10 WAYS TO WIN COWES WEEK

Winning your class at Cowes Week remains a considerable achievement, but the prospect of this is by no means the only factor that attracts competitors. Cowes Week director Laurence Mead says the event should be “Corinthian, inclusive, international, fun, sociable, world-class racing” and he identifies nine key “ethoses” for the event. Among these is the belief that a win at Cowes Week should remain a pinnacle of anyone’s season – the regatta should be competitive and hard-fought. At the same time the wind angle variety will always be a key element of this multi-class Solent event and under Mead’s leadership additional effort is going into improving course-setting.

Mead was a sailmaker before an international corporate career and his extensive time on the water has encompassed championships ranging from 505s and Etchells to the Admiral’s Cup and more. He describes himself as a traditionalist and says: “I want the cannons going at the Castle, I want all the boats finishing off the green with spinnakers up...Cowes Week should