HRH The Princess Royal joins celebrations
HRH The Princess Royal will be attending the Solent Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Cowes on Saturday 6th August.
The Solent Platinum Jubilee event will be a spectacular showcase of more than 400 boats, bringing the Solent’s sailing and yachting community together to celebrate the Queen’s reign and in recognition of the support the Royal Family has given to so many water-based events over the last 70 years.
A committee of sailing organisations, class associations and clubs from across the Solent region is organising the event, which will follow this year’s Cowes Week. Chair of the organising committee, Jonathan Nainby-Luxmoore said: “We will be delighted to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to the Solent Platinum Jubilee celebrations on Saturday 6th August.
“The Royal Family continues to give wonderful support to the sailing community and charities in the Solent and her presence will make this special celebration of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee even more memorable.”
“It’s not too late for local yacht and sailing clubs to join - we will be pleased to welcome you. Register your interest if you haven’t already done so and please show your support for our chosen charity Wetwheels.”
The Princess Royal is Patron of Wetwheels, which gives disabled people access to the sea in a safe and stimulating way on board fully-accessible powerboats. Five Wetwheels boats will be taking part in the motor past. Hampshire yachtsman Geoff Holt MBE DL, Founder of the Wetwheels charity and a member of the organising committee, said: "We are absolutely delighted that our Patron of Wetwheels, HRH The Princess Royal, will be attending the Solent Platinum Jubilee event. We will have five Wetwheels boats taking part in the celebrations and have the great honour of leading the motor past review. It will be a day of celebration of all forms of boating in the Solent and having The Princess join us to share the event will be extra special.”
Joining the Solent’s boating community will be an impressive line-up of historic ships, including four Dunkirk Little Ships - Tahilla, Papillon, Maimonide and Naiad Errant; two historic yachts - Gipsy Moth IV and Suhaili, and two sail training vessels - Scaramouche and Challenger 72 - 22m. These will be moored off The Green at Cowes. Among the highlights will be Dragon ‘Bluebottle’ which was presented to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as a wedding present by the Island Sailing Club. It has been restored and will have been racing throughout Cowes Week.
In addition to the Solent racing programme, the skies will host a ‘City of Exeter’ Spitfire air display performed courtesy of the Spitfire Academy at Goodwood. There will be music and entertainment at a free concert at Cowes Yacht Haven later in the day. Local yacht and sailing clubs are still welcome to join by emailing mail@rys.org.uk
All boats, from RIBs to sailing and motor vessels, can register with their own yacht club to be part of the official programme.
Find out more about the event on the Solent Platinum Jubilee Facebook page
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For further enquiries contact:
Donna Jones
Content and Communications Specialist
Carswell Gould
Donna Jones@carswellgould.co.uk - 023 8023 8001
