Cowes, home of the world‘s most famous yachting regatta, will soon offer sailing enthusiasts even better facilities.
The Isle of Wight town, home to the Royal Yacht Squadron since 1833, is set to undergo a £12million facelift in the course of the next seven years.

Plans for the future, which include a sheltered outer harbour, and improved yachting and event facilities, have been drawn up by the Cowes Harbour Commission. The development will also focus on supporting the regeneration of East Cowes, improving navigational safety and complementing coastal defence and flood protection schemes.

The largest single development will be the construction of a £6million outer breakwater to create a sheltered harbour in the mouth of the River Medina. This major project is the result of collaboration between Cowes Harbour Commission and the South East Economic Development Agency.
Building work is expected to begin next year and the breakwater should be completed within 15 months.

Groundwork already completed includes design work, initial engineering studies and costings, as well as wave climate, tidal flow and sedimentation modelling.

Cowes Parade on Cowes Week

Yachts & Yachting magazine’s Rupert Holmes has reported that the new breakwater will be constructed just inside the line of the two-metre depth contour, running from a point south of the outer red channel mark to a position north of the existing East Cowes breakwater and will enable the existing West Cowes marinas to meet marine industry design standards and provide space for a new 350-berth marina near the Red Funnel ferry terminal at East Cowes.

The many proposals included in this exciting development include one for the erection of a race box on the breakwater, and, with this in mind, sailing clubs will be consulted, and their views taken into account, later in the year.

Experts predict that the breakwater will add an extra element to racing, with tidal flow modelling already showing that additional subtleties will be added to the already complex patterns of tidal streams in this stretch of water.

It is expected that the main ebb stream from the River Medina into the Solent will run up to 0.4knots faster and will extend further offshore.
These latest development plans for Cowes come in the wake of a £6.6million investment by Cowes Harbour Commission since 2002.
Improvements and additions have included extra moorings within the river and harbour, the new Shepards Wharf Marina - a great favourite with Cowes Week fans - and Kingstone Marine Services, with its many boat maintenance and repair facilities.