Visit Cowes

23/08/2024

Gotta be here to see it feel it hear it

23/08/2024

Down at the pits... the Formula 1 of water racing... hear it see it feel it. British Powerboat Racing Club with great views from Pinnacle Suites Hotel and The Bird Bar Cowes overlooking Cowes Yacht Haven and the Cowes Harbour Commission

16/08/2024

The changing Cowes streetscape since the mid 1800's where the Pinnacle Suites Hotel is now situated. Once a hotel and now back to being a hotel and many things in between.
images credited to Cowes Heritage

15/08/2024

Something I need to say: Although a majority of people I come in contact have positive feelings toward our huge invetment in the Cowes town area, regenerating an asbestos contaminated old 1950's Natwest bank building, opening multiple niche retail stores in a themed arcade to developing a wonderfully unique boutique hotel with great design elements, function and meeting facilities so absent locally and incorporating an intriguing Bird Bar with direct harbour views. Meanwhile we have kept scores of local tradesmen employed throughout the covid chaos until the present, provided employment to our fantastic new team members and meet wonderful guests who regale us with their global travel stories and become our friends. We seem to have hit the spot for corporate visitors with our world standard facility. Our semi retirement investment is not quite semi. But our sentiments were, let's create somewhere we would want to stay and maybe others will also.

Unfortunately... there are some negatives against what we are doing. What I am posting is already on the publc record and available in detail on the IOW Council Planning Portal (ref 24/00894/FUL ). A recent criticism that leaves me perplexed and deserving of a reply as per the attached images. There are also some within the Cowes Town Council who are dead against such development, maybe they wish Cowes to become another town suffering from a lack of investment or dying high streets and rundown vacant buildings?

For context we proposed an open air seating area with shade sails to create a sailing themed visage that hide the ugly steel containers and stacked yacht storage cradles that welcome water based visitors. Alas... its not to be.. with some questionable decisions and objections to which I am entitled to reject and / or refute. at the same time shed a little light on the challenges.

03/08/2024

That's a wrap...Cowes Week for 2025... bring on 2025

28/07/2024

Countdown to zero and make it so. Some during and final result, with some fine tuning enhancements to do. Please feel free to call in and experience tranquility of the finer side of life. The Bird Bar Cowes with direct harbour views now open to guests, visitors and the community. High St, Cowes.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/HumaNGrChE9en2w1/

17/07/2024

Pirates and Mermaids, Cowes this weekend, come on down town.

16/07/2024

Pirates landing Saturday 20th July

30/06/2024

Saturday 20th July... the Cowes High St will be invaded. Aye me hearties... the Pirates are coming... plan your day and join the festivities.. come as your favourite... Jack Sparrow? or maybe a Mermaid is your thing...

29/06/2024

Cowes Torquay Cowes Race takes on a new look
by Powerboat P1 28 Jun 11:45

Powerboat P1, the international marine motorsport promoter, and the British Powerboat Racing Club (BPRC) have jointly announced a new partnership for this year's Cowes Torquay Cowes offshore powerboat race that sees P1 provide marketing, communications and sponsorship support for the 63rd staging of the famous event in August.

Based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the British Powerboat Racing Club organises the Cowes Torquay race which has been running since 1961. This was the first powerboat race outside the USA and is the longest running race in the world. Held every year over the August Bank Holiday weekend with international teams competing in different classes, the race covers a challenging 210-mile course along the south coast of England. Boats reach speeds in excess of 100mph, with the fleet racing non-stop to Torquay on the South Devon coast, where the teams will stop for approximately 90 minutes to the delight of local crowds, before returning non-stop to Cowes.

Earlier this month Powerboat P1 announced details of a unique agreement with Experience Kissimmee that sees the world-famous tourism destination in Central Florida sponsor both UIM Class 1 offshore racing and this year's Cowes Torquay Cowes event.
"We are thrilled with the evolution of our established partnership with P1 and joining the historic and prestigious Cowes endurance race in the UK presents another exciting opportunity for us to spotlight Kissimmee and its family-friendly attractions in one of our top international visitor markets," commented DT Minich, President/CEO of Experience Kissimmee.

Since the company was founded in 2002, P1 has staged more than 700 marine motorsport races in 19 countries on 4 continents and its CEO Azam Rangoonwala said: "With our worldwide head office in England and our international race headquarters in Florida less than 40 miles from Kissimmee, these twin partnerships are an exciting development for us. Our role will focus on the wider digital marketing and social media opportunity this famous event presents and on defining the value proposition going forward. We will aim to maintain and build existing partnerships, both commercial and media, and to extend the reach of the communications programme."

Christian Toll, Vice Chairman of the BPRC, commented: "We are delighted to be working with Powerboat P1 and Experience Kissimmee this year for the running of the longest, toughest and most famous offshore powerboat race in the world. The team at P1 brings a wealth of top-level racing experience.

Following tradition, the newly-named Cowes Powerboat Festival will be held over the Bank Holiday weekend in late August and this year will see three races staged over two days. The BPRC, Powerboat P1 and Experience Kissimmee very much look forward to welcoming all competitors and spectators to the ultimate in powerboating activity."

