Sailing

This sailing article is all about racing but we also have another article this month with all the information you need to get started with sailing too.

Have you heard of the Round the Island Race? It takes place every summer involving hundreds of boats, all racing to become the first to complete the course around the Isle of Wight.

The boats are put into racing groups depending on their type and size. If a crew puts the engine on due to a lack of wind...or to speed up...they’re disqualified!

This year, due to Covid 19, the race was delayed until the end of September. However, the organisers and town committee decided it was still too difficult to hold the event safely as a lot of fun continues on the shore after the race for the competitors and their families and friends who have come to watch so unfortunately it was cancelled.

About the Round the Island Race

The 2020 event would have marked the 84th Round the Island Race and the 89th anniversary of the first-ever Round the Island Race held in 1931 (no races were held during World War 2). You can find out more about the Round the Island Race’s rich history here.

The first race had just 25 entrants. The top trophy awarded then – as now – was the coveted Gold Roman Bowl, a replica of a Roman bowl dredged up from the River Thames.

Today the Round the Island Race is one of the largest one-day participation sporting events in the UK after the London Marathon and the Great North and South Runs, with regular annual entries exceeding 1,500 yachts and upwards of 16,000 sailors!

The race delivers everything you expect from a top-quality sporting event – competition – challenge – tactics – fun – excitement – stunning imagery – and for competitors, being part of an iconic and unique sailing experience that doesn’t discriminate and embraces sailors of all abilities, as well as spanning a wide age range.

Where do the boats race?

The 50 nautical-mile race starts and finishes in Cowes, Isle of Wight, the centre of British yachting. The first group starts at 6.30 a.m then every 10 minutes until 8.10 a.m.

The boats set off from the Royal Yacht Squadron start line and race westwards, round The Needles (watch out for the wreck!), and continue anticlockwise to the finish. There’s been many years when the wind dies off the Bembridge shore and the boats become stationary, carefully trying not to crash into each other! Ryde Sands is another tricky section, the RNLI are always on standby as boats go aground.

A true #raceforall

The Round the Island Race is an all-encompassing event that caters for and embraces first timers, families, amateurs and professionals competing at the highest level. The current monohull race record:

* ICAP Leopard (Mike Slade) in 2013 with a time of 3hr 43m 50s.

The multihull race record: Concise 10 (Ned Collier Wakefield) in 2017 with a time of 2hr 22m 23s.

Some famous names associated with the race include Dame Ellen MacArthur (The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has been the Official Race Charity since 2011:www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org), Sir Ben Ainslie, Dee Caffari, Lewis Hamilton, Alex Thomson, David Dimbleby and the race also welcomed Prince Harry, who has participated as guest crew aboard one of the faster boats on the circuit. It’s no surprise that the Race carries the social media hashtag #raceforall!

Could you take part?

According to Round the Island organisers, a large number of 7-14 year-olds take part in the race with families or as part of charitable groups. It’s very much a “race for all”, and the opportunity for young people to sail in company with Olympic and World Champions, as well as thousands of other amateur and professional sailors, is a pretty unique experience.

There are also two Raymarine Round the Island Young Sailor Trophies, one for IRC and one for ISCRS (the Island Sailing Club rating system), which are awarded to the fastest boat with at least 50% crew who are under 18.

https://sites.google.com/view/rirtrophies/raymarine-round-the-island-young-sailor-trophy-iscrs

Next year’s event will take place on 3rd July 2021.... if you and your family enjoy sailing it’s an event not to be missed!!

Visit www.roundtheisland.org for more information.

INDIVIDUAL DINGHY RACING

Already a keen sailor and ready to start racing?

The RYA has told us that the best way to get into competition is join a sailing club and get involved in junior racing. You could also take part in OnBoard and Team15 sessions. Then move to the class racing events (type of boats).

Junior race training starts with squad training on weekends between Oct-April.

Once the competition season starts the clubs will then choose their teams to enter the various races.