FOR the first time ever, Cowes Yacht Haven has become home to a high performance, three-man keelboat racing charter company. The popular marina has welcomed Pelican Racing, which will offer visitors the chance to take part in races, lessons and leisurely sailing, even if they don't own their own boat.
Pelican Racing is headed up by sailing instructors Ash Holmes and Phil Devereux and aims to make sailing and racing accessible to anyone. The firm has six Laser SB3 high performance sports boats based at Cowes Yacht Haven, which members of the public can charter for leisurely sails, racing or even lessons. Sailors, families, novices and companies buy membership to Pelican Racing, which is available at three different levels and gives them time on the boats in return. Pelican Racing will run various racing events, regattas and championships from Cowes Yacht Haven and is the only SB3 race charter company in the Isle of Wight.
Joint Director, Ash Holmes, said: "Racing is such a great part of sailing and we want to make that as accessible as possible to everyone from seasoned sailors to total beginners and families. It seems that with the recession a lot of people are selling their boats, which is sad as sailing is such a great sport. Phil and I are so passionate about racing that we wanted to launch a company that would enable people, whatever their background, to take part. We chose to base ourselves at Cowes Yacht Haven because it is a central place for yachting, not just in the south but for the whole of the UK. It's very popular and it's a perfect location for us because people can get on our boats and go straight into the Solent."
Steve Cole, Managing Director of Cowes Yacht Haven, said: "We're delighted to welcome an exciting new business to our marina, particularly as it is the first racing specialist charter company to establish itself here. The partnership between Cowes Yacht Haven and Pelican Racing means visitors will have even more to see and do and they don't even need to own a boat to enjoy going out on the water."
To celebrate the partnership between the two companies, a launch event will take place at Cowes Yacht Haven on Sunday, April 19. There will be racing in the morning, followed by a BBQ and drinks into the evening.
To find out more about Cowes Yacht Haven visit www.cowesyachthaven.com. To find out more about Pelican Racing visit www.pelican-racing.co.uk.
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