200 years of Cowes maritime history are being celebrated this Summer, with the town gearing up for the celebration.
A series of information panels on The Parade, a Maritime Heritage Trail through the town and a bicentennial display at the new-look Classic Boat Museum are just some of the ways the town is marking this historic milestone.
The fascinating heritage trail is a collaboration initiated by the Classic Boat Museum which winds through the town centre ‘joining the dots’ between sailing clubs, museums, heritage centres and maritime shops.
Dr Victoria Preston, deputy chair of the Classic Boat Museum, said:
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to collaborate with the venues to bring Cowes yachting heritage to life in this wonderful trail. I would like to thank all the participants for their enthusiastic participation.”
Another element of the Cowes 200 initiative is Panels on the Parade – a partnership between the museum and the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust to brings the town’s history to life in a series of nine panels telling the story of two centuries of Royal Yachting.
And the Classic Boat Museum in Medina Road itself will be focussing on royal links with the town and its yachting story.
Royal Yachts and Racing Royals is an exhibition displaying famous Uffa Fox-designed sailing dinghy Coweslip, a small racing yacht which was a gift from the people of Cowes to Prince Phillip and Princess Elizabeth when they married.
It will be on display until the end of July.
The exhibition will also feature artefacts from the direct descendants of John and Jack Carter, both captains on the Racing Cutter Britannia, built by GL Watson for Edward VII in 1893 and scuttled by George V in 1936.
One of the most successful yachts of all time, she won over 230 races.
Another element of the 200 years celebration is Maritime Makers.
The Classic Boat Museum has received funding from the Hampshire and IW Cultural Fund to explore the lives of the people who made Royal Yachting possible.
Exploring both heritage and company archives, Maritime Makers will reveal the untold stories of the sailmakers, ropemakers, chandlers and restorers who worked on the Racing Cutter Britannia, Bluebottle, Coweslip and Bloodhound.
The outputs will include education packs, a display in the museum and an outreach project.
To find out more, visit https://www.classicboatmuseum.com/maritime-heritage-trail
