CLASSIC BOAT MUSEUM
Maritime Heritage Trail
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. It initiated the Maritime Heritage Trail which links sailing clubs, museums and heritage centres to reveal the history of maritime Cowes and its significance in British and International Yachting. The trail map has been drawn by the museum’s artist-in-residence, Anna Keen.
1. Royal Yacht Squadron
The Castle, Cowes, Isle of Wight, P031 7QT.
Founded in 1815, the Royal Yacht Squadron is considered the most prestigious yacht club in the world. Originally ‘The Yacht Club’, it gained ‘Royal’ status in 1820 from George IV and its current name from William IV in 1833. The Squadron holds the unique privilege of flying the White Ensign. Its collection includes regatta cups, maritime paintings and artifacts from the famous HMY Britannia, a cutter commissioned by Edward VII in 1893 that enjoyed a legendary racing career until it was scuttled in 1936 on the command of George V.
Open for guided tours of displays in the Pavilion & the Castle om ‘The Racing Royal’
• 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
2. Royal Ocean Racing Club
The Parade, Cowes PO31 7QU
https://www.rorc.org/clubhouses/cowes-clubhouse
Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC): Established in 1925 to standardize offshore racing, the RORC manages the Rolex Fastnet Race. It recently celebrated its centenary in 2025.
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
3. Royal Thames & Royal London Yacht Clubs
The Parade, Cowes PO31 7QS
https://royalthames.com/
https://www.rlyc.org.uk/
The Royal Thames Yacht Club was founded in 1775 by the Duke of Cumberland. It is the oldest continuously operating yacht club in the world. It was formerly known as the Cumberland Fleet, changing its name in 1830. The Royal London Yacht Club grew from the Arundel Yacht Club and obtained its Royal title in 1849.Visitors are welcome to view artefacts from the Royal Thames Yacht Club in the Royal Yacht Squadron (please book a tour). These include HMY Britannia’s cased boom cap with Prince of Wales insignia on loan from the RYA, an engraved brass bollard and an oak mainsheet block with inscribed brass plaque presented by Lord Powerscourt in 1947.
Visitors are welcome to view artefacts from the Royal Thames Yacht Club in the Royal Yacht Squadron (please book a tour). These include HMY Britannia’s cased boom cap with Prince of Wales insignia on loan from the RYA, an engraved brass bollard and an oak mainsheet block with inscribed brass plaque presented by Lord Powerscourt in 1947.
4. Panels on the Parade
Brought to you by the proud partnership of the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust and the Classic Boat Museum. Panels featuring the Royal Yachts and the Racing Royals:
Date of installation to be confirmed.
1 The Enduring Link – The Royal Family’s connection to Cowes
2 Joining the Fray - European Royalty competing in Cowes Week
3 The Royal Thoroughbred – Britannia’s first racing career
4 The Sailor King - King George V including Britannia’s post WWI revival
5 The Royal Yacht - HM Yacht Britannia, Fanny Rosa and Galatea
6 The Royal Dragon – Bluebottle’s first racing career
7 Bluebottle’s Winning Return – Bluebottle’s second racing career
8 The Town’s Wedding Present – Coweslip
9 Royal Offshore Racing - Bloodhound & Yeomans XVI to XXVIII
5. Cowes Week Limited
Regatta House, 18 Bath Road, Cowes, PO31 7QN
Cowes Week Limited was formed in 2007 and manages the regatta's operations. It evolved from the Cowes Combined Clubs, which Prince Philip suggested in 1964 to unify the disparate management of various racing days. It features a display about 200 years of Cowes Week at Regatta House.
Open for Heritage Trail Saturday 1st August to Friday 7th August from 9.00 to 17.00
6. Island Sailing Club
70 High St, Cowes PO31 7RE
Founded in March 1889 by General Charles Baring, the Island Sailing Club was established to provide an inclusive alternative to exclusive yacht clubs, welcoming all sailing abilities. Known as ‘The Friendly Club,’ it quickly gained popularity and established its permanent clubhouse on Cowes High Street in the late 19th century. The Club is best known for founding the prestigious annual Round the Island Race in 1931, which began with 25 starters and has grown into one of the world's largest yacht races, often featuring over 1,500 boats.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had a long-standing association with the Club. The Club gifted the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip the Dragon Class yacht Bluebottle as a wedding present in 1948, which he sailed in Cowes Week. Queen Elizabeth II was a previous Patron of the Club and today HRH the Princess Royal is the Patron. To celebrate the Bicentenary of Cowes Week, the Club is refurbishing it premises to welcome visitors with a display of photographs and memorabilia on yachting Royals in the Beken and Queen Elizabeth II Rooms.
The Club is open to visitors June 1st – September 30th. Please sign the Visitors Book in either the Office (ground floor) or Bar (first floor) noting you are on the Maritime Heritage Trail.
7. Commodore’s House
74 High St, Cowes PO31 7AJ (next to Rosalie’s – the green painted grocer’s shop)
https://www.commodoreshouse.co.uk/
The house used to belong to Uffa Fox, the famous yacht designer and Prince Philip’s companion in Cowes. The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust is presenting a special exhibition on Royal Racing Yachts and the Uffa Fox story.
https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/cowes/
Open to visitors 31st July to 29th August
For booking details:
https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/cowes/sailing-through-royal-history-exhibition-in-cowes/
8. Medina Bookshop
50 High St, Cowes PO31 7RR
https://medinabookshop.com/
Open daily 9am to 5pm (Sunday till 4pm)
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.
