Round the Island Race
It was an exciting day out for thousands of sailors and more than 1,100 boats as the 91st edition of the Island Sailing Club’s Round the Island Race saw great conditions and big wind-over-tide seas off the Needles.
The Royal Yacht Squadron cannons were fired at 8am on 25 June by Mitchell Wein, president of race sponsor The Marathon Watch Company, which donated prizes to many class winners.
Line honours went to Julian Linton’s Grand Prix multihull N.R.B, while the overall win went to the first monohull to cross the line, Ian Atkins’ GP42 Dark’n’Stormy. Both finished in under five hours.
Race Director Dave Atkinson said: “The race started under perfect race conditions with a south westerly 15 knot breeze. It was a fantastic sight to watch the huge fleet of all types of boat, families and professionals, following at ten minute intervals.”
The race village at Cowes Yacht Haven was buzzing all weekend with stands by race partners offering advice and giveaways to visitors. There was live music in the evening.
Newcomers to the event were well-supported with a series of webinars put on by partner B&G. Simon Conder, Head of Global Brand at B&G, said: “Although B&G tech is used a lot by professionals, we also have a full range of products designed for all levels and abilities from ocean racers to keen amateur crews, families and first-time racers who want something reliable, easy to use, and are out on the water having a go. The Round the Island Race is great for that, and is a full mix of all sailing abilities, which is one of the reasons we decided to become a sponsor for this great event.
”With technology, understanding the capabilities of what you have onboard is often half the battle and too often people get caught up in all the things that a system can do, when all they want is the basics. With our systems we have the full range, and you can use as little or as much as you want to help you go faster or more safely depending on what you want to do. As this race is such a great mix of sailors we have also developed content and blogs to help demystify the science and help competitors get the most out of this race.”
There were also blogs on the practical nature of the event and Q&A sessions in the run-up to the race, by the Island Sailing Club. Meanwhile a new feature on Race Viewer meant spectators could follow the action live and competitors could check their progress against rivals, giving rise to numerous ‘races within the race’ between fellow marina berth-holders,
