COWES will be the place to be for the annual maritime spectacle, The Small Ships Race, on Saturday.

The event, organised by charity, the Association of Sail Training Organisations, will feature more than half of the UK’s sail training vessels for a day of racing around the Solent.

Regular winners, Dauntsey’s School, will once again be entering their century old pilot cutter Jolie Brise, having their own race against the pilot cutter, Pegasus, operated by The Island Trust.

Isle of Wight County Press:

The century-old pilot cutter, Jolie Brise, which will feature in this year's Small Ships Race on the Solent, off Cowes.  Photo: Max Mudie.

Chatham-based ketch, Morning Star of Revelation, will have a similar competitor in Tenacity of Bolton, entered for the first time by Portsmouth’s Tall Ships Youth Trust.

They will be sailing with young sailors from the Isle of Wight, who will also be aboard the yacht UKSA Ambition.

Commodore David Gower, of the Royal London Yacht Club, Cowes, said: “We are more than proud to be associated with the event, which has been running 15 years and one we have supported from the start.”

This year’s Small Ships Race coincides with the inaugural Cator Trophy which marks the 40th anniversary of the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

This race will see the two biggest vessels in the UK sail training family, three masted barques, the STS Lord Nelson and SV Tenacious, sail across the Solent to the finish line in Southampton, where the crews will join the JST's 40th anniversary Community Celebrations.

Both ships are designed and built to sail with mixed ability crews, which includes sailors in wheelchairs.

The best place to watch the event will be on Cowes seafront near the Royal Yacht Squadron cannon.

The traditional Parade of Sail is expected to start at 9.15am, with racing scheduled to get underway at 10am.