Here is a preiew of the 2010 Cowes Week sailing regatta. There’s a definite buzz in the air as competitors make final preparations for their first day on the water on the opening day of Cowes Week.

The wind for this Cowes Week opening day, is currently from the south-west and is starting to build with gusts of over 11kts recorded and a forecast of Force 4-5 later in the afternoon.

Mike Golding and his Ecover Sailing Team managed to keep out of trouble when most of the other Extreme 40 hit the rocks while trying to cheat the strong flooding tide just off the start line, and win the first long distance race of the Extreme 40 Sailing Series. The fleet is now making its way back to Race Village at Egypt to prepare for this afternoon’s short course racing.

Racing yacht JETHOU sailing – Photo credit by Rolex & Kurt Arrigo

Both Black and White Group classes will head west from the RYS line with the Extreme 40s first off at 1000. Much of the day’s action will take place in the Eastern Solent – after a short beat White Group competitors will head to the shallow area east of the Bramble Bank, and Black Group will also finish from the east. The Black Group committee boat will be stationed near Browndown, east of Gilkicker Point.

A westerly Force 4 promises excellent racing, although a cold front over the south of England has produced early morning drizzle, this is forecast to move away during the morning leaving brighter conditions in its wake.

As well as the thousands of amateur sailors taking part this week, the big boats in IRC Class Zero will be battling in out for one of the most prestigious trophies of the week – The Queen’s Cup. This cup was first presented by the Royal Southampton Yacht Club by Queen Victoria in 1897 in her Diamond Jubilee year. This race will be hotly contested by the competitively strong big boat fleet including the Charles Dunstone’s TP52 – Rio which won the race last year. Rio is joined by two other TP52s – Pace and LECG Smart. Another one to watch out for is Sir Peter Ogden’s brand-new Mini Maxi – Jethou – who’s come all the way from the Med specifically for this event.

The Extreme 40 catamarans are taking part in the UK leg of the Extreme Sailing Series at Cowes this week. Watch out for these fast multihulls as they head off on their daily long distance race from the Royal Yacht Squadron line this morning. This afternoon will see the nine professional race teams battle it out from their base off Egypt Point for the action-packed, daily short-course races.

On shore visitors to Cowes Week can enjoy the many social events including live entertainment on the Gill stage in the Cowes Yacht Haven starting at 1600. Entertainment on Cowes Parade kicks off at 1200, and a disco at East Cowes Marina starts at 2030.

A visit to Cowes Week wouldn’t be complete without a taste of Extreme 40 action. For the fourth consecutive year, these fast, furious high performance catamarans are racing over six days as part of the UK leg of the Extreme Sailing Series and will, once again, provide spectators with exciting high profile racing.

The Extreme Sailing Series Race Village at Egypt Point is open to all and is the place to spot some of the professional sailors as they come ashore including current series leader Yan Guichard (Group Edmond de Rothschild). Other sailing greats here this week, include Loick Peyron (Oman Sail Masirah), double Olympic gold medallist Roman Hagara (Red Bull Extreme Sailing), Mike Golding (Ecover Sailing Team), Franck Cammas (Groupama 40), Nick Moloney (Team Pindar), Mitch Booth (The Ocean Racing Club), Paul Campbell James (The Wave, Muscat), and Hugh Styles (Xin Yi Dai).

The Extreme Bar at the Race Village, just metres from where the racing is taking place, is open every day from 1100. Enjoy a drink while watching the racing and listening to the live commentary, and make sure you stay round long enough to take in some of the many live bands performing over the next six days.