Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floating Bridge, a chain ferry. It is one of a handful of remaining chain ferryboats not replaced by a physical bridge. Leland's 19th century verses depicted the towns poetically as 'The two great Cowes that in loud thunder roar, This on the eastern, that the western shore'. Cowes has been considereded as a home for international luxury yacht racing since the founding of the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1815. The town gives its name to the world's first regular regatta, Cowes Week, which takes place yearly in the very first week of August. Later on in the summer, powerboat races are held. The population was 9663 in the 2001 census, a figure that doubles during the course of the regatta in early August. More recently, the population at the 2011 Census was 10405. Much of the town's architecture is still profoundly influenced by the style of elaborate building which Prince Albert popularised. Industry in both Cowes and East Cowes has actually always centred on the construction and design of marine craft and materials associated with boat-making, such as the early flying boats, and sail-making. Cowes is an entry town for the Isle of Wight. Tourists to Southampton are served by a high speed catamaran passenger ferry from Cowes known as the Red Jet. It is the place where the first hovercraft was analyzed. For all your home improvements, make sure to recognize trustworthy experts in Cowes to make sure of quality.