29th June 2019
World’s largest yacht race with an expected 1500 entries, with all types of boats and many occasional race sailors.
The first race of its kind, around the Isle of Wight, was held in 1931, 86 years ago.
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. The 50 nautical mile westabout (anticlockwise) Race starts and finishes in Cowes, Isle of Wight, the centre of British yachting.
Records
Mike Slade on ICAP Leopard holds the Monohull record at
3 hours 43 minutes and 50 seconds set in 2013.
Sir Ben Ainslie on the 45ft America’s Cup catamaran J.P. Morgan BAR holds the multihull record at 2 hours 52 minutes 15 seconds set in 2013.
Our image above shows Whooper which won the Gold Roman Bowl in 2015. Photo by James Robinson Taylor
(Full story: CS3 – December 2015 issue)
Website: www.roundtheisland.org.uk
Contacts: Island Sailing Club for Entries, & Race information
- Address: 70 High Street, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7RE
- Tel: 01983 249430
- 01983 249431
- Email: sec@islandsc.org.uk (General)
- rir@islandsc.org.uk (Entries)