when is the round the island yacht race

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• Round the Island 2024

Ramsey to Laxey Coastal Race - Saturday 3 August

Ms&cc dinghy regatta 2024, ms&cc dinghy regatta 2024 - 22 & 23 june, the ellan vannin maritime centre round the island race 2024.

The 2024 Ellan Vannin Maritime Centre Round the Island Race will start in Ramsey Bay, Isle of Man on SATURDAY 6th July  at 11.00 BST, HW is at 12.16 BST. The Round the Island Yacht Race is run annually by the Manx Sailing and Cruising Club in Ramsey, Isle of Man and we would like to thank Robin Bromley-Martin of The Ellan Vannin Maritime Centre for agreeing to sponsor the 2024 event.

A splendid array of trophies is available to be won, the most prestigious being the Coronation Cup, first awarded in 1953 and the Ramsey Town Trophy dating from just a little later. The 11.00 start time will mean that most competitors will unfortunately have to contend with night-time sailing this year. For the spectators there should be great views at the start in Ramsey Bay and from the Point of Ayre around midday onwards and from many viewpoints along the West, South and East coasts back to the finish off Ramsey Harbour.

Racing will be governed by the current World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing with RYA and MS&CC prescriptions. The Race is open to all suitable monohull and multihull yachts.  There is no entry fee.

Downloads: Entry Form 2024  /  Race Notice 2024 .  The Sailing Instructions for this years event can be found at this link:  Sailing Instructions 2024 (Will be added once available)

Div. 1 IRC:- Class A and B (provisional split 0.943 / 0.942) – The Ramsey Town Trophy and other famous prizes.  Yachts in this division must hold valid IRC certificates.

Div. 2 NHC:- Class A, B and C (provisional splits 0.921 / 0.920 – 0.850 / 0.849) – The Coronation Cup and further famous prizes. Yachts in this division need not hold any official handicap.

Div. 3 Multihull: – The Corrin Trophy.  Yachts in this division need not hold any official handicap.

One design prizes will be awarded for any class of one design yachts (if 3 or more entered)

Other prizes for bilge keel yachts, line honours, best squadron, endeavour and best overall under NHC. The Race Committee will award NHC handicaps as required and determine class splits. NHC yachts, base numbers to be used and  need not hold handicap certificates . IRC Yachts must present valid IRC Certificates and comply with ORC Category 4 or minimum SSS number of 15. Equivalent safety standards will be required for all other entrants.

The prizegiving will take place on Sunday 7th July at 1300.

Further information, sailing instructions and entry forms, will be available on the club website and Facebook page or by emailing Brian Quayle at [email protected] .

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Round The Island Race 2024 results: Notorious wins amid wet and wild conditions

Boisterous conditions during the 2024 Round The Island Race made for a thrilling race which provided challenges for both competitors and race organisers…

Some years the annual Round the Island Race is a gentle stroll around the Isle of Wight in gentle summer sunshine. 2024 was anything but…

This is the UK’s biggest mixed fleet race on the calendar but Saturday’s race saw strong winds, with gusts of up to lash the south coast meaning that a number of smaller classes were withdrawn before the race and many others retired.

The most extreme conditions were experienced in the pinch point that is the Needles Channel. Gusts of 50kn were recorded and wind over tide conditions at times made for truly intimidating conditions. In the end just 153 yachts completed the course with a remarkable 418 retiring.

In such conditions it was no surprise that big boats came to the fore and it was to be Irvine Laidlaw’s 80’ Gunboat Highland Fling that took line honours, making the circuit in an impressive 3h 39m.

Meanwhile the TP52 Notorious , owned and skippered by Peter Morton took monohull line honours and won IRC on corrected time, scooping the much coveted Gold Roman Bowl in the process.

Peter Morton, owner and skipper of Notorious said: “This is one of the world’s greatest races and every year I look forward to it. I’ve not had the boat that long but I’ve competed in Round the Island Race many times over the last 50 years in various boats I’ve owned.

“Yesterday was special and the toughest one I’ve done. It’s 40 years ago since I won the Gold Roman Bowl on a little 25ft boat called ‘Odd Job’ which was the smallest boat in the fleet, so this year was very special for me.”