The racing fleet will assemble at Cowes Yacht Haven for scrutineering and safety inspection on Friday 23 August. The Cowes Torquay Cowes race will start at 9.30 the following morning (Saturday 24 August) followed immediately afterwards by the Cowes Poole Cowes race at 10.00am.

Both races will start off the Squadron Line, Egypt Point, in the Solent. Sunday will see the start of the Round the Island Race at 10.00am, a unique event that the founders of the BPRC started in 1968 for all sizes of both race and leisure boats, old and new.

The President of the BPRC is Steve Curtis MBE, considered by many to be the best international powerboat racer of all time. The multiple world champion, who won his first Class 1 World Championship title in 1985 at the age of 21, would often watch the Cowes Torquay Cowes event with his father, Clive.
"It's always been a big part of my life," explained Steve "and my father won the race in 1969. To have the race back under the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) banner and partnering with P1 is a great move and exciting for powerboat racing in the UK. Remember that this is the most famous marathon race in the world - it's been running every year since 1961. Racing fans can now follow it on social media from anywhere in the world and we are planning on building the event into a true spectacle over the next few years. The hard work has already started."
Powerboat P1 promotes the UIM Class 1 World Championship and one of Steve's Class 1 racing colleagues in the United States is 29-year-old Alex Pratt from Florida. Alex travelled to England last year to compete in the Cowes Torquay Cowes race with his English friend Rob Lockyer and he will return in August.

"I'm very happy to see P1 partnering with the BPRC, said Alex. "They do an outstanding job and we as racers truly appreciate their role in the sport. I will be back on the island to compete in the Good Boy Vodka boat and I'm hugely optimistic about our chances!"

Pinnacle Suites Hotel right in the centre of the action welcomes participants and spectators.

22/06/2024

Isle of Wight County Press FESTIVAL highlights.

19/06/2024

of wight festival
Cowes Floating Bridge timetable
From Cowes — Tomorrow (Thursday, June 20): first ferry leaves 5am, last ferry leaves 12.20am; Friday, June 21: first ferry 5am, last ferry 1.20am; Saturday, June 22: first ferry 5am, last ferry 1.20am; Sunday, June 23: first ferry 6.30am, last ferry 1.20am; Monday, June 24: first ferry 5am, last ferry 12.20am.

From East Cowes — Tomorrow (Thursday, June 20): first ferry leaves 5.10am, last ferry leaves 12.10am; Friday, June 21: first ferry 5.10am, last ferry 1.10am; Saturday, June 22: first ferry 5.10am, last ferry 1.10am; Sunday, June 23: first ferry 6.40am, last ferry 1.10am; Monday, June 24: first ferry 5.10am, last ferry 12.10am.

For details of the revised operating hours updates will be found on the Floating Bridge website.

17/06/2024

Isle of Wight Festival Travel Update...

Details of changes to traffic and travel arrangements have been released ahead of the Isle of Wight Festival.

About 55,000 people are expected to descend on Seaclose Park, Newport, for the four-day event which begins on Thursday

Among the road layout changes, there will be a one-way system in place along Fairlee Road from lunchtime on Wednesday.

All outbound traffic from Newport will be directed up Staplers Road.

Residents are being urged to avoid the main festival traffic routes until next Tuesday.

Isle of Wight Council said in the event of an incident on the roads or a festival entrance being blocked, there were diversion routes available and vehicles could be temporarily stacked away from the main roads

Shuttle bus services will also be in operation, linking the festival site and ferry ports as well as other towns across the island.

The Cowes Floating Bridge - which has recently resumed service after an electrical fault - will be operating an extended timetable during the weekend of the festival, although.

Some council services will also be altered over the duration of the festival.

The Register Office Marriage Room on Fairlee Road will temporarily move to County Hall in Newport, with all civil ceremonies will be held there.

The council's planning offices will be closed to the public, as will the Medina Theatre and Medina Leisure Centre.

Headline acts for the festival include Green Day, The Prodigy, Pet Shop Boys and Keane

13/06/2024

‘The' Classics Regatta July 8th -12th

Cowes Classics Week returns for 16th edition 2024,

Up to 5 courses promises clean air and an exciting five day event, featuring many classic classes including:
Darings, Dragons, Squibs and Bembridge One Designs, as well as the XOD classes.

Racing starts at Cowes on Monday 8th July 2024. Entries are growing - there is still time to ENTER!

https://www.cowesclassicsweek.org/regatta-entry/entry-guidance






All welcome to
Pinnacle Suites Hotel
The Bird Bar Cowes
The Gin

Cowes Classics Week is the leading regatta for classic racing sailboats and will be next held 6 to 12 July 2024.

12/06/2024

COWES VIBRANT HIGH STREET WELCOMES THE Round the Island Race

9 Isle of Wight seaside spots to see Round the Island Race

ROUND THE ISLAND RACE
By Reece Barrett
Isle of Wight County Press reporter.

