The Royal London Yacht Club, organiser of Cowes Classics Week 2024 has chosen to support two notable charities by inviting a £20 donation from each regatta entry.
Autism On The Water
Autism On The Water is fully committed to raising awareness of the autistic spectrum through the sport of sailing and helping people with autism to access sailing.
“Autism on the Water is delighted to have been chosen as one of the charities supported by Cowes Classics Week. It really shows the incredible support that we are receiving during our time on the Solent. We’re coming with both our yachts from Scotland to promote our work on the Solent with the intent of in the future being registered within the area and providing opportunities to young people there. Being associated with the Royal London YC and Cowes Classics Week is therefore a wonderful honour and we are very grateful.” said Murray MacDonald, founder of the charity.
In 2023 Team AOTW decide to join in with Cowes Classics Week and were able to charter “Finesse” from the Daring Class Association. Team AOTW sailed with a completely brand new crew who had never sailed on a Daring before including the skipper (!) and finished a very satisfying 11th overall out of 13 boats in class with a 7th and 8th place as the best results.
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/AutismOnTheWater/ or download this PDF aimed at supporters of Autism on the Water.
National Coastwatch
Established in 1994, the National Coastwatch Institution is a volunteer component of the UK Search & Rescue Service. Our objective is: “To assist in the protection and preservation of life at sea along the United Kingdom Coastline.”
Our 60 lookout stations situated around the coast of England and Wales are manned entirely by trained volunteers and are supported by the generosity of the public through charitable donations. Every year new stations are opened to help make our coastline safer.
What we Do
Our main safety emphasis is on keeping a lookout. Watchkeepers maintain a visual and radio watch over coastal waters during daylight hours. Our core task is to visually identify, locate and report to His Majesty’s Coastguard (HMCG) any incident which may require Search and Rescue (SAR) action.
Watchkeepers are constantly on the lookout for vessels and people who may be in difficulties. They are always ready to spot an emergency, plot the position, and report details of the incident so that an immediate rescue response can be launched.
The Station at Bembridge
The station, which has recently been added to the NCI station portfolio is a pioneering joint venture with the Coastguard Rescue Team at Bembridge, sharing the Bembridge Coastguard station with them. This follows a successful trial which ran throughout the summer of 2022.
NCI Bembridge is currently manned on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from 0900 to 1700. Our intention, subject to recruiting and training additional Watchkeepers, is to extend the number of watches we can undertake during the year.
We are seeking volunteers who would like to be involved and train as Watchkeepers. If interested, please visit our website: www.nci.org.uk.
Thank You!
We are indebted to the Royal London Yacht Club and to Cowes Classic Week for selecting us as one of their charities and to you, our supporters, for assisting us with your donations. Thank you very much. Your contribution will enable us to continue with our work for another year.
Find out more about the NCI Bembridge Station at https://www.nci.org.uk/stations/bembridge
