15 elite teams from around the world have arrived in Cowes for the hotly anticipated Admiral’s Cup, which sets sail on 17th July.
Over the coming days, crews will face challenging conditions across a range of courses in the Solent, out into the Channel, and culminating in the prestigious Rolex Fastnet Race – starting in Cowes on 26th July and finishing in Cherbourg.
While the fastest yachts are expected to cover the 600+ mile Fastnet course in just a few days, some of the smaller craft could be at sea for more than a week.
For the inshore legs off Cowes and through the tricky Solent waters, several skippers have tapped into local knowledge, recruiting sailors with strong Isle of Wight connections. Among them is the Black Pearl, competing under the New York Yacht Club banner, which has enlisted Gurnard’s Guy Salter — a Volvo Ocean Race winner — for his offshore expertise.
Guy’s brother, Jules Salter, is on board Caro, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Like his brother, Jules learned to sail in Gurnard, starting at the age of five. He has decades of global racing experience and his son Edward now races too, ensuring the Salter name remains firmly rooted in Island sailing. Caro, a standout performer, was 4th on handicap in the last Sydney-Hobart Race and won the overall title at the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race. The boat also claimed 2nd in IRC 1 at this year’s RORC Easter Challenge.
Meanwhile, Hamburg-based Elida will benefit from the local expertise of James Gair, who has clocked up 14 Rolex Fastnet Races and knows the Solent’s tides and quirks inside out.
The international line-up features strong entries from Europe – including 3 teams from Germany – alongside challengers from Australia, Hong Kong and New York. The event is supported by Southern Spars, Harken, PredictWind.com and B&G.
Spectators can look forward to world-class racing and to seeing homegrown talent make their mark once again on the global sailing stage.
