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15:44 Sunday 5 Aug 2018 Sue Pelling/LCWLand Rover Sailing Experience a Huge Success

Sally and Fraser Harrison sign up for the Land Rover Sailing Experience – photo Tom Gruitt/LCW

Family Day at Lendy Cowes Week is buzzing with activity throughout town and, those on the water are enjoying a decent breeze too.

As the crowds of families enjoy the fun and games along The Parade at the CBeebies’ Swashbuckle show and a whole host of fun activities for families to get involved in, including pirate shows and face painting, others are packing into Cowes Yacht Haven.

Among the Family Day activities at Cowes Yacht Haven is the Land Rover Sailing Experience for youngsters, which is so popular that there is now a waiting list for today’s on-the-water sessions.

This two-day try sailing event attracted over 100 youngsters on the first day and, according to Land Rover representative Emma Strachan, even more are expected today.

“This is Land Rover’s first year here at Lendy Cowes Week and it is going really well. Our main priority this first weekend is getting children out on the water and so far, it has been a huge success. We have also have Sarah Ayton double Olympic sailing gold medalist running coaching sessions out there. She is absolutely great with the children, so we have used her at all our sailing events because she is so inspiring.

“Another popular feature is the Land Rover Experience where visitors can go and test out the cars on the remote car circuit and we also have the Land Rover Rope Pull Challenge. We have a Land Rover burger van, which is also providing complimentary teas and coffees for Land Rover owners.”

With a passion to support young sailors as well as high-profile racers, Lendy Cowes Week is the perfect platform for Land Rover."

Strachan continued: “Grassroot sailors are hugely important to Land Rover and it has really been the focus for all our sponsorship and marketing last year and this year.  There is a bit of a gap in the market so we feel we really need to support that generation and encourage young sailors to support the sport in the future.”

Sally Harrison and her young son Fraser from Cowes, who is spending the day enjoying all the activities on offer said Lendy Cowes Week offers such a great range of fun things to do and being on her doorstop, thought it was too good to miss.

Fraser Harrison, was excited about his sailing session and said he was looking forward to getting out on the water: “I have been sailing before and I am looking forward to it. In particular I am looking forward to learning how to drive the boat and how to manage different types of boats. As I like swimming I think I am going to like sailing too.

“My sister is as the CBeebies’ Swashbuckle event and we’re going there now before we go out sailing.”