Round the Island Race record-breakers help encourage new sailors

by Peta Stuart-Hunt on 5 Dec 2013 Round the Island Race 2014 is to be held on Saturday 21st June. The first start is scheduled for 0630. This year's Race record-breakers help encourage new sailors to compete in 2014!

Saturday 1st June 2013 was certainly a day to remember. it was a day of highs, and more highs and, it was a day for Round the Island Race records to tumble. It was the day when Great Britain's most successful Olympic sailor and America's Cup winner, Sir Ben Ainslie, and his all-British crew aboard the AC45 J.P. Morgan BAR, trounced the existing Round the Island Race multihull record, held for 12 years by Francis Joyon, by an impressive 16 minutes. The gauntlet has been well and truly thrown down for Race Day on 21st June 2014 ...and 2.52.15 is the time to beat!

Meanwhile, Sir Ben, under the auspices of J.P. Morgan Asset Management and the Island Sailing Club, will be holding a public Q&A session on 8th January at the London Boat Show where his Race record-breaking AC45 will be on display and there will be some exciting Race news announced at 11.30am.

Entries for the 2014 J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race will open on Friday 3rd January with the Notice of Race being simultaneously published online.

With a fleet comprising in excess of 1,500 yachts and 16,000 sailors, the annual one-day J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, organised by the Island Sailing Club, is firmly established as one of the top sailing events on the international sporting calendar and ranks amongst the most challenging of its kind.

As the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UK after the London Marathon and the Great North and South Runs, the Round the Island Race can certainly prove to be a marathon for some, lasting many hours depending on wind, tides and seamanship, whilst for others, such as race record-breaker Sir Ben Ainslie, it started at 0500 and he was back in time for an early breakfast!

The current monohull race record set by Mike Slade on the 100ft ICAP Leopard on 1st June 2013 stands at 3.43.50. This is 9 minutes and 45 seconds inside ICAP Leopard's own race record set back in 2008.

Year after year, the Race welcomes many new participants - old and young, male and female, amateur and professional - who want to challenge themselves and undertake this extraordinary 50 nautical mile adventure that starts and ends off Cowes, Isle of Wight.

The Island Sailing Club organises, hosts and manages the Race, and the Club's new elected Commodore, John Dudley, sums up why he thinks this race means so much to so many, commenting:

'I am proud to be Commodore of the Club that runs this iconic event; a race where Cruisers and Racers alike are matched up against some of the leading sailors in the World making it a 'Race for All'.

If you are thinking of entering the 2014 Race and haven't competed before, there is a wealth of information, including a series of practical preparation videos, available on the Race website. There is also a Forum on which you can post 'Crew available' or 'Crew wanted' notices.

The Island Sailing Club is grateful for the continued support of the Race Title Sponsor, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and the Race Partners for 2014: Dream Yacht Charter, Haven Knox-Johnston, Henri Lloyd, Nautica Watches, Old Pulteney Whisky, Raymarine, Red Funnel, Volvo Car UK.
Round the Island Race website