Cowes derived its name from two forts built by Henry VIII in 1539 to dispel the threat of a Spanish invasion. West Cowes Castle later became a State Prison and then in 1856, the headquarters of Britain's premier yacht club, the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Cowes, as it is now known, is renowned as the yachting centre of the world.
The town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight is host to what is claimed to be the longest-running, regular regatta in the world, having been held in early August every year (except during the two World Wars) since the first race started in 1826.
Racing is centred on the Solent, the area of water that lies between mainland Britain and the Isle of Wight about 25 miles long and five miles wide. It is, in effect, a double-ended river, open to the sea at both ends of the island with peculiar tidal patterns to match, keeping tacticians particularly busy.
