The 44Cup World Championship Cowes is set to get off to a unique start tomorrow, Wednesday 23 September. Typically events on the 44Cup for the one design race yachts comprise four days of racing (Thursday to Sunday) with a practice day on the Wednesday. But tomorrow’s practice day will be special as it will also include the King’s Cup, for the first time being held in RC44s at the initiative of Team Aqua owner and RC44 Class Association President Chris Bake.
The King's Cup is the name of the original trophy presented in 1826 by King George IV for early editions of Cowes Week. It was revived in August 2019 as a charity regatta hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Taking place with the help of the 44Cup World Championship Cowes’ host club, the Royal Yacht Squadron, the King’s Cup is an event using the RC44s as an opportunity to raise money for Isle of Wight-based charities. It is a continuation of the major program of events taking place on the Isle of Wight to celebrate this year’s bicentenary of North Sails Cowes Week.
VIP guests attending the King’s Cup have the opportunity to witness 44Cup practice racing from the exclusive Royal Yacht Squadron platform before the lucky few are then transferred to the RC44 yachts themselves to experience the thrill of helming these boats in a race.
The day will be rounded off by a tea time champagne reception hosted by Dame Ellen MacArthur, which will also be attended by each RC44 team’s owner and tactician.
44Cup World Championship Cowes event host Chris Bake commented: "I look forward to welcoming everyone to Cowes especially our VIP guests taking in the King's Cup tomorrow. I thank everyone who has contributed to our fundraising efforts for these worthy causes on the Island and hope we all have a good day on the water."
Personally Bake has supported the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust since 2017 and for the King’s Cup the beneficiary charities will again include them plus the Seaview Sailing Trust; Polly's Fund (UKSA); Royal Yacht Squadron Isle of Wight Foundation; Cowes Sea Cadets (T.S Osborne); Andy Cassell Foundation; Cowes Sailability; Autism on the Water; Cowes Keelboat Youth Charity; Greig City Academy (Scaramouche Sailing Trust) and the Andrew Simpson Foundation (of which Artemis Racing’s mainsheet trimmer Iain Percy is a trustee). Many of these charities help get young Islanders out on the water and open up sialing to people of all abilities.
Fundraising for the King’s Cup is already well underway. https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/20520/the-kings-cup-2026/
The VIP line up comprises:
Simon Le Bon MBE, lead vocalist and lyricist of Duran Duran, recipient of three Ivor Novello Awards and one for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. A lifelong sailor, he gained notoriety in 1985 when his maxi yacht Drum capsized off Cornwall during the Fastnet Race after its keel failed. He went on to compete in the 1985-86 Whitbread Round the World Race and has actively raced yachts ever since.
Robert Bicket: Commodore, Royal Yacht Squadron and Chairman of Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd, Challenger of Record for the 37th and 38th America’s Cups. A life-long sailor he is best known for campaigning an IC37, a Swan 42 and a Cape 31, all named Fargo, and more recently the 6mR Scoundrel.
Bruce Huber: Rear Commodore Yachting, Royal Yacht Squadron. Over four decades Bruce has raced dinghies, metre-class and one-design keelboats including Etchells and J/70s, plus extensive dinghy team racing and more recently a RORC offshore programme on his JND39 Xanaboo. He is a past Illusion UK National Champion and Cowes Week class winner in multiple one-design fleets. He is now Chairman of North Sails Cowes Week.
Peter Harrison, CEO, Richard Mille EMEA. For 20 years Peter Harrison has raced at the highest level. In his TP52 Sorcha he competed in the 52 Super Series and won Les Voiles de St Barth and Saint-Tropez. His Maxi 72s, Sorcha and then Jolt, competed in the Giraglia, the RORC Caribbean 600 and the Rolex Fastnet Race, winning this year’s IMA Maxi European Championship. He has recently started campaigning the J Class Rainbow. His highest achievement in yachting was winning last year’s relaunched Admiral’s Cup representing the Yacht Club de Monaco.
Stuart Robinson has sailed for over 45 years, on his Swan 70 and Swan 82 named Stay Calm and also at the highest level in the TP52 class on the Audi MedCup (now the 52 Super Series). He and his family - wife Emma, daughter Amy and son Jack, all keen sailors - have cruised and raced extensively worldwide over the last 15 years. Stuart co-founded Savills Private Finance, leaving in 2005 to set up his own Property Investment business.
Three women helms are competing:
Lucy Harrison is Peter Harrison's daughter and campaigns a Cape 31 and has won the J/70 class at Cowes. She is currently Marketing and Communications lead for Rowborough Estates on the Isle of Wight.
Louise Morton (standing in for Sir Keith Mills) has sailed all her life, competing in three Rolex Fastnet Races, over 30 Cowes Weeks, three Commodore's Cups and five full RORC seasons. She has won the Women's Open Keelboat Championship four times and the Quarter Ton Cup three times. She often races with an all-female crew, which included the 44 Cup Cowes in 2023 with her Bullit team. Off the water, she is secretary of the J Class, in 2005 became co-founder of the revived Quarter Ton class, operating as class secretary until 2020.
Olivia Dowling (standing in for Niall Dowling) is a British documentary filmmaker, producer and competitive sailor. She is founder of OCT Films, a production company specialising in promotional and editorial films for the yachting and watersports industry. She campaigns her Quarter-Tonner Catch.
Last but by no means least and the favourite tomorrow is Sir Ben Ainslie CBE. The most successful sailor in Olympic history, with five Olympic golds in the Laser and Finn, Ainslie in 2013 he became the first Briton in over a century to win the America's Cup, as part of Oracle Team USA’s crew. He then led Britain's own America’s Cup campaigns, most recently as team principal, CEO and skipper of Ineos Britannia. His latest campaign GB1 for next year’s America’s Cup is backed by Oakley Capital. Ben is CEO of Athena Sports Group, leading Athena Racing and the Emirates GBR SailGP Team, and is a Patron of the 1851 Trust.