THE Princess Royal added a regal touch to day three of Cowes Week when she toured the Island before visiting the race HQ.

It was part of a two-day visit to Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week.

Her day started by with a visit to Corf Scout Camping Site near Newport.

Here she viewed plans for its redevelopment as well as taking part in Scouting activities such as tent and fire building and cooking outdoors.

Having viewed the racing from the comfort of a motor launch, the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, finally arrived at Trinity Landing by launch at 1.10pm before making their way along The Parade to Regatta House – the nucleus of the eight-day extravaganza.

Andrew Rayner, head of Next Generation Results – technical partner for Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week – said the Princess Royal was particularly interested in finding out more about how the regatta is run.

He said: “She was keen to find out more about the live video streaming of the event on the website, and the ability of being able to deliver fast, accurate information to competitors, and to fans around the world, as soon as possible after the racing finishes.”

She also spoke at length to Phil Hagen, course setting coordinator, about how the process of course setting is carried out, and spent time chatting to the girls running the front desk, including those carrying out data entry.

Mr Rayner said: “It is always a pleasure to welcome HRH The Princess Royal and we as a team are delighted she found the time in her busy schedule to take an interest in all that goes on behind the scenes here at Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week.”

The Princess also took time to visit the John Cheverton Centre at Earl Mountbatten Hospice, which included a view of the new Possum Room, which caters for patients with motor neurone disease.

She then visited the Classic Boat Museum in Albany Road, East Cowes.

Later that evening she attended dinner at The Royal London Yacht Club, of which she is Admiral, to celebrate its 175th anniversary.

Today she is set to take up her honorary membership in the Royal Yacht Squadron, after which she will view Cowes Week Races and attend Cowes Castle.

Elsewhere at Cowes there was plenty of activity happening throughout yesterday including the Volvo Speed Challenge, featuring speedsters Paul Goodison in a foiling International Moth, Olympic silver medalist Nick Dempsey on a windsurfer, British kitesurfer Sam Lutman-Pauc, and Alex Thomson in his Open 60.