An unsettled early summer in the British Isles provided a real headache for the organisers of the annual Round the Island Race, who woke up to the reality on Saturday of extreme conditions, Race Director, Dave Atkinson said: “This race was a challenge for both the competitors and the Race Team at the Island Sailing Club, with the safety and well-being of the crews being the main priority.

“We would like to thank the RNLI, independent lifeboats and coastguard teams for their assistance and co-operation before and during the race on Saturday. Despite the challenging conditions we only had nine incidents connected to the race which is less than previous years, this shows the seamanship of the crews and the correct decision making that went into undertaking of the race.”

For more information and full results, visit the official Round The Island Race website .

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Round the Island Race: everything you need to know

The 2023 edition of the Round the Island Race is fast-approaching, with hundreds of boats getting ready to line up for the 50-mile circuit of the Isle of Wight on Saturday 1 July.

Billed as “Britain’s Favourite Yacht Race” and organised by a small and experienced team at the Island Sailing Club in Cowes, the event sees amateurs in cruising yachts sail the same course as some of the biggest professional names who are competing on cutting-edge race boats.

It is a famously spectacular sight, with yachts and sails streaming down the Solent and round the island coast, taking anything between a few hours for the fastest and a full day for those enjoying a more leisurely day out.

This page links to all the info you need for entry, race day advice, branded kit and everything else you might want to know if you’re doing the Round the Island Race this year. See you out there!

The official race charity is the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. Read here about the trust’s campaign to mark its 20th anniversary this year, as it takes part with four boats and more than 20 young people recovering from cancer treatment.

This year Elliot Brown Watches will be awarding the winners of eight categories with one of their Bloxworth Heritage Diver Watches. A few years back, the Poole based watch manufacturer, put one of their watches through the ultimate test by strapping it to the bow of a boat competing in the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race. Around 50,000 nautical miles later, it was still keeping perfect time. The perfect sailor’s watch?

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Round the Island Race

Annual round the island race in memory of past commodore edward mcdill willman.

In 1966 the Key Biscayne Yacht Club hosted the first Round the Island Race. The legacy of this fun and competitive event preceded itself and fast became the most anticipated annual event on the Club’s calendar. This event welcomes sailboats of all sizes. The race starts in the waters of Biscayne Bay in front of the Key Biscayne Yacht Club, and the course continues south through the Stiltsville Featherbeds, past Cape Florida, north along the Atlantic coast of Key Biscayne, around a mark at the opening of Bear Cut at the north of the island, and back to the Key Biscayne Yacht Club.

The Round the Island Race was conceived in part by Passed Commodore Edward McDill Willman in 1966 together with Member Ray Sullivan. Thirty-one years later, on October 23, 1994, upon the passing of Willman, Sullivan was instrumental in dedicating all future Races to Willman’s memory. Members J.J. Donahue, Jack Fischer, and Leo Swayze may also be credited to the success and legacy of this event.

Five Interesting Facts About the Late Edward McDill Willman

• At 18 years old he was a dive bomber in WWII. His WWII bombing squadron was called the “Bombing Banshees.” Many years later he connected with Roger Currie at the Key Biscayne Yacht Club, who was also a dive bomber during WWII.
• With a nod to his WWII squadron, he named his two sailboats the “Banshee,” respectively.
• Willman was the third cousin to the late Marion Morrison, better known by his stage name John Wayne.
• He won over 200 blue water races in his day.
• Willman’s son, Todd Willman, wrote a biography about his late father called “On Wings Like Eagles.”

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A wet and wild edition of the Round the Island Race in 2024

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Round the Island Race 2024: How to prepare for victory

• June 16, 2023

You don’t have to be big and fast to win the Round the Island Race, just sail well and be tactically aware. Mark Chisnell takes a look at how best to set yourself up for victory

The exact nature of the error that led someone to share the wisdom of the ‘5Ps’ with me has grown hazy with time, but I’ve never forgotten the advice: ‘Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance’ (other versions are available). It’s the perfect adage for the Round the Island Race. Run by the Island Sailing Club in June every year, this famous 64-mile lap of the Isle of Wight off the south of England is an excellent test of the navigator and tactician (this year’s event takes place on 15th June).

