What’s In-store Ashore at This Year’s

Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week

The excitement is building in the approach to Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2012 in this special “Best of British” year. Organisers are pleased to announce a varied programme of shore-side events and activities to complement the race schedule. Highlights include:

Family Day (Sunday 12 August)

Organisers are building on the success of last year’s first Family Day and a number of initiatives will be in place to help families get the most out of their time at the regatta. There will be a range of free and discounted activities.

Ladies Day (Thursday 16 August)

Celebrating women in sailing is the focus for Ladies Day, in recognition of the major successes of women in one of the few mainstream sports where men and women compete on equal terms.

Ladies Day also celebrates and recognises sporting prowess across a wider range of sports and, working in partnership with the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) and the event’s sponsors, a number of female achievers across a range of sports will come together at the regatta in celebration of Ladies Day.

Nominations are now being accepted via the official event website for the Ladies Day Trophy which recognises outstanding contribution, commitment, or achievement in sailing generally (not just at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week).

“Best of British” Celebration Day (Friday 17 August)

Last month CWL was delighted to announce the involvement of Skandia Team GBR sailors at this year’s regatta. The team will be present on Friday 17 August, just one week after competing for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games. A full programme of activities for this day will shortly be announced.

Friday 17 August will culminate in the traditional fireworks display, taking place at 21:30. Thanks are extended to all those that have made a financial contribution to date. Donations can still be made via the official event website in order to safeguard future displays.

In addition to these highlights, Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week has a packed schedule throughout the entire week and details of the full entertainments line-up can be found at the official event website: www.aamcowesweek.co.uk.

Spectator Options

Visitors can enjoy watching much of the racing from the shore in Cowes. Princes Green and The Parade are great places to view the action, and organisers are working towards a programme of close-to-shore exhibition racing during the Week which will be announced nearer to the event.

For those who would like to get afloat, bookings are open for the event spectator boat service which provides close views of the racing on hour-long round trips. Book-up via the official event website or in person at the entrance to Trinity Landing during the event. Tickets are £5 for children up to 16 years old and £10 for adults. Special discounted family tickets are also available.

An exhilarating ride aboard a high speed Rigid Inflatable Powerboat is an option for the more adventurous, available from Ondeck through their ‘Rock up and RIB’ programme. To book, call 01983 284300 or email uk@ondecksailing.com. You can also book online at: www.ondecksailing.com/cowes-week.

This year, Elite Helicopters are also offering the chance to take to the skies for a pleasure flight with a range of helicopter flight options throughout the regatta. Visitors will be able to enjoy Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week from the air.

Unfortunately there will be no Red Arrows display at this year’s event; they will be out of the country for the duration of the regatta. However organisers are working to secure several aerial displays during the week and details will be published as soon as they are available.

Children’s Activities

For those attending the regatta and looking for activities to keep the children entertained, the UKSA offer a range of fun day activities throughout the event.

For just £49 per person for eight to sixteen year-olds a choice of exciting watersports including sailing, team building games, team challenges and a whole host of fun, instructor-led activities will be provided. Places are limited, so early booking is recommended.

For further information regarding children’s day sailing courses, contact Alix Berry (01983 203034) or Morgan Strange (01983 203001) at the UKSA.

Cowes Primary School is also providing day care facilities for four to eleven year-olds with options for just a morning or afternoon, or the whole day throughout the event. For further information, contact Julie Durno, Club Manager on 07511 709744.

Full details of the entertainment schedule and shore-side highlights can be found at www.aamcowesweek.co.uk.

ENDS

Media Queries

For more information on Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week, please contact:

Ben Cummings at WSM Communication on 020 7183 4610 or aamcowesweekpr@wsmcommunications.com.

Notes to Editors

About Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week:

• Cowes Week is one of the longest running events in UK sporting history having first taken place in 1826.
• Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week is an inclusive, aspirational sailing regatta; the largest of its kind in the world.
• Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week attracts around 1,000 yachts in up to 40 classes, and 8,500 competitors ranging from weekend sailors through to Olympic medallists and World Champions.
• Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week has a lively festival atmosphere ashore with a broad range of social activities that provide an exciting and varied “après-sail” programme.
• The official event website for all the latest news and information is: www.aamcowesweek.co.uk.
• Follow the event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cowesweek.
• The 2012 event dates have been changed to avoid a clash with the Olympic Games and therefore Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week in 2012 will be held 11 – 18 August.

About Aberdeen Asset Management:

Aberdeen Asset Management is a pure asset management group and is one of the largest publicly-quoted investment managers listed in the UK. It invests worldwide as a traditional, fundamental investor on behalf of institutional clients, advisers and individuals globally across major asset classes. The group has assets under management of £184.7 billion (as at end of March 2012). Aberdeen was founded in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1983 and today operates in 23 countries around the world, employing 1,800 staff. Aberdeen champions first-hand research and believes close teamwork is the best means to discover the best investments for clients’ portfolios.

Aberdeen participates in sponsorships where it can get actively involved and make a difference to an event, individual or team. Aberdeen’s current sport sponsorship portfolio includes properties across golf, sailing, rugby and rowing. The group is also involved with a number of cultural and arts sponsorships.

For more information visit http://www.aberdeen-asset.com/aam.nsf/aboutus/sponsorship.