Round the Island Race

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.

The Round the Island Race 2008, seen from the viewpoint at Blackgang, viewed north-west towards the Needles.
Yachts participating in the 2010 event

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]

Course
The course runs all the way round the Isle of Wight.

The course runs all the way around the Isle of Wight, with a total distance of 50.1 nmi (92.8 km).[8]

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
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 [9]
2001 3 h 08 m 60 ft trimaran Dexia Eure et Loire Francis Joyon, skipper
Rodney Pattison, navigator		 [10]
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
2006 3 h 20 m 9 s 98 ft Super Maxi ICAP Maximus Bill Buckley, Charles, St Clair Brown, Harold Cudmore [11]
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
August 2012 2 h 21 m 25 s MOD 70 Foncia Michel Desjoyeaux Set during Cowes Week[14]
November 2001 2 h 33 m 55 s Catamaran PlayStation Steve Fossett, skipper

Stan Honey, navigator

 Standalone record attempt[15]
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[10]
1994 3 h 35 m Trimaran Lakota Steve Fossett, skipper Set during round the island race[10]
  • 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
  1. "Island Sailing Club". www.IslandSC.org.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  2. Fisher, Bob (20 June 2009). "Round The Island Race proves frustratingly slow going". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  3. Neville, By Martin (20 May 2011). "Round the Island in 80 years". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  4. Ayles, James (26 June 2015). "Get set for popular Round the Island race". The News. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  5. Owner, Practical Boat (28 February 2017). "Round the Island Race announces corking new sponsor". Practical Boat Owner. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  6. "Eeyore wins 2019 Round the Island Race Gold Roman Bowl". www.sail-world.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  7. "Rotarians to rescue in race capsize". Isle of Wight County Press. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
  8. "Round the Island Race – The Course". Round the Island Race. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  9. "Race Record Broken". BAR Racing. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  10. http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk/web/pubs/2011/RIR11-ExhibitionBrochure.pdf
  11. "ICAP Maximus sets new Round the Island race record". Sail-World.com. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  12. "Race Record Broken". Round the Island Race Event Media. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  13. "Round the Island Race Results Book 2001" (PDF). www.roundtheisland.org.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  14. "Passage Records". World Speed Sailing Record Council. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  15. "Paralympic Sailing". Sailing.org. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
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