The Round the Island Race is an annual yacht race around the Isle of Wight. It starts and finishes in Cowes, and is organised by the Island Sailing Club.[1] The course is about 50 nautical miles (93 km) long.[2] It was first held in 1931,[3][4] it was sponsored by JP Morgan Asset Management from 2005 but in 2017 Cloudy Bay took over as the Presenting Sponsor,[5] the 2019 race was sponsored by Helly Hansen, Raymarine, MS Amlin and Chelsea Magazines.[6] The race is generally chosen to be the Saturday in June with the most favourable tides; a date in late May or early July may be chosen if there is no suitable date in June.
History
The race was the idea of Major Cyril Windeler, who commissioned a gold Roman-style bowl as prize for the winner.[3] The first race, in 1931, had 25 entries.[4] The silver bowl second prize was introduced a few years later when Chris Ratsey impressed Windeler with his good sportsmanship.[3] The last race before World War II, in 1939, attracted 80 entries.[3] In 2008 a total of 1750 boats took part.[7] In 2022, more than 1100 boats took part.[8]
Course
The course runs all the way around the Isle of Wight, with a total distance of 50.1 nmi (92.8 km).[9]
The course has varied slightly with buoys tried at the Needles and a requirement to leave No Man's Land Fort to port.
Race record
Multihull/outright race record
It was in 1961 that multihulls first entered the round the island race and the record has since fallen considerably.
Year | Time | Boat type | Boat name | Crew | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | 2 h 22 m 23 s | MOD 70 | Concise 10 | Ned Collier-Wakefield | T Lawson |
2016 | 2 h 23 m 23 s | MOD 70 | Phaedo^3 | Lloyd Thornburg | |
2013 | 2 h 52 m 15 s | AC45 catamaran | J.P.Morgan BAR | Ben Ainslie, helm/skipper | [10] |
2001 | 3 h 08 m | 60 ft trimaran | Dexia Eure et Loire | Francis Joyon, skipper Rodney Pattison, navigator |
[11] |
1986 | 3 h 05 m | 60 ft trimaran | Paragon | Mike Whipp Rodney Pattison |
|
1985 | 4 h 04 m | Nigel Irens 60 ft trimaran | Apricot | Tony Bullimore | |
1963 | 5 h 50 m | Catamaran | Snowgoose of Wight | Don Robertson | |
1961 | 6 h 00 m | Catamaran | Snowgoose of Wight | Don Robertson | |
1932–1960 | Various | Monohulls | |||
1931 | 9 h 51 m | Monohull | Thomas White Ratsey | ||
Monohull race record
Year | Time | Boat type | Boat name | Crew | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 3 h 43 m 50 s | 100 ft Farr design canting keel | ICAP Leopard | Mike Slade | [12] |
2008 | 3 h 53 m | 100 ft Farr design canting keel | ICAP Leopard | Mike Slade | [12] |
2001 | 4 h 5 m 40 s | Reichel Pugh 92 ft maxi | Skandia Life Leopard | Mike Slade | [13] |
1931 | 9 h 51 m | Thomas White Ratsey | |||
Outright record
The outright record as recognised by the World Speed Sailing Record Council on behalf of International Sailing Federation has in the past also been the race record.
Year | Time | Boat type | Boat name | Crew | Notes and ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 2017 | 1 h 17 m 17 s | Catamaran | Red Jet 6 | Howard Ray
Casey Sheargold Ben Candy |
Motorised vessel - not sailing[14] |
July 2023 | 1 h 56 m | Monohull | Oliver Pendleton
Simon Schofield |
Fully electric record attempt[15] | |
August 2012 | 2 h 21 m 25 s | MOD 70 | Foncia | Michel Desjoyeaux | Set during Cowes Week[16] |
November 2001 | 2 h 33 m 55 s | Catamaran | PlayStation | Steve Fossett, skipper Stan Honey, navigator |
Standalone record attempt[17] |
June 2001 | 3 h 08 m | 60 ft trimaran | Dexia Eure et Loire | Francis Joyon, skipper Rodney Pattison, navigator |
Set during round the island race[11] |
1994 | 3 h 35 m | Trimaran | Lakota | Steve Fossett, skipper | Set during round the island race[11] |
Gallery
- Some of the 1700 boats in the 2010 Round the Island Race.
- Yachts flying spinnakers during the 2010 race
- The fleet rounding St. Catherine's Lighthouse in 2009
- The 2009 race, with yachts seen racing off The Needles
- The 2009 race, with yachts seen racing off The Needles
- The 2009 race, with yachts seen racing off The Needles
References
- ↑ "Island Sailing Club". www.IslandSC.org.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ↑ Fisher, Bob (20 June 2009). "Round The Island Race proves frustratingly slow going". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 Neville, Martin (20 May 2011). "Round the Island in 80 years". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- 1 2 Ayles, James (26 June 2015). "Get set for popular Round the Island race". The News. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ↑ Owner, Practical Boat (28 February 2017). "Round the Island Race announces corking new sponsor". Practical Boat Owner. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ↑ "Eeyore wins 2019 Round the Island Race Gold Roman Bowl". www.sail-world.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ↑ "Rotarians to rescue in race capsize". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- ↑ "Thousands take part in Isle of Wight's Round the Island Race". BBC News. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ↑ "Round the Island Race – The Course". Round the Island Race. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
- ↑ "Race Record Broken". BAR Racing. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
- 1 2 3 http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk/web/pubs/2011/RIR11-ExhibitionBrochure.pdf
- 1 2 "Race Record Broken". Round the Island Race Event Media. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
- ↑ "Round the Island Race Results Book 2001" (PDF). www.roundtheisland.org.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
- ↑ "Record Round the Island time | Media & PR | Red Funnel".
- ↑ "BBC News". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ↑ "Passage Records". World Speed Sailing Record Council. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
- ↑ "Paralympic Sailing". Sailing.org. Retrieved 7 January 2018.