Entries open for the 2013 Round the Island Race

Laura Hodgetts

First official entry is an Evolution 26 yacht called Redshank

The Island Sailing Club opened its entries for the 82nd J.P. Morgan
Asset Management Round the Island Race at 12.01a.m. this morning.

The first entry to be approved and processed was Redshank, a Devon-based 30-year-old Evolution 26, owned and raced by Stuart Palmer.


Mr Palmer, 47,
who is self-employed, married and with two young children, is entering
the Race for the first time but has two crew members who have competed before.

His crewmates are Julian Weyer Brown, who won the family class with his yacht Coral of Teignmouth in 2006 and Mathew
Owen, who competed and finished last year helming Moon-Stream.


Mr Palmer said: ‘We race at our
home club and at the Torbay Regatta but the Round the Island Race is the
biggest event for us to compete in. Even the delivery trip from Devon is a big
adventure.

‘During 2012 we achieved 2nd in the Cruiser Class at
Torbay Week and won ‘Fleet 2’ at our local club, Teign Corinthian Yacht Club.

‘We consider these very good results given the age of the boat and third-hand
sails.’


Early
bird entries remain open until midnight on 2 February when standard entry fees
then apply through to midnight on 11 May.

Final entry numbers for this year’s
Race, taking place on Saturday 1 June, are expected to be in the region of
1,700 with around 16,000 sailors competing across this massive fleet.




Competitors
enter from around the world to race the 50 nautical miles from the famous Royal
Yacht Squadron line in Cowes, Isle of Wight.

The massive fleet heads west to
the Needles, often flying their colourful spinnakers, and everyone finishes
back in Cowes.

The majority of the fleet will take many hours to complete
the Race however, there will be teams challenging the existing course records.
These still stand at:



  • 3hrs 53mins and 05secs for a monohull, set by Mike Slade on ICAP
    Leopard
    in 2008

  • 3hrs 08mins 29secs for a multihull, set by Francis Joyon in 2001
    aboard Dexia Eure et Loire

Rod
Nicholls, the Commodore of the Island Sailing Club and Principal Race Officer
for the 2013 Round the Island Race, said: ‘The
Race Management Team takes this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New
Year as we look forward to another memorable and successful Race day on 1st
June.’




This
year, organisers have combined with Race Partners to run a free-to-enter
prize draw for the duration of the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show (From 12 – 20 January).

The draw can be entered every day on the Henri Lloyd stand A112 and prizes up for grabs include:



  • Island Sailing Club – One free Race entry for 2013

  • J.P. Morgan – £3000 in a Stocks and Shares ISA

  • Henri Lloyd – Official Race Jacket and Cap

  • Timex – A Watch

  • A Sailing Logic skipper for a day’s coaching on your own boat to
    prepare you & your crew for the 2013 Race

  • A signed copy of Dame Ellen MacArthur’s book ‘Full Circle’

  • Ben Ainslie #benandrita – Pair of Port & Starboard Socks

  • Haven Knox-Johnston – A Henri Lloyd Kit Bag

  • Old Pulteney – A bottle of 12 year-old Whisky

  • A Raymarine 101E Radio

Visit the Round the Island event website.