes Week

landlockedpirate

landlockedpirate

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Looking for some 1st hand experience of the Solent during Cowes week. We have this week arranged to spend some time on the boat with friends, the dates cant be changed.

Our friends always wanted to try the Solent and thats where we have arranged to go, I didnt realise that this year they had moved the regatta dates :(

Whats it really like ? I realise that Cowes and the Medina will be bedlam, but can you get berths in other places ? Thinking of Yarmouth, Lymington, Gunwharf, Beaulieu etc.

The fireworks will be a decent night but is it really worth the problems ? Should I run away as fast as I can and take the boat somewhere else ?

Cheers
 
Things do get a bit busier, but there is the effect of "everybody thinks Cowes week will be madness so we'll stay away", so the net result is not as mad as it might otherwise be. As for getting around in a mobo, it's not a smart move to be near the start lines, as you might find yourself having to simultaneously give way to 30 sailing yachts converging on your position from 30 different directions (don't ask me how I know that :o). But you can get a spectacular view of the racing from the side of the courses.

West Cowes is a non-starter, unless you have prebooked (I think you have to book for the week), but I haven't had a problem elsewhere. I often phone ahead to see what the state of play is, and so long as you turn up in the early afternoon, you should be able to get a berth.

As to the fireworks, that's not confirmed for this year: every year the £50k required is scraped together from somewhere to make it happen, although this year I think there's a very real possibility of it "not happening". This really is bedlam on the water (when it finishes: best to stay put for a few mins until things calm down), but is worth doing once.

dv.
 
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I've done Cowes Week by using East Cowes and The Folly. I've even been able to get into West Cowes on occasions - once with Cowes Yacht Haven, and once just before the floating bridge on the West Site - I forget the name...

It's not always as bad as you might think, but as suggested above Cowes Yacht Haven tends to be very full.

Cheers,
Paul
 
landlockedpirate said:
Looking for some 1st hand experience of the Solent during Cowes week. We have this week arranged to spend some time on the boat with friends, the dates cant be changed.

Our friends always wanted to try the Solent and thats where we have arranged to go, I didnt realise that this year they had moved the regatta dates :(

Whats it really like ? I realise that Cowes and the Medina will be bedlam, but can you get berths in other places ? Thinking of Yarmouth, Lymington, Gunwharf, Beaulieu etc.

The fireworks will be a decent night but is it really worth the problems ? Should I run away as fast as I can and take the boat somewhere else ?

Cheers
Click to expand...
If your friends want to see the Solent, I wouldnt take them that week. If you can motor 200 metres in a straight line you will have done well. Everything is just busy; the water, the pubs, the marinas. All the mobos are therefore filling up whatever locations that the sailing boats arent going ;)
It wont be a disaster, but hardly a quiet relaxing weekend.
Fireworks are quite late in the evening.
Expect 100s of mobos and ribs to be racing back to marinas and the sea to be boiling with wash,as skippers impress their mates with their high speed helmanship after 500 beers ;)
Obviously that is the week a mobo has NO rights on the water, so expect to see plenty of testosterone filled sailing boat skippers sailing through your swim platform .
 
gjgm said:
If your friends want to see the Solent, I wouldnt take them that week. If you can motor 200 metres in a straight line you will have done well. Everything is just busy; the water, the pubs, the marinas. All the mobos are therefore filling up whatever locations that the sailing boats arent going ;)
It wont be a disaster, but hardly a quiet relaxing weekend.
Fireworks are quite late in the evening.
Expect 100s of mobos and ribs to be racing back to marinas and the sea to be boiling with wash,as skippers impress their mates with their high speed helmanship after 500 beers ;)
Obviously that is the week a mobo has NO rights on the water, so expect to see plenty of testosterone filled sailing boat skippers sailing through your swim platform .
Click to expand...

A little negative... for sheer spectacle there's probably no better week to show someone the Solent..... and there's plenty of water slightly off the beaten track for those who want it.....
 
Cowes Week

Great opportunity to see the Solent in full fizz.
Book for one night in East Cowes, take the water taxi down to experience the excitement of a town in full regatta mode. Pre-book your restaurant now, or eat back on board.
Other nights you can choose from the usual regulars - Yarmouth, Beaulieu, Lymington - pretty much as usual for high season, but less raggies, more mobos.
Crossing the Solent by day is more complicated. Racing probably doesn't start till 11.00am and mostly finishes by 4 or 5pm, so this is the busy time. If you haven't got much yacht racing experience, why not invite on board a friend who has done Cowes week? They can take a look at the Sailing Instructions, confirm racing times and advise you how best to stay clear of the fleets of racing yachts. They can also tell you where to position yourself safely near a racing mark where some of the fun action is likely to occur. (Spinnaker drop marks are a favourite with my guests.) I dare say you and your other friends will find it much more interesting with a bit of knowledge.
Still worth brushing up on Colregs!!
 
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If you avoid Cowes, the top end of the Medina, and the first two Hamble River marinas (Port Hamble & Hamble Point), you will avoid most of the excessive racing traffic and mayhem. We've always found that much of the rest of the solent destinations are surprisingly quiet.

Also, some viewing of the yacht racing can be spectacular and worth a look on a sunny day.

We have found that crossing the mid-Solent during Cowes week, on a windy day, when there are a number of races in full flow, can be a bit tricky, and one has to be very alert.

Cheers

Garold
 
Thanks for the comments everyone, I have done a bit of raggie racing in dingys and cruising classes so have a vague idea of the regs :D

I think I will chance it.
 
Look at a chart to find out:
1. Where the Bramble bank is
2. Where the start line is
3. Where the moving exclusion zone is

There are usually berths available at the Folly. It is busy, but you can always thread your way through the traffic to get in and out of the river. Even easier now the small craft channel through the East Cowes moorings has been established.
 
landlockedpirate said:
The fireworks will be a decent night but is it really worth the problems ? Should I run away as fast as I can and take the boat somewhere else ?

Cheers
Click to expand...

I boated around the Solent last year around the Cowes week, found it busier as expected, I am not in to raggy racing but I loved the buzz of Cowes itself, to be fair I did use the rib more than my fly bridge so can't comment on getting a mooring on the island, mored the rib up without to much trouble, the fire works and the atmosphere out on the water was fantastic, would recommend doing that to anyone.
 
Keen_Ed said:
No fireworks this year.

http://www.cowes.co.uk/Cowes_Week_2012_fireworks_cancelled.aspx
Click to expand...

They've been saying that for the past handful of years, someone stumps up the necessary at the eleventh hour, without the pyrotechnics it wouldn't be Cowes week and I'm sure they realise it.

On the mainland at Lepe and Calshot beaches Friday night bonfires and barbys, most years previously you couldn't get a fag paper between the vehicles down there!

Thousands go to the island just for the Friday night display, giving untold sums of money across the bars in Cowes and surrounding area.

It will be sad if they don't find the dough, but I think they will somehow.
 
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