Matthew Sheahan details important changes to the regatta for this year

Electronic declaration
Negotiating the High Street on the way to the Regatta Office to sign off before the close of play can be more challenging than the race itself. With friends to meet and lots of stories to tell, it’s easy to get side-tracked.

But this year you can make your declaration by sending a phone text message before you even reach the shore. Once it has been received by the race office, you will get a text message receipt.

To take advantage of this, you have to register your phone by post or online. Those who still want to go to the Regatta Office to confirm their day’s racing will find paper declaration sheets instead of computer terminals. 

“We’re hoping that with this electronic declaration, most people will declare shortly after they’ve crossed the finish line, which will help us get the results out more quickly,” explains regatta director Stuart Quarrie.

Courses by text
While sending details of the race course by text is not new at Cowes Week, this year all courses for both White and Black Group classes will be sent by SMS 15 minutes before the start of their race.

Broadcasting the details earlier than normal will allow crews more time to sort the course and reduce the need to sail close to the course boards displayed at the Royal Yacht Squadron. But beware: courses might change after a postponement and, while errors in the text message itself could provide a case
for redress, omissions or total failure cannot.

Mark changes
Williams Shipping has been moved slightly to take it off the Red Funnel ferries’ line in and out of Cowes. The yellow racing buoy is now placed further towards the east, midway between West and South Bramble buoys. Royal Albert is now called Gilkicker-Ondeck

Inner and outer
The outer distance of the White Group’s line off the Squadron will be the inner distance of the Black Group’s start line. “While this might bring the fleets closer together in certain circumstances, we will probably set the first mark for the Black Group start on the mainland side of the Solent to keep fleets apart,” says regatta director Stuart Quarrie.

Start lines controlled by committee boat 
The Black Group start lines will be controlled by the committee boat, the 20m Blue Funnel Ferries steel catamaran, Ashley R, at its northern end – ie, close to West or South Bramble buoys.
The line is now defined as being between a flagstaff with an orange flag on the committee boat and the Squadron flagstaff. The transit and its light will now only be a guide and NOT the line.

King of your class
If you want to take part in the Volkswagen Touareg King of Cowes racing on the Friday before Cowes Week starts, first you have to win your class at Cowes in the previous year. Only then, having joined the prize-winning elite from 36 classes, can you progress to do battle for the top prize, a shiny, new VW Touareg. Racing takes place on Friday, 1 August.

In brief

• Extreme 40 catamarans have the UK leg of the iShares Cup on Sat, Sun and Mon. After this the cats will have their own racing on Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri (at 0955 off the Squadron line).
  
  
• The Artemis Challenge is on Tuesday, 5 August and will see Open 60s race around the island for a £10,000 prize for charity.
  
  
• Liz Earle Ladies’ day is on Thursday, 7 August, as a celebration of women in sailing.
  
  
• The Liz Earle Close Shave Trophy will be awarded to the overall winner across all classes who wins by the closest margin.
  
  
• The extra classes are: J/80s, Bénéteau 40.7s, quarter tonners and combined onDeck fleet of Farr 65s and Clipper 68s.
  
  
• The Ellen MacArthur Trust (EMT) is the Event Charity; the EMT Charity Day is on 4 August.
  
  
• The Skandia Cowes Week Ferry service runs from 2 to 9 August between Lymington Town Harbour Masters Jetty and Trinity Landing.