Cowes Week Limited (CWL) has recently made two announcements with regard to the 2018 Lendy Cowes Week Regatta:
They have selected the 1851 Trust as the official event charity for Lendy Cowes Week 2018.
Encouraging youth participation in sailing will play a vital part in the continued success and popularity of the sport and more specifically of events like Lendy Cowes Week. CWL therefore felt it was right to appoint a charity such as the 1851 Trust’s whose aim is to inspire and engage young people to better futures by providing them with the education and opportunities to become innovators of the future and stewards of the environment.
Their education based programmes are unique in exciting young people by harnessing the power of sport and sustainability, and through the inspiration of Land Rover BAR, the America’s Cup sailing team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie.
Commenting on the decision, Kate Johnson, Commercial and Marketing Director at Cowes Week Limited, said:
“We’re delighted that the 1851 Trust will be joining us for Lendy Cowes Week 2018. Their aims to expand young horizons are admirable and consistent with our own. We hope that their work will help to engage and inspire a new generation into sailing. We look forward to announcing more detail on their fundraising aims and plans.”
During the regatta, the 1851 Trust, whose Royal Patron is HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, is planning to provide sailing opportunities, sustainability, and interactive shoreside activities. Primarily aimed at young people aged 10-16, the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) activities will be based on the regular school visits the Trust hosts on the Tech Deck at Land Rover BAR and the Trust’ successful digital teaching resources, BT STEM Crew.
In addition, the 1851 Trust will give a group of young sailors from its Solent-based Go Sail! programme the opportunity to take part in the Regatta. Further plans will be announced in the New Year.
Ben Cartledge, CEO of the 1851 Trust said:
“We are delighted to have been chosen as the official charity of Lendy Cowes Week 2018. The Trust uses the excitement of sailing, and the science and technology behind Sir Ben Ainslie’s British America’s Cup team, Land Rover BAR, to inspire young people about the wide range of careers and opportunities available to them. We are looking forward to inspiring the thousands of young visitors to this world-famous Regatta and to raising awareness of the work that we are doing with teachers across the UK.”
Liam Brooke, Director and co-founder of Title Sponsor, Lendy Ltd, said:
“We’re extremely excited about working with such a rewarding and worthwhile charity. We already have so much in common; we both share a home in Portsmouth, a passion for sailing, and a real desire to innovate and inspire the next generation. We see it as a perfect fit for Lendy Cowes Week and we’re looking forward to collaborating in 2018.”
A second announcement shortly followed:
Cowes Week Limited is delighted to announce that they will continue their youth initiative which offers discounted entry fees to boats with crews of under 25 year olds.
The Under 25 Youth initiative, which has been running since 2012, has succeeded in doing what it was originally designed for – inspiring and making it possible for young people to race at Lendy Cowes Week.
By offering an extremely attractive package to young sailors under the age of 25, numbers have, not surprisingly, increased over the last few years, with young crews enjoying both the exciting racing and the lively apres-sail scene on the shoreside.
This year Cowes Week Ltd is offering the first 25 crews to enter, who are all under age 25 at the time of the regatta, a 50% discount on the entry fee if they enter before the end of the Early Bird period. The sooner teams sign up the more chance there is of securing one of the highly desirable discounted places.
Kate Johnson, Commercial & Marketing Director at Cowes Week Ltd commented
“We are committed to making racing at Lendy Cowes Week more attractive and cost-effective for the next-generation of sailors, and are delighted by the increase in youth entries over the past few years. Now going into the seventh year of the initiative we are very pleased to be able to offer the first 25 boats to enter with a full crew of under 25 year olds a 50% discount on their entry fee.”
Competition for young sailors at the 2017 regatta was intense. Ed Nainby-Luxmoore’s Redwing Snowgoose claimed the Under 25 Trophy, while White Group overall was won by 14 year-old Freddie Peters in his RS Elite Riff Raff.
Teams wishing to take advantage of discounted entry fees should make their entry as soon as possible with the deadline for discounted entries to be accepted- the end of the Early Bird period on Monday 7 May 2018.