1. Royal Yacht Squadron

The Castle, Cowes, Isle of Wight, P031 7QT.
https://www.rys.org.uk/

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Open for guided tours of displays in the Pavilion & the Castle om ‘The Racing Royal’
•    April 14th (10am - 11 am) or (11am - 12noon)
•    May 11th (10am - 11 am) or (11am - 12noon)
•    June  22nd (10am - 11 am) or (11am - 12noon)
•    July 13th (10am - 11 am) or (11am - 12noon)
•    August 31st (10am - 11 am) or (11am - 12noon)
Please book using this link:

https://form.rys.org.uk/f/cowes-bicentenary-heritage-trail

Free entry, donations to the Classic Boat Museum welcome

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2. Royal Ocean Racing Club

The Parade, Cowes PO31 7QU
https://www.rorc.org/clubhouses/cowes-clubhouseShort description

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All are welcome for a special viewing in Cowes of:

 

The painting of Bloodhound by Charles Bryan, presented by Lady Wyatt in memory of Sir Myles Wyatt CBE, Admiral of the RORC, 1957-1968

 

Giles cartoon about Prince Philip and Bloodhound - "The Duke says will it be alright if he borrows it next Thursday" 

 

The Club is open March 30th to 26th July:

Wednesday 11.00 – 15.00

Thursday to Saturday 11.00 – 23.00

Sunday 12 – 16.00

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3. Royal Thames & Royal London Yacht Clubs

The Parade, Cowes PO31 7QS
https://royalthames.com/
https://www.rlyc.org.uk/

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Visitors are welcome to view artefacts kindly on loan from the Royal Thames Yacht Cub in the Royal Yacht Squadron - see bookable times above.

The items originally from HM Yacht Britannia (1893-1936) include

• Cased boom cap with Prince of Wales insignia on loan from the RYA

• Shackle mounted on oak plinth

• Engraved brass bollard

• Oak mainsheet block with inscribed brass plaque presented by Lord Powerscourt in 1947

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4. Panels on the Parade

9 panels featuring the Royal Yachts and the Racing Royals:
No 1 The Enduring Link – The Royal Family’s connection to Cowes and the sport of yachting from The Prince Regent to King Edward VII
No 2 Joining the Fray - European Royalty competing in Cowes Week
No 3 The Royal Thoroughbred – Britannia’s first racing career
No 4 The Sailor King - King George V including Britannia’s post WWI revival
No 5 The Royal Yacht - HM Yacht Britannia, Fanny Rosa and Galatea
No 6 The Royal Dragon – Bluebottle’s first racing career 
No 7 Bluebottle’s Winning Return – Bluebottle’s second racing career
No 8 The Town’s Wedding Present – Coweslip 
No 9 Royal Offshore Racing - Bloodhound & Yeomans XVI to XXVIII

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5. Cowes Week Limited

Regatta House, 18 Bath Road, Cowes, PO31 7QN
https://www.cowesweek.co.uk/web/code/php/main_c.php?section=home

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Display about 200 years of Cowes Week at Regatta House

 

Monday 27th July - Wednesday 29th July from 9.00 to 17.00

Friday 31st July to 7th August from 9.00 to 17.00

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6. Island Sailing Club 

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70 High St, Cowes PO31 7RE
https://islandsc.org.uk/

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The Club which gifted the racing Dragon to Elizabeth and Philip has reorganised the Clubhouse to showcase Prince Philip’s Cowes racing career. Special viewing trophies, artefacts and photos in of the Beken Room and the Queen Elizabeth Room

Open to visitors

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7. Commodore’s House

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74 High St, Cowes PO31 7AJ
https://www.commodoreshouse.co.uk/

This house used to belong to Uffa Fox, the famous yacht designer and Prince Philip’s companion in Cowes. The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust (RYBT) is organising a special exhibition on Royal Racing Yachts and the Uffa Fox story.

https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/the-trust/

Open to visitors 31st July to 29th August (entry details tbc)

 

8. Medina Bookshop

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50 High St, Cowes PO31 7RR
https://medinabookshop.com/

