Sunbeams to race at Cowes Classic Week 2013 in their 90th year
by Solent Sunbeam class 9 Jul 2013 11:29 BST
15-19 July 2013
Cowes Classic Week is nearly here, and this means the Solent Sunbeam fleet leave the comfort of Chichester Harbour and race to Cowes, IOW for some different racing.
There are expected to be 18 yachts racing during Classic Week - the highest number in the 5-year history of the Regatta.
The Week long racing begins with the race from Chichester Harbour to Cowes (about 20 miles) on Sat 13th July, followed by Dinner at the Royal Corinthian YC and the presentation of the Dainty Dish - an engraved silver salver. Gayle Palmer in Little Lady will be trying to hold onto her win from last year.
The following day, in a departure from tradition, the fleet races from Cowes to "Coronation" buoy, off Hamble to then go up the river to the Royal Southern YC for lunch and a cruise in company back to Cowes. This is for the "Honey Pot Trophy". The Sunbeams were conceived at Hamble River SC by three yachtsmen Messrs Dawson, Leith and Lubbock wanting to create a local racing fleet of One Design yachts on the Hamble River and so we wanted to mark this with a trip back to our early beginnings. Most of the Sunbeams were built at Woodnutts' Yard in St Helens, IOW though. Later the boats were dispersed all over the Solent (and abroad from time to time) Baltic, Channel Islands and the Caribbean etc
Monday 15th July sees the 175th Anniversary of the Royal London and this year the Solent Sunbeams have been honoured with receiving the huge, beautiful, silver Queen Victoria Jubilee Cup, in this, their 90th year.
www.cowesclassicsweek.org