Cowes Yacht Haven is reporting a 10,000 person rise in visitor figures over Cowes Week compared to last year.

Free entry to the marina on every day of the regatta except Friday for the first time is said to be behind the increase, with on-site bars also reporting a 25 to 30 per cent increase in sales figures.

Ian Gregory, event centre manager, said: ‘Cowes Week 2010 was a huge success and as the venue at the centre of the action, we saw a marked increase in visitors on our site.

‘We were able to open the gates for free thanks to securing a title sponsor for our outdoor stage in the form of marine clothing company, Gill.

‘Its sponsorship of The Gill Stage allowed us to book fantastic entertainment and allow free entry to thousands of sailors, spectators and tourists.’

Many competitors and spectators berth their boats at the yacht haven over Cowes Week, turning it into a ‘regatta village’, filled with live music, shops, food stalls, entertainment and bars, with 85,000 people entering the site this year.

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