Round the Island Race
Round the Island Race The 91st Round the Island Race takes place on 25 June. We look at what’s new this year, including how to hold your own 'race within the race'
T
he entries have been flooding in for the Round the Island Race on 25 June and preparations are in full swing at the Island Sailing Club. This year there are new race partners and a new race village, with Cowes Yacht Haven open to all, competitors and spectators, for race briefings and entertainment. Race Director David Atkinson says: “For the first time since the pandemic started we are delighted to be able to offer a terrific onshore hospitality programme at both the Race Village and the Island Sailing Club in Cowes. It’s also fantastic to see entries returning from abroad this year, plus we’ve also got the highest percentage of first-time participants that we’ve ever experienced. I think there are a lots of new owners keen to challenge their boats and crew with our incredible race.”
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JULY 2022 Sailing Today with Yachts & Yachting
Compare your tracks
The Island Sailing Club has listened to regular competitors and brought in a dedicated live tracking feature on the race website, giving the chance to have a real ‘race within the race’. Requests have come in from class associations, from boats from the same marina who are doing the race, from friendly crews on ‘rival’ boats and others who fancy making
ABOVE
Rounding the Needles in the Round the Island Race is a moment not to be forgotten
more of the competitive element. The club says: “You asked, we listened! Whether you’re sailing a Farr 52 or a Hunter Impala, we know that many of you like to use our tracking system to compare your performance in the race with other boats of the same type. “In past races, this has not been especially easy to set up, so by popular demand, this year we’ve upgraded our Race Viewer with a new ‘Compete & Compare Tracks’ feature that give you one-click access to the tracks of all the boats that match yours. And best of all, you can even do this live while you’re taking part in the race!” The new ‘Compete & Compare’ on Race Viewer will be available for all competitors from mid-June.
Advice for competitors
For many crews, it’s the only official race they do all year and sometimes the longest sail they do all year.