The distance is long for an inshore race, but you’ll be racing in close contact with hundreds of other boats for much of it. The tides are strong, the coastline rocky and the British summer weather is… well, the British weather. No one gets to sail a Round the Island Race perfectly according to plan – the unpredictable is always going to happen. So be ready for it.

Everyone approaches their preparation differently but mine has always focused on an equipment list. It’s a long day, with an early start, so you need to know everything is aboard the boat well ahead of start time. This is my list in chronological order of what a navigator should be doing in the countdown to the start.

T minus months

Now’s the time to check your navigation equipment, most of which should always be on the boat:

• Binoculars : My favourites have an internal compass so I can get a bearing on distant objects without juggling binoculars and a hand-bearing compass.
• Hand-bearing compass : A fundamental tool for the navigator, a hand-bearing compass has so many uses from checking waypoint approaches in a cross-current, to measuring performance against the opposition.
• Protest and penalty flags, protest and declaration forms and a rule book: No one wants to spend the evening of the race in the protest room, but at least having the right flags, a rule book, and the paperwork already on board will reduce the stress as much as possible.
• VHF radio: A handheld or built-in VHF must be on board. The race rules require one with Ch16, Ch22, Ch65, Ch69 and Ch72. Ch22 is usually the primary Race Committee communication channel.
• Wetnotes and several pencils: It may seem old fashioned in this age of smartphones and tablets, but the fastest way to take a note of a number or detail you need to remember is still paper and pencil. The race can be wet, so a waterproof notebook or wetnotes are ideal.
• Polar table or target speeds: Any boat with a paddlewheel, or some form of accurate speed-through-water sensor and an anemometer should be developing a polar table. Your boat’s designer can often provide a good starting point if you don’t already have one. Display the numbers where the driver and trimmers can see them, on a display, printed and laminated, or both.
• Next leg calculator: A quick way of calculating the true wind angle for the next leg is essential if the boat’s going to have the right sail up. When there is no tidal flow this is easy – it’s the difference between the heading for the next leg and the wind direction. This is the Round the Island Race though, so there will be lots of tide. There are plenty of apps out there if vector maths isn’t your thing – Nick White’s Expedition is the gold standard these days.

Detailed tidal data is essential for plotting your path in and out of the Solent.

T minus weeks

Sailing instructions and Notice of Race: The Notice of Race (NoR) has already been published and is available at roundtheisland.org.uk but the Sailing Instructions (SIs) aren’t available yet. Both are essential reading not just for Round the Island Race navigators, but for any helmsman, skipper, tactician, or boat captain doing the race.

Download the PDFs onto a smartphone or print them out and either laminate them or put them in a waterproof folder. The Declaration and Tracking instructions are also worth taking with you.

Rules compliance: The NoR and the SIs set many different requirements, and the night before the race is not the time to be trying to fulfil them. Most boats must comply with modified versions of the World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations for Category 4, so check well in advance the boat has everything required of it.

The NoR also requires the boat to carry a race mobile with the number logged with the race office – and either that phone or another must be running the race tracker app. The NoR requires that at a minimum you fly the Fleet Flag (provided by the organisers) and the Class ID flag (provided by you). Most chandlers in Cowes and nearby will have sold out of the flags for the bigger classes by the afternoon of Friday, 30 June (I know this from experience!).

Charts: This might be blindingly obvious, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check to make sure all the right charts are on board, be they paper or digital.

Waypoint: list Make sure you create a waypoint list well before the race day – it’ll be hard to calculate the next leg information without the course, and calculating the next leg distance and bearing on the fly as you go around shifts your focus from strategy and tactics. Each waypoint should be a safe steering bearing from the previous waypoint. On the RTIR that’s largely a list of the headlands, but make sure you have enough waypoints in the right places to make a tidy and safe rounding.

Be sure to have tidal information for the south side of the Isle of Wight

Tide: and local information The Round the Island Race is one of the most tidally influenced races on the planet. Good tide charts are essential – and you’ll need to know that Portsmouth High Water will be at 06.33 and 19.33 (BST). There are lots of good resources: search ‘Solent tidal streams’ and make sure it also covers the south of the Island.

