Racecarmarine entered our Open 7.50 "Cool Runnings" in the race - optimistically hoping to improve on our time of 6 hours 25 mins and 14th on IRC corrected time from last year. Well that did not happen :) !!!
If truth be told we knew from the onset that a lightish Easterly wind compared to the usual South Westerly sea breeze meant - no reaching - just slowish VMG running and loads (50+?) tacks on south side of the island - coupled with being stuck in a wind hole during the wind transition from around lunchtime at Upper Bonchurch east of Ventor, meant we were well out of it and took a leisurely 9 hours and 4 minutes to complete - 2 hours 39 minutes slower than last year. According to the tracker, we sailed backwards for a while and watched a boat couple of hundred yards away disappear with the breeze. In hindsight getting offshore at Ventnor to get to the infilling breeze would have worked out - but this is probably only the 2nd time we have done the race in an Easterly - so we just didn't call it.
It was definitely a slower boat high handicap race - well done to those who got in the chocolates - not sure there was one planing boat in top 20 this year. It is still the best race of the year and sailing on the beautiful south side of the Isle of Wight is a brilliant experience - even if short tacking for what seemed like forever against the tide was a bit challenging :)
Next Year!!!
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ISC event PR below:
What a weekend!
This year’s Round the Island Race is one we won’t forget in a hurry! We’ve been longing for sunshine on race day for a few years now, and this weekend’s weather helped create a truly remarkable spectacle. The spinnaker start at the Royal Yacht Squadron was a sight to behold, and to see over 800 boats make their way round the Isle of Wight on such a stunning day was incredibly special.
“Exceptional race”
Our Race Director, Dave Atkinson, said this year’s Round the Island Race had everything.
“It was an amazing day and an exceptional race,” he said.
“I never get tired of the sight of so many boats assembled on the start line, but this year’s felt particularly special.
“It was just a glorious day, and everyone came off the water feeling a real buzz of being part of such a great race.
“There were some tricky seas, particularly at The Needles, and some serious tacking required off St Catherine’s, but Round the Island is about giving our sailors a great test, and this year’s race did that too.
“A huge thank you to everyone who took part and we really hope to see you back next year.”
Winners crowned
We were thrilled to welcome so many sailors to the Race Village to celebrate our winners at Sunday’s prizegiving event.
Around 100 trophies were handed out to competitors across multiple classes, and it was great to recognise the achievements of those who excelled in the race.
Tattarat, skippered and owned by Simon Moss, was first overall in the IRC Class, winning the coveted Gold Roman Bowl.
Seventeen-year-old Will Reeve, who only bought his boat, Innuendo, this month, won the Round the Island Race Young Sailor Trophy, sponsored by B&G, with his crew.
Click here to view the results
Congratulations to everyone!
Round the Island Race 2027 will be held on Saturday 10th July and we would love to welcome you back to do it all again.
You can pre-register for next year’s race and over the coming months, we’ll be in touch with entry news, competitions and all you need to know about Round the Island Race 2027.
“It was just a glorious day, and everyone came off the water feeling a real buzz of being part of such a great race. There were some tricky seas, particularly at The Needles, and some serious tacking required off St Catherine’s, but Round the Island is about giving our sailors a great test, and this year’s race did that too”
Dave Atkinson. Round The Island Race Director
Racecarmarine race an Open 7.50 race boat - Cool Runnings - with Racecarmarine branding in a number of events on the South Coast of the UK and have a good understanding of the marketing requirements for businesses in the marine sector. Contact us for details on how we can help with your project.