Cowes

 

Cowes

I saw the hygienist on Wednesday afternoon, prior to a dental check. She was mightily confused when I told her I’d been watching Cowes and was clearly wondering why I would be watching bovines. Eventually she understood when I explained that I was talking about a sailing regatta.

Some of the names on the Cowes Week race results boards show the usual slew of birds - Gosling, Nightjar, Goosander, Waxwing, Osprey – and simple names, like Josh, Salt, Snap, Ice, and Jade. Then there are the boats that indicate where they’re from or where they’re usually moored – Dodger of Gosport, Io of Dartmouth, and Emily of Cowes, for example. Some have names of girls, like Thora, Joy, Gladys, Margot, and Maisy.

Choosing a name for a boat is almost as difficult as deciding on a baby’s name. It must withstand calls to the Coastguard for routine calls like radio checks, so a name that seemed amusing when first dreamt up may seem less so when contacting official bodies.

Bottoms Up, Hare Brain, Repeat Offender, Men Behaving Badly, and Hair of the Dog are fun, and probably indicate something about the owner’s attitude to life. The names that particularly caught my attention this year were Yes!, Dads n Lads, and Does Your Mother Sail?

I was wondering what it would be like when calling the Coastguard for a broadcast check. Would the owner feel a little sheepish?  

‘Solent Coastguard, Solent Coastguard, this is Does Your Mother Sail? radio check. Over.’

In other sea regions, the Coastguard has a different call name. For example, for Liverpool Waters call Holyhead Coastguard, Kent is Dover Coastguard, Scilly Isles is Falmouth Coastguard.