First-ever Ladies Day and Skandia Cowes Week

by Peta Stuart-Hunt on 19 Jun 2006 As the organisers of Skandia Cowes Week finalise their plans for the running of the 180th Regatta and the first-ever Ladies Day in the Event's history, they have revealed some of the activities and events being held to mark Ladies Day in Cowes on Thursday, 3rd August.

In addition to the presentation of the inaugural Skandia Cowes Week Ladies Day Trophy at a special reception in the evening (all nominations need to be made via the Event website at: www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk), the Event sponsors have been busy making plans to support Ladies Day.

Skandia has arranged for two of its UKSA/Try Sailing yachts to be managed by women instructors for the day and these yachts are reserved specifically to provide free sailing lessons for females aged eight and over.

We are all familiar with hats being the scene stealers on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot. Well, Ladies Day @ Skandia Cowes Week will have a special focus on...FEET! Supporting sponsor Timberland is running a Fancy Feet competition and more details will shortly be available via the Event website at www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk

The Event Media team, amongst others, will be sporting pretty pink t-shirts, courtesy of Henri-Lloyd.

Champagne G.H. Mumm is offering discounted Mumm Rosé throughout Ladies Day at their waterfront bar in Cowes Yacht Haven.

The Ellen MacArthur Trust is running a ‘Best Ladies’ time competition as part of its Virtual Skipper game on the stand on Cowes Parade.

Cowes Yachting Magazine is staging a Fashion Show extravaganza on the main stage in Cowes Yacht Haven in the afternoon. This will showcase the latest fashions to suit every requirement during Skandia Cowes Week, ranging from sailing gear through to beachwear, casuals and the high fashion labels being worn at the Week’s most exclusive cocktail parties and yacht club balls.


Commemorative merchandise

For the 180th Anniversary, Cowes Combined Clubs are introducing a limited edition range of commemorative merchandise in celebration of the heritage of the Event. Items including mugs, t-shirts, notebooks, notecards and prints will be available for purchase from the Event Information Point on Cowes Parade, the Regatta Office in Bath Road, and Ocean World on Cowes High Street.

Yarmouth-Cowes-Yarmouth
Organisers lay on bus service

For 2006, Cowes Combined Clubs are working in partnership with Southern Vectis to provide a Skandia Cowes Week Direct Express Bus Service between Yarmouth and Cowes. The buses will be scheduled to coincide with the Wightlink ferry service arriving in Yarmouth from Lymington and will operate each day of the Event (29 July – 5 August) from approx 08:00 until 21:00. Full timetable details can be found on the Skandia Cowes Week website.

Camp Kerala returns to Cowes
Described as ‘the most elegant and romantic place to stay outside India’

Last year Camp Kerala came to Skandia Cowes Week fresh from its success at the Glastonbury Festival to test whether the demand for this style of luxury was called for during our world famous regatta. It was a huge success. It’s back in all its tented glory this year and pitched on a great new site up at Cowes High School, a short walk from the centre of Cowes.

The creative and business brain behind Camp Kerala is Jenny Lederman who says of Skandia Cowes Week:

'We feel this is an event that is creating an enormous amount of worldwide interest and support (50% of our guests last year were from outside of the UK). It is an event which is run like clockwork, backed by one of the most efficient teams and their dedicated sponsors. Camp Kerala has been approached by numerous events around the country all hoping to get us to pitch our tents at their events but after our experience in Cowes last year, we had no problem in deciding where we were going to be in the first week of August this year. We are very pleased to be involved in one of the UK’s most exciting and innovative sporting events.'

For more information and bookings etc, log on to: www.campkerala.com

You WILL go to the Ball...but only if your bid is high enough!

The hot ticket to have during Skandia Cowes Week this year is for the Ellen MacArthur Trust Gala Ball to be held on Monday 31st July. The Ball sold out in just two weeks, but the Ellen MacArthur Trust are giving one final chance to join the party by bidding for the last remaining table through an email auction at www.ellenmacarthurtrust.org Once on the website you go to ‘Skandia Cowes Week 2006’ then click on ‘Ball’ for more information. Bidding starts at £1,500 and the table will seat ten people. You will be situated in a prime position to enjoy both the food and entertainment on the night and receive VIP treatment in the presence of Dame Ellen MacArthur, as well as helping a great cause. All money raised will go towards the Ellen MacArthur Trust’s work to help inspire young people to recover from cancer, leukaemia and other serious illness through sailing.

Bids can be emailed to sarah.hagen@ellenmacarthurtrust.org and the closing date for bidding is 15 July 2006.