Winning Tides is the go-to book these days and includes detailed half-hourly tidal data for the central and western Solent, plus hourly for south of the Island. There’s also a free spreadsheet download to calculate high water references for the book at winningtides.co.uk

Admiralty Tidal Stream Atlas : Solent and Adjacent Waters – NP337 is the ‘foundational text’ you should have.

Roberts Round the Island Tidal Flow Chart is clean and simple.

Solent Tides by Peter Bruce is still in my nav bag, though since replaced by Solent and Island Tidal Streams . And I always have a flick through Peter Bruce’s Wight Hazards and Solent Hazards the night before this race.

Onboard weather forecasts and data: The three I always have saved as a favourite on my phone when racing around the island are:

• Predictwind.com – specialist sailing forecast website, lots of forecast sources (even on the free service) and easy to use.
• Windguru – lots of forecasts from different sources, great free service.
• Windycator – excellent live reports from along the south coast.

Calibration: No one should go racing with instruments that aren’t calibrated properly – it would be better to take them off the boat altogether. At a minimum, that should include boat speed, compass, apparent wind angle and last, but definitely not least for this race, depth.

Know your transit from the Royal Yacht Squadron start line; the bearing is around 169°. Photo: Paul Wyeth/RTIR

T minus days

Keep checking the weather forecast: In the week running up to the Round the Island Race, follow a few of the weather forecasts to try and get a handle on their accuracy. It may be that one of the forecast sources can model the specific conditions better than the others, and this will be the one you want to use for race day.

Check the electronics: If you have the chance, switch on all the boat instruments in the week before the race and check the data is appearing everywhere it should be.

T minus hours

Final weather forecast: By now you should have a really good idea of the weather you’re expecting on race day, so this final forecast check should be just that – there should be no surprises, just a solid understanding of all of the possible ways that the forecast can play out.

VHF radio : Make sure your handheld is charged the night before, then on board, set to the race channel, the volume is up, and you have locked the keypad on the morning of the race.

Ping the start line: If you sail in the Solent regularly then this can be done in the days or weeks before the race. If not, then make sure you get out there early enough to check the line properly. The bearing is around 169° from the transits on the Royal Yacht Squadron .

Check your calibration: If you’ve calibrated your instruments in advance, pre-start is the time to do a few practice tacks and gybes to check the true wind direction is accurate.

Tide and wind: Track the wind shifts – in a small keelboat this might just be a matter of taking the course on each tack or checking the head-to-wind bearing. If you have calibrated instruments and a chartplotter or nav app, then make sure you are collecting the data and plotting a graph. Check the tide, look at what you can see on the buoys and assess if it agrees with the predictions on your tidal charts. If not, then try and figure out if it’s running early or late, and by how much – then you can compensate.

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Practical Boat Owner

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Entries opens for the Round the Island Race 2023

• Katy Stickland
• February 3, 2023

Entries have now opened for the Round the Island Race 2023, which will take place on the Isle of Wight on 1 July 2023

This year's event will be the 92nd edition of the Round the Island Race. Credit: Paul Wyeth Credit: Paul Wyeth

Entries are now open for the UK’s biggest yacht race – the Round the Island Race 2023.

The event – the fourth largest mass participation event in the country – is organised annually by the Island Sailing Club, based on the Isle of Wight .

Last year over 1,100 boats took part in the 50-mile race, crossing the start line in front of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes.

Yachts of all sizes can take part in the Round the Island Race. Credit: Paul Wyeth

Line honours went to Julian Linton’s Grand Prix multihull N.R.B , which completed the circumnavigation of the island in a time of 4h19m. The first monohull to cross the finish line was Ian Atkins’ GP42 Dark’n’Stormy , in a time of 4h54m.

The Round the Island Race 2023 is expected to attract over a thousand entries – both pro and amateur –  with boats of all sizes racing on an equal footing on 1 July 2023.

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The race director, David Atkinson said: “We can’t wait for this year’s edition of the race; I’ve ordered a moderate south-westerly breeze and lots of sunshine! I’d say if you only race once this year, make it Round the Island Race – we guarantee you’ll have a wonderful time with your friends and family.

“Our team will be there to support all the competitors as they plan their race, including some great online tools such as blogs, videos and webinars. We know everyone loves to continue the fun onshore after the race so we’re planning some après-race parties on Saturday evening.”

