Yachts & Yachting - July 2018

The Island Sailing Club’s

annual one-day Round the

Island Race promises to be

another classic this year.

SUE PELLING discovers how

you can make it your own,

and gets top tips from

past champions

FA ST

N

umbers are up for this

year’s Round the Island

Race in association with

Cloudy Bay, and some

of the biggest names

in racing have signed up for this, the

87th edition. One of the most unique

features of the race – other than the

huge numbers it attracts – is the sheer

diversity of the leet. From high proile

race teams to weekend club sailors,

this annual 50nm blast round the Isle

of Wight is the ultimate ‘race for all’.

Line up on the startline and test your

skills on the racecourse against some

of most talented sailors in the world

including the likes of British sailing

superstar Sir Ben Ainslie, or challenge

your club/class rival for those all-

important ‘bragging rights’. In this race,

it’s a level playing ield: the Island Sailing

TRACK

Club, which runs it, is justiiably proud

that its eforts to celebrate ‘#RaceForAll’,

continues to be such a global success.

With in excess of 1,400 yachts

regularly taking part, which equates

to 15,000 sailors, the Round the Island

Race is one of the largest participation

sporting events in the UK and arguably

the biggest event of its type in the

world. As a grand global sporting

occasion, not surprisingly it has also

become a bucket list favourite.

RECORD BREAKERS

he anti-clockwise course is simple

enough but to get the best from your

race, it pays to invest a bit of time on

navigation research. Ideally you will

be looking to sail the shortest distance

possible round the course, and to stay

as much as possible in the strongest

34 Yachts & Yachting July 2018 yachtsandyachting.co.uk