At least two of the world’s major players in the competitive big boat arena have confirmed their intention to race at this year’s Skandia Cowes Week (30 July – 6 August).

The Australian owner/skipper Grant Wharington is shipping in his 98ft Super Maxi Skandia Wild Thing next month whilst the latest generation Super Maxi, the New Zealand-built 100ft Maximus has already arrived in Cowes amidst a flurry of excitement having recently enjoyed a record-breaking race across the Atlantic Ocean. She took handicap honours after finishing five hours behind the giant schooner Mari-Cha IV. Her owners are successful NZ businessmen Charles Brown and Bill Buckley.

George Hendy, the Project Manager for Maximus, has already told Skandia Cowes Week’s Regatta Director Stuart Quarrie that he wants the 22-strong crew to race for two to three days towards the end of the week and both Hendy and Quarrie hope that there will be enough Maxis entered to ensure that they can race for their own trophies. There’s clearly more than a little antipodean rivalry going on here.

The gauntlet has been thrown down. Anyone else out there with a seriously big boat wanting to race at Cowes this year, get your entry in now – online – at www.skandiacowesweek.co.uk and keep the first few days in August free.