Cowes Town Waterfront Trust provides funding to a range of projects that deliver meaningful benefit to the local community and support our charitable objectives.
Here are some of the projects we have been pleased to support recently
The value of all of the gifts in product and cash for the above activities is over £35k.
ASTO’s mission is to “promote Sail Training in the UK and to support the Sail Training Industry”. The Trust helped ASTO by gifting the CYH Events Centre venue hire fee and discounted berthing for their annual Small Ships Race weekend in Cowes.
Cowes Sailability is a registered charity that offers sailing and recreational boating opportunities for adults and children with physical disabilities, learning difficulties and debilitating long term conditions. Cowes Town Waterfront Trust supported the charity by providing five months berthing at Cowes Yacht Haven for the Drascombe Longboat La Lunga.
The Trust continued its ongoing support of youth sailing initiatives and engagement within the sailing fraternity through the CKYC to encourage and promote sailing to younger people.
The Trust’s involvement included:
The Scaramouche Sailing Trust provides opportunities for disadvantaged London inner city children to enhance their life chances through sailing.
The CTWT supports The Scaramouche Sailing Trust by providing drysail facilities for two boats (Riot and Cote) as well as a marina berth for their support rib.
Seaview Sailing Trust is a charitable organisation that offers year 5 children from Isle of Wight primary schools the opportunity to try sailing over one school term. The children are taught by qualified instructors. The training helps to enhance their physical and mental development skills and self-confidence.
Despite living on the Isle of Wight many of the children have never been in a boat before and some have never been to the beach.
The children complete the course with an official Royal Yachting Association Dinghy Level 2 certificate.
CTWT was pleased to support this activity with a donation to making it possible for 2 additional schools to be included in the programme.
Autism on the Water is a charity whose purpose is to provide free sailing opportunities for people on the autistic spectrum, along with their families and carers.
The charity aims to enable 250 people with autism from the Isle of Wight and the mainland to experience sailing at no cost by the end of 2027.
CTWT supported Autism on the Water by providing winter storage ashore, a cash donation towards the cost of a local marine survey for their Impala 28, and an annual pontoon berth for the period April 2026 to March 2027.
Cowes Match Racing is a not-for-profit sailing organisation that provides affordable race training in a fun, supportive, and high-performance environment. Using two Sonar keelboats and two RIBs, teams race just off Cowes while developing their skills and confidence on the water.
A standout achievement of the programme has been two sailors progressing from CMR through the Athena Pathway into the Youth AC40 America’s Cup programme, highlighting the success of the training pathway.
The programme benefits from the support of key sponsors and relies heavily on the continued backing of Cowes Town Waterfront Trust, whose support is vital to year-round operations.
From 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, the programme will receive a support package that includes berthing for two Sonar keelboats and two RIBs, regular lift, wash-down and relaunch services, access to a debrief room when available, and indoor space for a foiling simulator. This support will help deliver sailing development, coaching, and training opportunities both on and off the water.
The RYS Foundation’s mission is to promote opportunities in the marine industry for young people living on the Isle of Wight.
CTWT will provide a funding contribution (to be administered by the RYS Foundation) as supplementary support for eligible grant applicants. The funding may be allocated in capped amounts to individual candidates to enhance the Foundation’s standard grant award. Support is restricted to applicants living within the PO31 and PO32 postcode areas, and CTWT approval will be obtained before any funds are awarded by the RYS Foundation.
Investing in the future of Cowes.
Cowes Town Waterfront Trust Registered Charity No. 1019760
Cowes Yacht Haven, Vectis Yard, High Street, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7BD
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