Press Release

August 2000

The Duke of Edinburgh, Admiral of the Royal Yacht Squadron, officially
opened the Squadron's new Pavilion during this year's Cowes Week
regatta.

Since 1852, the Squadron, the country's senior yacht club, has been housed in Cowes Castle, Isle of Wight, a Grade II* Listed Building incorporating the original Henry VIII fort with several additions, most notably by the eminent Victorian architect Salvin. The Pavilion is built on lawns next to the Castle and ushers the Squadron into the new millennium by providing the members with the additional facilities that are now required to host modern international yachting events.

The position of the Royal Yacht Squadron at the entrance to Cowes harbour makes an immensely important contribution to the scene enjoyed by countless visitors to the island by ferry and those sailing past in yachts or steamers. By virtue of its position, all races during Cowes Week in August each year are run from the Squadron. No other yacht club in the country enjoys a headquarters with such prestige, prominence and suitability for the conduct of yacht racing at international level.

The main building of the new Pavilion takes the form of a fully glazed freestanding structure with a colonnade of slender steel columns supporting a curved copper roof. The building is deliberately reminiscent of the canvas marquees that have traditionally occupied the Castle's lawns throughout the summer.

Great care has been taken in the building's relationship with the Castle and its landscape setting. Curved stone-clad retaining walls relate the Pavilion to the old building's semi-circular turrets and bulwarks and reduce the apparent bulk of the Pavilion's service area in this highly sensitive location.

The Pavilion is designed to be a contemporary compliment to the Castle and to make a significant contribution to the quality of the buildings fronting this historic shoreline. It is divided into the following main parts:-

o The Orangery - The Pavilion's main space is a multi-use room
to be used for relaxation and light refreshment whilst watching
the day's racing. It can also be used for formal dinners for up
to 100 or drinks parties for up to 200. The room is virtually fully
glazed and opens out towards the Solent and the Courtyard.

o The Courtyard - This sunny 1,200 sq/ft (110 sq/m) external space
is created by the space between the Orangery and the storey-height
retaining wall at the rear of the site. A movable weather-tight
tensile fabric roof running on its own tracks can slide to cover
the entire Courtyard. With the roof in place, the Courtyard can
be used to double the Orangery's entertainment capacity. At times
a further demountable marquee may be erected next to the Pavilion
and this will be used in conjunction with the Orangery and the Courtyard
to cater for the largest events.

o The Upper Terrace - Most of the Pavilion's service functions
are concealed beneath this terrace, which is itself set into the
landscape to reduce the building's size. This terrace will provide
an excellent opportunity for watching the day's racing from an elevated
position.

The Pavilion's most important annual date will be to provide additional accommodation for the Squadron Ball. The Ball marks the start of each Cowes Week and forms the social centrepiece of the world's largest regatta. In August 2001 the Royal Yacht Squadron plays host to the 150th anniversary America's Cup, the world's single most prestigious international yachting trophy. The Pavilion will be used for many of the Cup's social events.

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