Thousands of sailors take part in the Round the Island Race each year. Credit: Paul Wyeth

B&G will be the Official Race Marine Electronics Partner for the event.

Early bird deals for entrants to the Round the Island Race 2023 start from £127, and will run until 23:49 on 25 February 2023. After that, the entry fee rises to £130-£163 until 23.59 on 17 June 2023.

Late entries from 23.59 on 17 June 2023-12.00 on 28 June 2023 start from £260.

To enter the 92nd edition of the race or to read the 2023 Notice of Race go to: www.roundtheisland.org.uk .

Enjoyed reading Entries opens for the Round the Island Race 2023?

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Yachting Monthly

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Round the Island Race 2022: The course in detail

• Toby Heppell
• June 21, 2022

The Round the Island Race 2022 is a great day out, even for those of us who typically steer clear of a race course. But how do you get round the course safely among 1000s of other yachts? We take a look at the famous course.

2021 will mark the 90th anniversary of the Round the Island Race. Credit: Ian Roman

The Round the Island Race is something of a unique event in the sporting calendar and is one of the largest mass-participation events in the UK. There are few sports or pastimes that allow everyday folk to compete against professionals and Olympic medalists on an equal footing, but the Round the Island race 2022 will see this happening as 1000s of amateur sailors take part against some of sailing’s top professionals.

But putting the number of participants and the rock-star sailors to one side, the Round the Island Race is simply a cracking day out on the water. Few things can compare to the sight of 1000s of boats heading west down the Solent towards the Needles and that sight is particularly stunning from within the fleet itself.

Although regular racers will usually take part in the race and some big boats will be out looking to set new course records, a significant number of those taking part every year have either never raced before, or very rarely race.

For those of us less used to the cut and thrust of yacht racing, the number of boats in a small area of water all vying for position can be somewhat intimidating, but it is worth remembering that although the RTIR is a race (and trying to get the better of those boats around you is a major part of the fun) in truth most are there for an enjoyable day out and understand the racing is not too serious.

Starting the Round the Island Race 2022

Before looking at the Round the Island Race 2022 course, the first tricky part of the race to be negotiated is the start.

Typically the startline runs from the Island Sailing club, sitting towards the eastern end of Cowes ’ high street and runs out to an outer distance mark in the Solent itself.

Although 1000s of craft take part in the racing each year, the fleet as a whole is split into more manageable sized classes with boats of similarly matched sailing speeds grouped together.

As such the start is not quite as hectic as it would be were everyone to set off at exactly the same time. But that still represents a large number with which to share the same piece of water, so things can get a little spicy.

The absolute key to the Round the Island Race is keeping clear air. And happily for those not used to racing that largely means staying clear of other traffic.

To this end try to start clear of the bulk of the fleet – who may well all be fighting tooth and nail for the favoured end of the line.

Article continues below…

Round the Island Race 2021: Entries open

Entries have now opened for the Round the Island Race 2021, which this year celebrates its 90th anniversary

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2011 is the 80th anniversary of the classic race

If you manage to find a decent lane of clear air, you should do everything you can to maintain it. This often means, even if you have right of way over another boat, it is usually worth bearing off to go behind them when crossing upwind – and this is true downwind too.

To prevent too much traffic bunching together the fleet starts go from fastest boats to slowest boats. This can lead to the slightly odd position that the fastest boat of the day can occasionally be on their way back up the solent towards the finish before the slowest boats have even set off.

But it does make like much easier as it is unlikely you will have to worry about too many boats in those fleets starting behind you catching up. It also means that over the first hour or so of racing the fleet has usually got a pretty good spread, so just staying out of trouble at the start should be your goal. You can focus on racing the boats around you a bit more once you’re further down the Solent.

If you are beating off the startline, try to have someone to leeward on the headsail sheet for the early part of the race so you can easily ease sheets and duck behind others. Make your intentions clear from a long way out from any crossing and let other boats know of your intentions.

The same applies downwind too, ignore tide, ignore right of way, ignore all other considerations, just try to keep some clear air over and above all else.

West Solent and Hurst Narrows

Although clear air is your key consideration, particularly in the early part of the race, there are some good rules of thumb to follow. Early on the tide should be under you, so try to stay in the deep water channel where possible.

