Cowes will host the the Pro Sailing Tour for the first time, bringing high-speed multihull racing to the heart of the Solent for a 2-day rendezvous on 5th-6th July.
Renowned for its intensity, boat-on-boat battles, and a very high level of racing, the Pro Sailing Tour brings together 8 talented Ocean 50 skippers racing foiling trimarans that are as long as they are wide (15.24m x 15m) and as agile as they are spectacular, reaching speeds of up to 42 knots (77km/h).
The Pro Sailing Tour for the Ocean 50 trimarans was launched in 2021 and is the culmination of a determined development process by the teams and stakeholders that began in 2015 when the Class was professionalised and continued in 2017 with the addition of foils.
Brit Sam Goodchild onboard Leyton is the current defending champion, a position that is being hotly contested by his French rivals during the 2-month competition that started in May in Bonifacio, Corsica.
The Tour will visit Brest, and the Bay of Saint Brieuc in France before racing to Cowes next month for the finish of Episode 3 and the start of the Episode 4 finale to Roscoff on 6th July. The start of the final offshore leg back to Roscoff will take in some of the Solent’s most famous landmarks such as Osborne House, Norris Castle, and the Needles.
During the 2-day pitstop in Cowes, the 50 male and female professional sailors will give aspiring young racers from UKSA in Cowes and sailing charity Scaramouche Trust a glimpse into the world of high-end offshore competition at the team presentation ahead of the start of Episode 4.
Pro Sailing Tour organisers met with Cowes representatives from the Royal London Yacht Club and Cowes Harbour Commission on Monday to finalise plans.
RLYC Commodore Martin Thomas says:
“For nearly 200 years, Cowes has been the centre of British yachting and is ready to receive this prestigious event. The Royal London Yacht Club, established in 1838, is delighted to host the Ocean 50 sailors in the Solent.”
Gary Hall, chief executive of Cowes Harbour Commission has said:
“We are delighted to welcome the Pro Sailing Tour to Cowes this July. The event will bring high-speed multihull racing into the heart of the Solent, delivering the thrilling spectacle of Ocean 50 trimarans accelerating in our home waters. Cowes is known as the home of yacht racing and hosting the Pro Sailing Tour combines our heritage with cutting edge technology. It will be a fantastic experience for spectators ashore and afloat, and a highlight of summer 2022.”
After his visit to Cowes on Monday, Julien Mauriat said:
“To bring the Pro Sailing Tour to Cowes, home of yacht racing, is an honour and a pleasure. The welcome here has been superb, and we are full of anticipation for some exciting racing on the Solent and some wonderful moments ashore.”
For further information about the Pro Sailing Tour, go to: https://prosailingtour.com/en/.
