Round the Island Race - Eclectic mix of competitors

by Peta Stuart-Hunt on 12 Feb 2013 The JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race gets underway in Cowes, UK on Saturday 1st June 2013. The Race always attracts an eclectic mix of competitors and boats and this year will be no exception; hence the launch of #raceforall the Twitter campaign launched at the London Boat Show. This promotion helps to push the ethos of this Race, a very straightforward message, out to an even wider audience whilst also raising funds for the official Race charity, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

With final entry numbers ranging anywhere between 1700 and 1900 yachts and already standing at 630, the Race always attracts a healthy number of first timers, some of whom are novice racers, many more of whom are accomplished yachtsmen and women. Their entry forms usually say something along the lines of 'it's just one of those sporting occasions you have to be a part of!'

Useful hints for those entering the Race for the first time are published here.

The Race organisers at the Island Sailing Club in Cowes are delighted to see so many first timers signing up this year. Amongst these is Steven Evans from Newcastle under Lyme and his entry of Velox (GBR2057R), a Jeanneau 39i purchased last year so as Steven puts it, 'I'm a novice sailor looking forward to my first ever race.' Stephen's crew are all family members except a handy RYA instructor and his wife who are joining them on board.

Classic Racing Yacht Apache is restored to former glory for June 1st - Kathleen Kilbey is Rear Commodore of the Lydney Yacht Club in Gloucestershire and a member of RORC. Not only is she a practising marine surveyor specialising in classic timber yachts, but she also skippered Sinbad of Abersoch, a classic Buchanan 38, in the 1989 Fastnet Race, competed in several seasons of RORC racing in 1980's and 1990's, won the Renaissance Trophy for classic yachts in the Round the Island Race in the early 1990's and only retired from active RORC racing in the late 1990's.

For this year's Round the Island Race Kathleen has entered Apache (K6054,) a 1973 Oliver Lee designed Hunter 701 sloop, hydraulic lifting keel version. She is one of the very earliest Hunter cruiser-racers, well known in JOG racing in the 1970's and recently restored to original condition after a five-year project. This Race will be her first outing since her re-launch. The full restoration blog can be read online here.

'ello 'ello Dulcibella - Peter Broughton, a Police Officer with the Humberside Police, has owned his Beneteau Oceanis 320 Dulcibella (GBR8046T), since 2010. Based in Grimsby on the River Humber, they often race on the Humber and cruise on the East Coast. Peter has done the Round the Island Race once before... as crew in 1982, and they were disqualified (DSQ). Better luck this year.

Tudor Rose is an old hand - An accomplished Round the Island Race yachtsman, Ian Cooke from Fareham, has competed for 31 years and achieved first overall ISCRS in 2009. He has once again entered Tudor Rose
(GBR1380R), a Hunter Medina (Mini Tonner/IRC class). He says, 'This David Thomas design is a scaled down version of the Sonata but often just as quick!'

Welcoming 'a bunch of old salts' to the dark side! Welcome to former powerboater, Andy Wigley, who reckons he's 'moved to the dark side' - from motor to sail - after service and fuel costs became too expensive. He describes his crew as 'a bunch of old salts (ages from 45-70) who couldn't get a ride anywhere else!' They are all members of Port Solent Yacht Club and have entered their inaugural Round the Island Race with Blue Hoolie
(GBR3208L), a Hanse 385 built and launched in 2012.

RC44 Team Aqua: The three-times winner of the RC44 Tour Championships, Chris Bake and Team Aqua (GBR2041), a Russell Coutts-designed RC44, will be on the RYS line on Saturday 1st June. Chris and his crew have raced very successfully together for seven years and have a couple of RTI Races under their belts. They're looking to improve on their best RTI result to date; an impressive second in the X40 class.

Sign up and be part of something special on Saturday 1st June. You can enter here.
Round the Island Race website