Tidal complexity in the Solent is well covered with a double high tide and short duration ebb. There are whole books out there looking into the tidal complexities of the area.

In very light, northerly winds it can pay to take the north shore, but as this is such a rarity, it is best to discount this option and stick to the channel and the Island north shore.

Round The Needles

This is probably the most famous – and typically most feared – part of the race. It’s almost cliche to mention it, but don’t tangle with the Varvassi wreck near the Needles themselves, however inviting cutting the corner might seem. The four separate hunks of the wreck are difficult to place, so unless you really know what you are doing, keep clear.

Most will know to avoid the wreck, but a common error is to give too much space. If you overstand the Needles, you’ll often end up swept west by the tide, and the problem is exacerbated by the clump of boats rafted up trying to squeeze round the inside route, creating a windshadow beyond the Needles themselves.

Be cautious, but try to avoid falling into the trap of giving too much space and sailing far, far further than you need to. This is a natural compression point for the fleet, so often you can find yourself closing in on a number of boats who are going slowly. Remember you can ease your sails to slow down as you look for a suitable gap, and this can be preferable to trying to take the outside route.

This can also be one of the first of a series of tidal gates. The ideal race-winning rounding of the Island will see boats get to the corners of the Isle of Wight just as the tide changes and thus seeing fair tide the whole way around – it’s for this reason that in some conditions the race is so regularly won on handicap by some of the smallest boats in the fleet.

There’s little you can do if you don’t quite make a corner before the tide changes, but it is worth knowing what time the changes are and, if it’s looking tight, really focussing on making it around any corner as soon as possible.

South-west side and St Catherine’s point

Rock ledges are the main feature of this part of the course, and from Hanover Point to Atherfield Ledge they extend a good distance out into the channel from the island. It often pays to take an inshore route, but an echo sounder won’t help you in the approach to some significant ledges, such as Hardman Rock or Atherfield Ledge with their steep sides making for very sudden changes in depth.

Credit: Ian Roman

The coast is rock-bound from Rocken End via St Catherine’s Point to Dunnose Point and there are many offliers. Try to find a route that keeps your wind clear, minimises any adverse tide and gives a sensible margin over unexpected rocks. Watch out for serious overfalls in strong winds.

Sandown Bay and Bembridge Ledge

In light airs, the wind can become quite complex as you cross Sandown Bay. Many people are tempted to sail close to the shore as there is less tide, but often there is better breeze out in the stronger tide offshore, so consider this option in light wind races.

If you did choose to go close into Sandown Bay, you’ll want to head out into the channel fairly early as it very rarely pays to go close to Bembridge Ledge itself – though try not to overstand the buoy, which is a mark of the course. Once round the buoy, focus again on finding clear air, as this can often be a challenge at this pinch point where the fleet converges again.

Ryde Sands and Castle Point

You can stay out of the tide by sailing into the shallows of Ryde Sands and there is often a good benefit to be found by doing so, but you want to be mindful that you don’t run aground, for ease of mind try to keep a boat of a similar size inside your line in the hope they will give you early warning should grounding be likely. Once past Sandshead Post, the bottom shelves steeply – so keep an especially wary eye on the echosounder here, and consider heading out into the tide a little early, even if this means giving up some speed.

Credit: Paul Wyeth

Generally, it pays to go in close at Castle Point, but if there’s a lot of south in the wind, there’ll be no wind under the point at all. Again it is easy to get sucked into the windless spot before you realise it and the slow sail out is a frustrating experience. Much better to give the bay plenty of room.

In South Westerly winds, you may well find that the breeze increases significantly after Castle Point as the funnelling effect along the Solent comes into force.

There is a temptation to relax once Cowes is once again within sight but you still have a fair bit of sailing to do. And this last section can take longer than you think. Try to manage your crew’s expectations as people will be tired by this time and ready for that post-race beer. Alert crews can gain many places in the last two or three tacks simply by keeping their wits about them and there is nothing more thrilling than stealing a few places at the finish.

And then enjoy that beer or G&T and reflect on a fun day out for all.

The Round the Island Race 2022 is due to take place on Saturday 25 June. See the website for more information .

