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The annual JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, organised by the Island Sailing Club, is one of the most popular fixtures on the Solent racing calendar. Competitors come from Europe and the USA, as well as all over the UK, to follow the 50 mile course round the Isle of Wight.
Starting on the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes, the fleet raced westabout, to The Needles, round St Catherine's Point and Bembridge Ledge buoy back into the Solent.
Conditions for this year’s JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race gave everyone a challenge. The breeze at the start was light, with some boats being swept over the line early and having to make their way back slowly. At the Needles the most popular description competitors had of the race was "champagne sailing". Then the wind played tricks. Once into the eastern Solent most of the fleet had to cheat the tide and creep close into Ryde Sands. Then it was short tacking to the line. The ‘rush hour' was between 1900 and 2000 when a close to a thousand boats were finishing.
Oman Sail Masirah led the fleet back to Cowes in the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race as well as taking line honours in the Extreme 40 class. It was a nail-biting finish, with a provisional 29 seconds separating the Omani boat from Russell Coutts helming Team Aqua.
The winning team comprised Olympic 49er silver medallist Chris Draper on helm, Pete Cumming trimmer with Mark Bulkeley, Olympic Tornado sailor on mainsheet. David "Freddie" Carr and Khamis al Anbouri shared the bow.
Meanwhile, the leading monohulls were back in the eastern Solent. ICAP Leopard (Mike Slade) led from Liara (Tony Todd) followed by Sebastien Josse and Ellen MacArthur on the Open 60 BT. These boats were hugging the mainland shore whilst the TP52s Cutting Edge and John Merricks II favoured the Island side and might just have the advantage on handicap.