If you are able to get afloat on Friday evening, here's what's going on off Cowes esplanade:

18:00 Ex Red Arrow Gnat and Sea Vixen fly-past + 10 min display

19:30 Red Arrows (already appeared at IOW Festival - super!)

20:00 RNLI rescue demonstration

21:30 Fireworks display for 30 minutes

All this despite not having a sponsor this year [:)].

If you've not experienced Cowes Week Friday night, it's a spectacular event. Apart from those things listed above, the other spectacle is the anchoring chaos off Cowes sea front. With a spring tide running, expect boats to bounce off each other in the crowded anchorage as anchors fail and motor boaters finally discover what tide is. See outdrives with chain wrapped around them and a floating equivalent of dodgem cars. I like motor boating so I am allowed to write that!

I'm no expert on this Friday night stuff but I would advise that you arrive early, avoid anchoring in the upstream part of the gathering (therefore being a fender on behalf of the rest of the assembly) or observe the fireworks from some distance away. You won't need your GPS to find your way home as the Solent will be nose-to-tail with homeward bound boats afterwards.

Vol-au-vent will try watching from the Calshot direction, or closer, and anchoring off Calshot or Thorness Bay overnight, depending on which way the wind blows. Say hello if you pass by.

Have fun and do give it a try. Seeing the Red Arrows and fireworks on one occasion is something not to be missed.

Cheers!

Ken

Ken Surplice

Commodore