ALL SAILING for the Cowes Week regatta has been cancelled today (Sunday) due to weather conditions on The Solent.

Event organisers pulled the plug on all racing this morning, on safety grounds, amid a forecast of high winds, with gusts of up to 30 knots on The Solent.

Cowes Week's regatta director, Laurence Mead, said: "We always lose a day to too much wind, or not enough wind.

READ MORE: Isle of Wight Cowes Week 2023 LIVE BLOG

"We always had it on our radar, although it looked initially that Monday would be too windy — but it came a little early.

"Tomorrow (Monday) looks a little better. There will be no change to the programme. We'll assume we're out racing tomorrow, which looks likely with the weather forecast.

"It should be a 10.30am start — and we'll be back on it."

When asked about whether sailing lost to the weather is absorbed into the regatta's race programme, Laurence said they do not normally make up races during Cowes Week.

"Some regattas can do it, because they're smaller, with less boats, but when you're doing 35 starts a day with 500 boats, it's really hard to reschedule second races on a particular day," explained Laurence.

"I've thought about it, and we may or may not do so, but broadly speaking we don't do that at Cowes Week.

"People will get to enjoy the delights of Cowes town for the day."