Bob Trimble, Chairman of Cowes Week Ltd and Cowes Combined Clubs.

AAS: How old were you when you began boating, and what was your first boat?
BT: I crewed on Fireballs as a teenager. My first ‘boat’ circa 1979 was a ‘Sea Panther’, an early UK made sailboard. I had recently come across a sailboard for the first time whilst part of a seismic survey crew on a huge inland lake in the Congo. I taught myself to use it (the peaty water was so dark there was no way of knowing what lurked below, it was a great incentive not to fall in).

AAS: How long have you been involved in Cowes Week (on and off the water), and what does your role as chairman entail?
BT: I have been involved in Cowes Week as a race officer since around 2003. I started as crew on committee boats and over the years have done nearly every job there is to be done. My escape route is to be promoted out of it! The job involves chairing the boards of the two companies – the delivery arm (Cowes Week Limited) and the holding company (Cowes Combined Clubs). Also, being an ambassador for the event and trying to help make things happen that will benefit the regatta and the competitors.

AAS: For those new to Cowes Week, can you explain how the Cowes Combined Clubs works?
BT: CCC was originally set up in 1964 by His Royal Highness Prince Philip. Before that, different regatta days were run by different clubs. As an active competitor, HRH was keen to see a greater level of coordination and consistency in the organisation and the racing. And so CCC was set up as a partnership between the then 10 (now nine) participating clubs, most of them Cowes-based but also including the Royal Southampton and the Royal Southern from the ‘north island’.

AAS: Have any changes/upgrades been made for this year’s regatta?
BT: The sponsorship situation for our sport, like so many others, remains ‘challenging’. It has meant that we have had to take yet another very hard look at every aspect of what we do. We have had to make some cut backs that will mean some things look a little bit different, but we have done nothing to impact adversely on the organisation and quality of the racing itself.
The Cowes Week Competitor and Spectator Apps have proved successful and popular since they were introduced recently, and we will continue to use them as a great way to communicate with both groups.

AAS: What do you suggest for anyone who would like to take part but does not have access to a boat?
BT: Boat owners find it harder and harder to find crew, so anyone who already knows the basic ropes and is a reliable team player should find a welcome somewhere. Look out for notices on club and class social media channels and websites. Be honest about your experience and do not be too nervous about asking around in person in Solent clubs, pubs, marinas and the like.

AAS: How many volunteers are involved, and how can All at Sea readers get involved?
BT: Altogether there will probably be around 150 volunteer race officers involved. They will mainly be members of the nine CCC clubs. It is difficult for a one-week regatta to provide any useful ‘on the job’ training so it is pretty much a prerequisite to have had some race management experience. The best way to get that is to join a club where their race management team will probably welcome you with open arms. In that way a complete novice can progress to pretty much any role they set their sights on. It is also a great way to get out on the water
and socialise with a friendly like-minded team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AAS: Do you have a standout memory from a previous regatta (on or off the water), and will you be racing this year?

BT: I tend not to focus on particular events rather than the great atmosphere and unique flavour that we all look forward to in any Cowes Week. No, I will not be racing, but I plan to get back on the water once I have handed this role on to my successor, perhaps in a couple of years’ time.

AAS: Which are your favourite boats to watch at the regatta?

BT: My favourite boats are those that come across the finish line having had a brilliant day on the water and thrilled to have gained a place, and hopefully a gun, at the world’s longest established and best-known regatta.

AAS: Is there anything you can share about the plans for the 200th anniversary of Cowes Week in 2026?

BT: Nothing too specific at the moment, except to say that we are obviously planning for a very special Week, but also one that is part of an equally special celebratory season of events in the Solent, some of them hopefully involving some boats that visit us less frequently.

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