Selling a superlative collection of antiquarian maritime books as well as new titles, small display of maritime art and in the evenings hosting a number of sailing related talks.
Open daily 9am to 5pm (Sunday till 4pm)

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9. Sir Max Aitken Museum

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83 High St, Cowes PO31 7AJ
https://www.sirmaxaitkenmuseum.org/​

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The museum is presenting a guided tour of artefacts relating to the ‘Racing Royals’, including:

 

• A painting of the Victoria and Albert II at Gravesend in a snowstorm by Richard    Henry Nibbs

• Royal Yacht Squadron programme of racing for the Cowes Regatta of 1914, which was cancelled owing to World War I

• The tiller from the royal racing yacht Britannia

• The tiller from the Kaiser’s yacht Meteor

• The gaff from the royal racing yacht Britannia

• A gimballed table on loan from the Royal collection. The table was designed by Prince Albert and was originally onboard the Victoria and Albert II and was chosen for the museum by Prince Phillip

• The King’s Chair from the royal racing yacht Britannia

 

Open April 28th to September 30th. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm. Free entry

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10. K1 Britannia

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16 High St, Cowes PO31 7RZ
https://k1britannia.org/

A display of Britannia artefacts
Open 10am to 5pm (Sundays 11am to 4pm)

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11. Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club

39 Birmingham Rd, Cowes PO31 7BH
https://www.ccyc.org.uk/

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The Club has long been the meeting point enthusiastic sailors and describes itself as “not posh”. It was founded in 1952 to promote amateur ("Corinthian") sailing in the Solent. The Club celebrates the legacy of the late Paralympic champion Andy Cassell, who was the Club's Honorary Admiral and a champion of inclusive sailing. The Andy Cassell Foundation promotes sailing for people with disabilities. The Club also houses the Cowes Sailability Club, promoting disability sailing.

 

Open to visitors Tuesday to Thursday 17.00 – 22.30, Friday to Saturday 12.00 – 23.00 and Sunday 12.00 to 22.00

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12. Classic Boat Museum

Medina Village, Cowes, PO31 7LP (use entrance on Thetis Road)
https://www.classicboatmuseum.com/

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The Classic Boat Museum, founded in 1996, is celebrating its 30th Anniversary, achieving its long-term strategic goal of concentrating its activities on one site in the Medina Village by the Hammerhead Crane. It recently formed a Partnership with the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust to promote the heritage of the of the Royal Yachts and the Racing Royals in Cowes.

 

Its exhibits include:

 

• Bloodhound’s tender and Coweslip (dates tbc)

 

• A large half model of HMY Britannia donated to the museum by Noreen Ducket, the great-granddaughter of John Carter and granddaughter of Jack Carter, Royal Sailing Masters

 

• Artefacts from HMY Britannia

 

• Images of King George V helming Britannia, Bloodhound, and Bluebottle being sailed by Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Uffa Fox

 

• Composite images of visit by Princess Anne, Cowes Week

 

Open Tuesday to Friday 11am to 3pm from April 14th 2026

Entry £10 for adults, free for accompanied children under 17

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13. Cowes Maritime Museum

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12-14 Beckford Rd, Cowes PO31 7SG

https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do/cowes-maritime-museum-p140581Check

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Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday &. Saturday 10am to 12.30 pm & 2pm to 4.30
Free entry as part of the Library

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14. Cowes Library

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12-14 Beckford Rd, Cowes PO31 7SG
 

The Cowes Library houses an extensive maritime collection featuring books, journals, and local studies materials. Situated on the library balcony, it provides a dedicated, quiet area for researching sailing history, yachting, and marine activities from the earliest days of yachting to the present.

 

Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday & Saturday 10am to 12.30 pm & 14.00 to 16.30

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15. Beckford Centre
Cowes Heritage and Community Group

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5 Beckford Rd, Cowes PO31 7SE
https://chcg.org.uk/
 

Visitors are welcome to view displays about the yachts that have raced in Cowes

Open Wednesdays and Saturdays in July and August 10am to 13.00

Free entry

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Correct as of April 7th 2026