Cowes Week, organisers of one of the world's best-known sailing regattas, have announced the introduction of a new big boat race series, the Cowes Week Triple Crown.
The new Cowes Week Triple Crown will be a regatta within a regatta: open to large IRC rated racing boats of at least 20m LOA with a minimum TCC of 1.500 and up to 36m LOA. A series of three races will take place on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of Cowes Week, with the final race being an Around the Island Race, giving participating boats the opportunity to mount record-breaking circumnavigation attempts.
With a potentially wide range of boats expected to enter, from out-and-out racing boats to cruiser-racers, three classes will compete for the Triple Crown: Maxi-Racer Class; Cruiser-Racer Class and an Ocean-Racer Class.
Three of the sailing world's most historic and prestigious trophies will be awarded to the three classes:
- The Queen's Cup, presented to the Royal Southampton Yacht Club by Queen Victoria in 1897;
- The King George V International Cup (also known as the White Heather Cup) from the Royal Thames Yacht Club, a huge flagon that was awarded for the 23 metre class in 1911 and won by White Heather II
- Royal Yacht Squadron's King's Cup 1920 which was presented by King George V in 1920 for a race for yachts exceeding 100 tons.
The overall winner of the three races will be presented with the Triple Crown trophy. The innovative Triple Crown idea may attract similar competitions in Ireland where there is an array of ancient trophies available for repurposing.
