News - 28/06/17

The Round the Island Race in association with Cloudy Bay takes place this coming Saturday, on 1st July. Whether you are an old-timer or a newcomer to the race, there is something very special about taking part in this iconic event. 

As is the norm with this much loved yacht race, there is a fabulous array of competitors spanning the generations, representing all levels of ability and racing on a huge variety of yachts. The flurry on the start line with its 11 separate starts, will include the MOD 70 Concise 10 with Ned Collier Wakefield on the helm and a number of the highly competitive Fast 40+ fleet, including Invictus owned by Sir Keith Mills and helmed by Sir Keith and his son Alex. 

The RTIR course really couldn’t be much simpler! The boats cross the start line at Cowes in 11 different groups, starting every 10 minutes from 0530 until 0710 and head in a westerly direction towards Yarmouth. The boats pass round the Needles Lighthouse, along the southwest coast of the Island to St. Catherine’s Point and then up across Sandown Bay to round the Bembridge Ledge Buoy. The fleet then makes its way either side of No Man’s Land Fort and across Osborne Bay to the finish line back at Cowes. 

The Queen’s Harbour Master Portsmouth, the ABP Southampton Harbour Master and the Cowes Harbour Master have issued a joint Local Notice to Mariners, No. 14(T) of 2017, regarding traffic restrictions in the Central Solent during the RTIR start period and throughout the day.

The RTIR Onboard Race Pack contains all the documentation you need on Race Day in one handy and compact PDF, including the Sailing Instructions, Layman’s Guide to the Racing Rules and Declaration and Tracking instructions.

Race organisers advise all competitors to also read the Safety Book well before the race. It contains important information that you and your crew should be aware of to ensure that there is a safe race for everyone taking part.

For spectators, if you’re planning on visiting Cowes over the Race weekend or want to watch the race from one of the vantage points around the Island, the Spectator Guide has everything you need. As well as details of all the shoreside activities taking place, there is a handy map and a table of times at which the boats will pass different points during the 50 nautical mile race.

All the news and more can be found on: roundtheisland.org.uk.

See also Local Notice to Mariners No. 14(T) of 2017 ROUND THE ISLAND RACE – Saturday 1st July 2017 Central Solent – Traffic Restrictions.

Photo: Round the Island Race 2016 © Paul Wyeth