Round the Island Race - which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic last year - will return this summer.
Organised by the Island Sailing Club, Round the Island has always been one of the UK’s largest participation sporting events and regularly attracts more than 1,500 boats and thousands of sailors.
This year, the race will be held on Saturday July 3 and celebrates its 90th anniversary.
With so many high-profile events being cancelled, Round the Island is being tipped as one of the biggest events to be staged since the UK’s first lockdown a year ago.
One of the unique attractions of the race is its even-handedness and the opportunity for Olympic and World champion sailors to compete on the same racecourse with amateurs, families and club sailors of all ages. Whilst the majority of the boats will simply enjoy the challenge of getting all the way round, there will be many teams aiming to beat the existing course records.
The current monohull record continues to be held by Mike Slade on ICAP Leopard, who in the near-perfect conditions of 2013 posted a time of 3 hours 43 minutes and 50 seconds.
The multihull class, introduced in 1961, generally achieves even faster times, as shown in 2017 when Ned Collier Wakefield’s Concise10 flew around in just 2 hours 22 minutes and 23 seconds.
Rear Commodore for Sailing at the Island Sailing Club, Rob Peace, said:
“The Island Sailing Club is delighted to launch the 2021 Race. Sailors are desperate to get back out on their boats, and our race is perfectly timed and definitely provides a unique and thrilling experience for all of the crews. Over the past 90 years approximately 500,000 sailors and 70,000 boats have been challenged by this race - those are some impressive statistics!”
Race Director, David Atkinson, said:
“The focus for 2021 is on organising a great race on the water. While the UK Government's roadmap out of lockdown suggests we will be able to run some of our usual social activities ashore, we are very mindful of the possible need to avoid large gatherings over the race weekend.
"No decisions have been taken at this stage, and we will be updating our plans in line with the easing of restrictions over the coming weeks and months. Naturally, we expect those taking part to follow all of the current guidelines in place for the race, and e will be providing a summary of guidance from relevant authorities through a dedicated page on the event website.
"We will be asking everyone to check this regularly, familiarise themselves with the information and help make the event safe for us all."
The ethos of a ‘Race for All’ continues at pace this year with the first Windeler Cup competition to set sail after the main fleet departs from Cowes, allowing small keelboat racers from the Daring, Dragon, Etchells, Flying Fifteen, Mermaid, Redwing, Sunbeam, Swallow, Sonar, Squib, RS Elite, Victory and XOD classes to join in the fun.
Also, the race weekend is extended to welcome competitors from the rowing and kitesurfing worlds, who will enjoy their own Round the Island on the Thursday and Friday (1 and 2), before the main sailing race on Saturday.
Spectators will also be able to enjoy fantastic views of the action from many points on the Island’s coastline. The organisers are working with Visit Isle of Wight to produce a comprehensive guide to the best ‘fresh air’ viewing spots with associated public transport, parking, facilities and refreshment information.
The race continues to be supported by official partners Chelsea Magazines, Helly Hansen, Haven Knox-Johnston (previously MS Amlin Insurance) and Raymarine.
Meanwhile, Round the Island Race continues to support and fundraise for its official charity, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.
To enter, visit www.roundtheisland.org.uk
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