| The Regatta Office Registrations at the start of the week must be completed at the Regatta Office (18 Bath Road, behind the Bandstand on Cowes Parade). This acts as the central hub of information for all racing related queries. It is also where protests will be heard after racing each day – you can check the EventTV screens throughout Cowes for details of when your protest will be heard, or if you have been protested. EventTV screens can be found at a variety of locations throughout Cowes. Black Group & White Group Skandia Cowes Week differentiates the smaller open day boats which are referred to as white group, and the larger boats (mainly with cabins) that are referred to as black group. Sailing Instructions With over 1000 boats racing across almost 40 classes, the sailing instructions for Skandia Cowes Week are generally more complex than other regattas. So the first and most important piece of advice is to read the Sailing Instructions (SI’s) thoroughly, read them again, and then get someone else on the boat to read them too! Navigation Restrictions Don’t get caught out! Every year, many boats are penalised unnecessarily because they go through restricted areas – read the SI’s. Start Lines Most starts happen off the Royal Yacht Squadron line, although please read your SI’s carefully as some starts will be from a committee boat line. If you are starting from the committee boat line, make sure you listen to the VHF from 0900 to ascertain where the line is likely to be – also check the boards by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club as you leave the harbour. Please bear in mind that it may take considerable time to get to your start depending on where the line is positioned, so do allow plenty of time. In certain weather conditions, White Group classes will have their starts split between the Royal Yacht Squadron line and the Skandia barge line. Read the SI’s to ensure you know which line you will be using. Courses Courses are designed each day taking into account the weather forecast, tidal streams, and speed of each class of boat. Courses are broadcast just after your warning signal via VHF for Black Group and via course boards for the White Group. Courses are also sent via text to mobile phones, where you have registered your mobile phone details with us – this must be done in advance via the entry form or let us know by the Thursday prior to the start of the Week Finish Lines The Black Group fleet will normally finish off the Royal Yacht Squadron line using alpha or beta as the Outer Distance Mark (ODM), while the White Group fleet will finish on the Skandia barge line just to the east of the entrance to Cowes. Retirement If you retire from a race for any reason, please let us know either by calling on VHF 77 or by phoning the Regatta Centre on 01983 295744. Declarations One aspect of the SI’s that is often overlooked by first-timers on day one of racing, is the need to sign a declaration before the deadline after each day of racing. The declaration needs to have your finish time and ideally should include details of the sail number of the boat ahead and the boat astern of you at the finish regardless of class. Read your SI’s carefully! Declarations are needed for a number of reasons: - If the race officers on the finish line fail to spot you finishing among all the other boats, this is a way of getting reinstated.
- If there are urgent messages for anyone on your boat, the system ensures that someone from the boat can be contacted at least once a day.
Declarations can either be completed: - In person at the Regatta Centre (a crew member can be dropped off at Trinity Landing in order to do this)
- Online via the internet kiosks located at Shepards Wharf Marina (crew bar), Cowes Yacht Haven (marina office) or Cowes Parade (Liz Earle retail unit), or simply from the comfort of home.
- Via WAP on your mobile phone, simply point your phone to the event website in order to get the pda version of the site.
Identification With so many boats racing, and many others cruising round the Solent, identifying all the boats for starts and finishes can be difficult. Be sensible and carry all the required means of identification including class flags, class numerals (handicap classes), sail number dodgers on the guard rails etc. as appropriate. Failure to do so may result in your boat being marked as ‘Not Seen to Finish’, which is frustrating! Cowes Radio Cowes Radio do a fantastic job of following the racing and providing commentary, quasi-official information on courses, updates on racing, plus interviews etc on 87.7FM. Competitors generally find this a great source of information.
Cowes Radio is also broadcast on the public announcement system along the Green and Cowes Parade. | 