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2025 Round the Island Yacht Race

Round the Island Yacht Race 7th June 2025  – 3 Day Event. 3 Day Event: 0930 Friday 6th June – 1500 hrs Sunday 8th June 2025. Round the Island Race Day: Saturday 7th June 2025 Book a Skippered Yacht for your crew!

Individual ‘Book a Berth’ £1595 2 Person Price of Double Cabin Share £850  Individual price 

A Round the Island Yacht Race Complete Yacht Charter is a great way to enjoy The Round the Island Race (RTIR) with friends, family or work colleagues. This iconic Yacht Race, racing around the Isle of Wight under sail, is the highlight of the yachting calendar. It attracts over 1400 yachts and a whopping 15000 sailors from all walks of life. It is one of the largest sailing events in the world and the fourth largest sporting participation event in the UK. It really is a ‘must do’ event! It is simply a jaw dropping spectacle and to be right in amongst the fleets criss-crossing the scores of other boats is literally awe inspiring and exciting!

The shore side ambiance is just fantastic. Have your own post race cockpit party, walk through the buzzing high street and marina bars, enjoy the bands, stages and many food stalls at the ‘Race Village’ and buy a tee shirt! Yachts for this race are always in high demand and many were snapped up as soon as we opened the diary. Do not miss out! Email us on [email protected]

Please contact us to determine availability of book a berth and also complete yacht charter availability – this event always sells out but it is worth contacting us even late minute as occasionally we are able to put on an additional yacht at late notice!

Yachts will berth in Cowes on the Friday afternoon for the night and you will have a  debrief on the days activities / racing briefing for the next day over a drink in the cockpit allocating tasks for the forthcoming race. Everything will be explained.

Saturday: Race day! An early start from the Royal yacht squadron line. Think of about 60 Nm of racing and times of 8 to 12 hours depending upon the wind (and crew performance of course!)

Sunday: Chill out sail. Have a relaxed sailing day possibly stopping for a quick bite to eat at anchor and a swim.  Return to Gosport no later than 3pm giving plenty of time to get home.

 – drop us an email

• Yacht with Spinnaker (asymmetric or symmetrical) Professional Skipper + 1st Mate Departure Gosport Race Entry Mooring Friday & Saturday in West Cowes (walk-ashore mooring guaranteed) Accommodation Aboard (Shared Cabin) Diesel / Gas Coded Safety Equipment / Lifejacket Food Whilst Sailing (on ‘Buy a Berth’ Yachts) Wet Weather Gear Available to hire

‘Book a Berth’ Basis (Friday Practice / Saturday Race / Sunday Sail / Food provided on board)

The 3 day ‘Book a place’ on Round The Island (Isle of Wight) Event will be on a large 43 foot Cruiser with Asymmetric or Spinnaker.  There will be a practice day on Friday starting 9.30 am. Yachts will moor in West Cowes in the heart of West Cowes for Friday / Saturday night to allow the crew to enjoy and mix on land with the thousands of others enjoying the carnival atmosphere. Yachts will depart and return to the port of Gosport with ample parking. Food is provided whilst sailing and crew dine out in one of the restaurants or simply at the food court at the race village in Cowes in the evenings – this is at own cost. You will be allocated a berth on board your yacht and can stay on board both Friday and Saturday nights. The yacht is a large spacious cruiser with accommodation that allows us flexibility in allocating berths. There are up to 11 berths, but we do not use all these. 3 doubles (aft cabins being larger) / 1 bunk bed ‘up and over’ cabin  / the saloon with a large double one side and single opposite / 2 x heads .  The yacht is easy to sail and has 2 wheels and ample space in the cockpit. The yacht has a 3 burner stove with oven, a microwave and two large fridges.

Drop us an email on [email protected]

See more about RTI Race here:

Email [email protected] 

Call Us Now – 02380 016450

UK Solent Yacht Charter & Events

Competitors Start times

The start times for the 2023 Round the Island Race are shown in the following table, extracted from the Notice of Race:

The start times for the 2023 Round the Island Race are shown in the following table, extracted from the Sailing Instructions:

The start times, class splits and finish lines for the 2024 Round the Island Race are shown in the following table:

See the key points of the race, a Table of Distances and discover some of the best vantage points to watch this spectacular race.

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Light and perfect for shelter island’s menantic yacht club sailors.