Thousands of sailors will flock to Cowes, hoping to make their mark when the Round the Island Race returns Saturday, June 15.

The annual 90-year-old spectacle, for amateur and professional yachtsmen and women, will see competitors follow a 50 nautical mile course, anti-clockwise, around the Island.
Teams will compete for one of over 100 trophies.

A mix of Olympians, professional race teams, amateurs and families will be out on the water, challenged to break the existing course records of 3h 43m 50s for a monohull boat and 2h 22m 23s for multihulls.

Scroll down to see the nine best places to watch the Round the Island Race from the Isle of Wight...in The Round The Island Race.

Photos by Paul Wyeth

Here are the best places to watch the Round the Island Race from the Isle of Wight:

The race starts and finishes in Cowes.
Between 6am and 7:20am, off Cowes, boats will begin the event in ten groups, at ten minute intervals.

Yachts will then head west towards Yarmouth and come into view from Sconce Point, at 7:30am to 10am.
They will cruise around The Needles between 8am and 11:30am, before passing Chilton Chine from 8:45am to 12am.
Yachts will head to St Catherine’s Point, where they will race past the lighthouse, between 9:30am and 1:30pm.
Those in Ventnor will get a great view from the La Falaise Car Park from 9:45am to 2pm.
Spectators will be able to see the yachts from Shore Road Car Park in Bonchurch and Culver Down between 10am and 3:30pm.
The best place to catch the end of the race will be at Ryde Pier, where viewers can see competition near its end, between 11:30am and 4:30pm.

What else is happening onshore on the Isle of Wight during the Round the Island Race?

Onshore, meanwhile, expect music and entertainment.

Spectators will also be able to follow the competition online from home through the event website’s ‘Race Viewer.

The globally renowned Round the Island Race has named the RNLI as its official charity.
Donations raised will help train volunteer crews at stations at Cowes, Yarmouth and Bembridge, as well as in Hampshire and Dorset.

A drone view of The Round The Island Race, by Paul Wyeth. (Image: Paul Wyeth)

Pinnacle Suites Cowes Town Central The Gin Joint The Bird Bar Cowes Sails of Cowes Cowes Yacht Haven Cowes Harbour Commission Cowes People Cowes, Northwood & Gurnard Community Notice Board Cowes High Street

18/05/2024

Its on today!
Where is your best viewing spot?
Powerboats take on a 60 mile course around the Isle of Wight, this lunchtime, in the opening round of the 2024 UKOPRA Offshore Championship.

The Round the Island Offshore Powerboat race will see twenty teams, from across the UK and Sweden, competing for titles in classes 1, 1L, 2 and 3.

Ahead of the green flag, the fleet will travel to the East Lepe buoy, off Gurnard, at about 11.15am on Saturday, from Shamrock Quay in Southampton.

From 12.30pm, there will be a rolling start.

Where are the best Isle of Wight spectator spots for the Round the Island Offshore Powerboat on Saturday, May 18

The race starts off Gurnard's Egypt Point, at 12.30pm

On the Isle of Wight, spot the powerboats from Yarmouth Pier, Fort Victoria, The Needles, St Catherine's Lighthouse and Ryde Pier
They will also be visible from Hurst Castle in Hampshire.

credits: County Press,
Lucy Morgan
Co-editor

17/05/2024

If you prefer your racing with added spice 🌶 this weekend sees the first round of the UKOPRA season and they're kicking it off Round The Island style this year.

On Saturday, 20 hugely powerful boats from across the UK and Europe will take the start at 12.30 off East Lepe with the fastest boats likley to make the anti-clockwise Round The Island trip in under 45 minutes!

Check out the UKOPRA website and social media pages for up-to-date info

📸

28/04/2024

Little Britain Challenge update courtesy of Robert Klaschka, Chairperson at Little Britain Challenge Cup...

BOOM - STOP PRESS!!! Welcome to the first ten boats entered in Little Britain Challenge Cup 2024. Thank you so much for supporting the event Parkeray Ltd, Gleeds, Buro Happold, Grimshaw, Ambar Kelly, Domus Group, JAW Sustainability, IOTA ASSOCIATES LIMITED and Brown & Carroll (London) Ltd (with two boats!) Lots more to announce in the weeks to come with some more big names in the line up, so watch this space.

Don't miss out on construction and property's premiere event for yacht racing, team building, networking and fun while supporting the event charities.

Visit our website for the latest updates on the regatta programme, to start your entry, join our mailign list, or to download race documents.
https://lnkd.in/gHbWG4Un

16/04/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/dYK4TkcDecuwft7E/

26/03/2024

Visit Cowes this Easter Weekend

Staycation at Pinnacle Suites direct saver bookings www.pinnaclesuites.co.uk and enjoy all that's Cowes.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/oNTrUGtZnz7ciVqs/

Experience exquisite and stylish accommodation at Pinnacle Suites, located in the centre of Cowes, Isle of Wight. Our luxury mezzanine room suites and king rooms provide the perfect stay for the discerning traveller. Book now and enjoy the adjacent Cowes Yacht Haven marina and stunning views of the....