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Family marks 200-year connection with Cowes Week

Hannah WalshSouth of England
BBC Image shows Jim smiling at the camera. He is wearing a blue and white striped shirt. Behind him are a number of flags and boats. He is stood on the edge of the harbour and at the bottom of the photo, you can see the sea.BBC
Jim Kernahan's ancestor was one of the pioneers of yacht racing off Cowes.

A descendant of one of the yacht racing pioneers behind first regatta off the Isle of Wight is playing a part in Cowes Week, two centuries later.

Jim Kernahan is the great, great, great, great grandson of Charles Day, who was "instrumental" in setting up and running a race involving seven boats in 1826, which evolved into the famous Cowes Week regatta.

Kernahan, whose company TrellisWorks now supplies the CCTV and connectivity for the Cowes Harbour Commission, said the annual event remained "very important" to the island.

More than 60,000 people are expected to visit the Isle of Wight during the bicentennial regatta which got underway on Saturday.

Southampton Cultural Services Image shows a portrait of Charles Day. It is in black and white. He is drawn wearing a high neck coat, and high neck white shirt. He is looking forward directly.Southampton Cultural Services
Charles Day was "instrumental" in setting up and running the first event 200 years ago.

Kernahan explained that Charles Day became involved in the yachting scene after moving to London, where "lords and noble people, or just wealthy industrialists and merchants" were keen sailors.

He said: "They were building and racing yachts pretty much for the first time.

"But it was a bit boring on the Thames, and with Charles Day knowing those people and then moving down to Southampton, he came up with the idea that there's this patch of water called the Solent, and it's just ideal for sailing.

"He kind of put the two together, Cowes and the Solent."

Charles Day set up yacht builders Day and Summer.

He donated £100 towards the first Gold Cup race prize and also helped to improve facilities to make Cowes suitable for important visitors and royalty.

He said it allowed the people of Cowes "to smarten their act up, to put pavements down so the genteel ladies could visit."

"Without him, I don't think it would've happened this way," he added.

The annual regatta gradually extended in duration during the 19th Century and became known as Cowes Week.

'Islander at heart'

Two hundred years later, Kernahan's company which he founded in 2004 is playing a role helping to keep the harbour safe during Cowes Week.

It operates the 34 cameras, automatic gate access and barriers which function around the harbour during the busy regatta.

He grew up on the island, and says he is an "islander at heart".

"Most people have heard of Cowes, they've heard of Cowes Week, they know it's the home of yachting, and they associate the Isle of Wight and the Solent with all of that. So it's very important."

Image shows Freya and Maddie smiling at the camera. Freya is wearing a white t-shirt and black denim shorts. She has brown hair and sunglasses on her head. She is stood with her arm around Maddie, who has long brown hair. She also has sunglasses on her head. She has a blue t-shirt on and white denim shorts. Behind them, is their boat called 'Fiasco'. You can see part of Cowes harbour behind them, with blue skies and blue water.
Freya and Maddie are taking part in their first Cowes Week together

Among the hundreds of sailors taking part in this year's regatta, many are here for the first time.

They include friends Maddie and Freya, both 17, who are taking part in their first Cowes Week, having started sailing together at Oundle School in Northamptonshire

Maddie said the prospect of sailing at Cowes was "quite exciting."

"I'm quite nervous as well because the fleet this year, I think it's 20 boats, which is the biggest it's been in a while.

Freya added: "It should be really good fun. It's a bit anxious because it is a huge event.

"It's definitely the biggest race that we've both ever done together."

They both said they would like to see more girls and young people involved in the sport.

Maddie said: "It's really good that we're sailing together, but I would like more girls to come."

Freya added: "It's such a fun sport, and I think it should be accessible to everyone, so I think that having two girls do it and having us do it, shows that everyone else can also do it."

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