By Robert Harris

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Climate change has definitely played havoc with the Menantic Yacht Club’s schedule of Sunfish races this summer, but not so this past Sunday.

The weatherman’s prediction was for light and variable wind. In actuality, it was light, but perfect between 4 and 7 or 8 knots. All 22 sailors who participated enjoyed the day. 

Two sailors, Charlie and John Modica notified me that they weren’t coming due to the light-wind forecast. Sailing in really light wind really isn’t fun, and John comes from Connecticut, an almost two- hour endeavor every Sunday. After reading this report, I’m sure that they will regret their decision, but I’m not rubbing it in.

Speaking of long distance, several other sailors come from off-Island and travel a long way to sail our incredible venue. Lee Montes comes from mid-island, traveling about two hours, and Peter Due sails his Sunfish over from near Cedar Point.

He said it took him two hours on Sunday and he arrived just in time to miss the first race. He did say that if the wind died down on his way home his wife would find him and tow him back in a power boat.

I would hate to think that he might be lost at sea.

The competition was pretty intense between the four leaders, but Paul Zinger took the day with four 1st place finishes and a total of 9 points on the day, 8 points better than the next closest sailor. The next three finishers were separated by only 5 points.

Lee Montes placed 2nd on the day with one 1st place finish and in 3rd place was Peter Beardsley with no firsts but consistent sailing. Joan Butler placed 4th and had one 1st place finish.

Several sailors were seen doing their penalty turns including yours truly.  Alicia Rojas was on starboard tack and I thought that I could pass in front of her — I couldn’t. I apologize. Lee fouled me in one race and did his turn. Some sailors did not do theirs; you know who you are.

Betsy Colby ran the races, along with only one of her trusty crew, Amy Cococcia.  She ran shorter courses and was able to get in all six normal races. After a general recall on the very first race, she flew the one-minute rule flag.

After flying this flag everyone stayed well back of the starting line because the penalty for crossing that line early is rather severe. Instead of just ducking back below the starting line if you are over early, you have to go around either the pin or the Race Committee boat, which really hurts. Good job all, and many thanks.

Betty Bishop captained the stake boat crewed by Denise Fenchel, who volunteered at the last minute because she likes heavier wind conditions. Little did she know that it was going to turn into a perfect wind day. Matt Fox captained the mark boat along with Marian Thomsen and Susie Masse. Marian filled in on mark boat instead of the Race Committee boat because we were short volunteers.

She did miss her buds though. All of our volunteers are versatile. Both Dave Daly and Ben Gonzales were out of commission but will return. They are both missed. Many thanks to all of you.  

There is only one more week of racing, so let’s have a good turnout on the last day. Also, the MYC annual meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Colby’s, just prior to the awards banquet. You know what to bring to the banquet.

We are a very congenial family-friendly club, open to all. We may not have a clubhouse, but the sailing is great, the camaraderie is superb, and we just have tremendous fun. All sailors, novice to expert, are welcome. Just show up in West Neck Harbor at 2 p.m. on any Sunday through Labor Day, check in with the Race Committee, giving them your full name and sail number, and be sure to bring your life jacket.

Non-sailors are also welcome to assist with the Race Committee boat and the stake boat. You can get more information about the MYC at the Facebook page: Menantic Yacht Club, or from Bob Harris at [email protected] or 505-235-5844. Steve and Melissa Shepstone have a fleet of loaner boats available on a first to reserve basis. Contact Melissa at 203-206-1745 or [email protected] to reserve your boat.

See you on the Water!

Results:            Pts       Place

Paul Zinger                        9                1

Lee Montes                       17             2

Peter Beardsley               20             3

Joan Butler                       22             4

Caitlin Cummings          36             5

Rachel Beardsley            38             6

Ellen Leonforte                51             7

Alicia Rojas                      66             8

Linda Gibbs                     67             9

Will Lehr                           67             10

Peter Due                         68             11

Bob Harris                        70             12

Peter Zahn                       73             13

Tom McMahon                82             14

Rich Prieto                        85             15

Bill Martens                       92             16

Kate Duff                            95             17

Jodi Sisley                          96             18

Doug Kadlec                      101          19

John Colby                         115          20

Jonathan Brush               120          21

Sharon Wicks                    130          22

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