I was on site in Cowes from the opening skippers’ press conference to the spectacular departure of the Fastnet Race on the following weekend.
Here are the things I loved about the experience…
That opening press conference was a real breath of fresh air. It was hosted superbly by double Olympic gold medallist (and local Cowes resident) Shirley Robertson, whose profound depth of knowledge about the Admiral’s Cup and her easy rapport with the top name skippers that she called onto the stage made the session a pleasure to attend.
The press conference was the first chance I got to get a feel for the calibre of the sailors heading up the teams.
Mysteriously not all the skippers attended – more about that in my suggested improvements list later in this article – but with the likes of Mike Sanderson, Ian Walker, Vasco Vascotto, Gordon Maguire, and Gavin Brady, the conversation sparkled with open and honest answers proffered by the smiling participants.
That meant the hour-long event never came close to dragging – not something that’s a given at the majority of press conferences I attend.
Making sure all the competing yachts based themselves in the basin at the Cowes Yacht Haven made for a great regatta atmosphere. Having the fleet all in one place gave the event a central focus and that’s important. It’s something you miss at events like the America’s Cup where – like in Barcelona at AC37 – the team bases are dotted all around the waterfront and pretty much impenetrable fortresses as far as the general public are concerned.
