Next Thursday, 25th May, we are holding our Annual Public Meeting; so do please come along if you can. The meeting is a chance to gain an insight into the work of the Commission over the past year and our key objectives for 2017-18. I hope that the presentation will provide you with most of the information you need, but the Commissioners and I also welcome the opportunity to meet stakeholders and answer any questions you may have. In addition, our Annual Report for 2016-2017 is now available on the CHC website and a responsive version can also be viewed on mobile devices.

Meanwhile, the countdown to the 35th America’s Cup continues with just eight days to go until the start of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup qualifiers in Bermuda on 26th May. Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie is leading the Land Rover BAR team in the ultimate challenge – to bring the America’s Cup back home to where it all began in 1851, here on the Isle of Wight. I wish Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR the very best of British luck for when the racing gets going.

Keep a look out for our next newsletter, due out at the end of this month, with a full report from our Annual Public Meeting and topics discussed, and plenty of other harbour news.

Captain Stuart McIntosh -  Cowes Harbour Master