Special Events during Cowes Week (August 1st – 7th):
Please book early to secure your place.
Sat 1st 7pm, £10: SOUTHAMPTON TAKEOVER - A selection of some of the best singer/songwriters from Southampton hopping on the Red Jet to bring a wonderful selection of original songs to the Medina Bookshop stage. (details TBC)
Sun 2nd 7pm, £15: SHEP WOOLLEY - The legendary shanty singer from Portsmouth with be joined by fiddle player Tim Walker for a thoroughly entertaining evening of stories and songs from the sea. https://medinabookshop.com/event/shep-woolley-with-tim-walker/
Tue 4th from 6pm, FREE: MEET THE AUTHOR - Pop in for a drink and a chat with foremost expert on ropes and knots Des Pawson and genre defying Age Of Sail novelist Katie Daysh.
https://medinabookshop.com/event/meet-the-author-with-des-pawson-and-katie-daysh/
Wed 5th 7pm, £5: THERE IS NO SECOND - Come along to hear Magnus Wheatley talk about his book that tells the story of the very first America's Cup Race.
https://medinabookshop.com/event/there-is-no-second-talk-by-by-magnus-wheatley/
Thu 6th 7pm, £12.50: EAST COWES SHANTY - An entertaining musical evening in the company of this fine and accomplished group of local shanty men.
https://medinabookshop.com/event/east-cowes-shanty-singing-songs-of-the-sea-for-cowes-week/
9. Sir Max Aitken Museum
83 High St, Cowes PO31 7AJ
https://www.sirmaxaitkenmuseum.org/
Sir Max Aitken (1910–1985) was a distinguished British Battle of Britain fighter ace, media proprietor, and renowned yachtsman. As the son of Lord Beaverbrook, he flew with 601 Squadron, earning the DSO and DFC. Post-war, he chaired Beaverbrook Newspapers, founded the London International Boat Show, and co-founded the Cowes-Torquay powerboat race. In 1947, he acquired The Prospect in Cowes, an 18th-century sailmaker's loft, which now houses the Sir Max Aitken Museum. The museum presents a guided tour of artefacts relating to the ‘Racing Royals’, including: the tillers from HMY Britannia and the Kaiser’s yacht Meteor and the gaff from the HMY Britannia.
Open April 28th to September 30th.
Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm. Free entry
Guides available to take you round the exhibits.
10. K1 Britannia
16 High St, Cowes PO31 7RZ
https://k1britannia.org/
K1 Britannia on the High Street named after the Flag of HMY Britannia, ‘K1’, has a shop selling maritime memorabilia and a museum displaying fascinating artefacts from the yacht.
16 High St, Cowes PO31 7RZ
Open 10am to 5pm (Sundays 11am to 4pm)
11. Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club
39 Birmingham Rd, Cowes PO31 7BH
https://www.ccyc.org.uk/
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
12. Classic Boat Museum
Medina Village, Cowes, PO31 7LP (use entrance on Thetis Road)
https://www.classicboatmuseum.com/
Open Tuesday to Friday 11am to 3pm
Entry £10 for adults, free for accompanied children under 17
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 (May – July), a large half model of HMY Britannia donated by the family of John and Jack Carter, Captains on HMY Britannia and models of Bluebottle and Coweslip built by local model-maker, Bill Austin.
13. Cowes Maritime Museum
12-14 Beckford Rd, Cowes PO31 7SG
Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday &. Saturday 10am to 12.30 pm & 2pm to 4.30
May be closed for renovations.
Free entry as part of the Library
14. Cowes Library
12-14 Beckford Rd, Cowes PO31 7SG
https://www.iow.gov.uk/article/1956/Cowes-Library
Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday & Saturday 10am to 12.30 pm & 14.00 to 16.30
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.
https://www.iow.gov.uk/article/1956/Cowes-Library
15. Beckford Centre
Cowes Heritage and Community Group
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. Please check the website.
Free entry
Trinity Theatre
The Grove, Cowes PO31 7QR
https://www.trinitytheatrecowes.org/
Trinity Theatre are producing and filming a short play telling the story of HMY Britannia through the eyes and ears of the ordinary people who worked to make Royal yacht racing possible. The play combines reminiscences, period photos and dramatic scenes. Local people, organisations and businesses are relating anecdotes, sharing photos and other artefacts and providing location for filming. The play will be by acted in period costume by members of Trinity Theatre and will be shown in the theatre during Cowes Week and afterwards at several different venues, including yacht clubs and the museum.
https://www.caods.org.uk/index.php
Duke of York
Mill Hill Rd, Cowes PO31 7BT
The Duke of York is a historic Grade II listed public house dating back to the 1850s. It is a treasure trove of maritime artefacts and includes the gaff spar from HMY Britannia, her linesplans and a lovely painting.
The Maritime Heritage Trail is thirsty work!
Correct as of May 12th 2026
While every effort has been made to ensure these details are correct you are advised to check with the individual location to check opening times and display details.