More than £73,000 has been raised so far for 11 charities as some of sailing’s biggest names joined celebrities and local sailors on the Solent for the historic King’s Cup in Cowes.
Sir Ben Ainslie and Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon were among the VIP guests taking to the water for the charity event, which formed part of preparations for the 2026 44Cup World Championship Cowes.
Dame Ellen MacArthur was also present at the prize-giving as the Royal Yacht Squadron joined forces with RC44 teams to raise money for charities connected with sailing and access to the water.
The fundraising total currently stands at £73,700, with a further £7,850 in Gift Aid.
Beneficiaries include the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, Seaview Sailing Trust, Polly’s Fund at UKSA, Royal Yacht Squadron Isle of Wight Foundation, Cowes Sea Cadets, Andy Cassell Foundation, Cowes Sailability, Autism on the Water and Cowes Keelboat Youth Charity.
The Scaramouche Sailing Trust and Andrew Simpson Foundation are also benefiting.
Collectively, the organisations introduce thousands of people to the water each year, including young people and those with disabilities or facing other challenges.
VIP guests were invited to take the helm of the high-performance RC44 yachts, with Simon Le Bon steering Murat Edin’s Wow! Sailing Team.
Chris Bake, RC44 Class President, has said:
“It was really successful. Using the RC44s for this has been great.
“Bringing the communities together, as well as being able to help all the charities on the island feels really good.”
After waiting for the northwesterly wind to settle, racing got underway in the northeast Solent off Hill Head.
The opening race saw Nico Poons’ Charisma, helmed by Cowes sailor Peter Morton, finish ahead of Team Nika, steered by Olivia Dowling, and Aleph Racing, helmed by Isle of Wight resident Lucy Harrison.
Morton’s extensive sailing CV includes an Admiral’s Cup victory, 2 Rolex Fastnet Race wins and multiple successes in the Quarter Ton Cup.
The second race took competitors on a shorter upwind leg before heading around the Brambles Bank and towards the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line via the Gurnard mark.
Team Aqua, with Royal Yacht Squadron Commodore Robert Bicket at the helm, led the fleet home ahead of Aleph Racing and Team Nika.
The final standings produced a 3-way tie between Team Aqua, Aleph Racing and Team Nika, which was eventually broken in favour of Bicket and Bake’s Team Aqua.
Bicket has said:
“Today was fabulous – the Solent at its best.
“You had to be careful of the depth around the Brambles Bank. It was a great fleet of nine boats. It couldn’t get any better.”
The winning team was presented alongside the historic King’s Cup trophy, originally donated to the Royal Yacht Squadron – then known as the Royal Yacht Club – by King George IV in 1826 as the top prize for the Cowes Regatta.
The King’s Cup was revived as a charity regatta in 2019, when Prince William competed against his wife Catherine.
Island sailor Lucy Harrison also enjoyed a successful day at the helm of Aleph Racing, helping the team finish in the 3-way tie at the top.
The charity event came ahead of the start of the 44Cup World Championship Cowes which started today (Thursday).
