Wild ride for Round the Island Race as stormy conditions hit fleet
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but the race, held on 15 June, saw strong winds lash the south coast meaning that a number of smaller classes were withdrawn before the race started, and many retired.
The most extreme conditions were experienced at the pinch point that is the Needles Channel. Gusts of 50kts 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.
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.
