Maximus beats the multihulls

News from the front end of the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race fleet

After a slow beginning, the race to be the first boat back into Cowes turned into a real monohull versus multihull battle. The two Grand Prix French trimarans from La Trinite sur Mer in Brittany started with a flourish but halfway through the race not only had the New Zealand yacht Cityindex Maximus overtaken but also Nokia Enigma and Pindar. Beating in very light airs did not suit Nuku Hiva 2 and she slipped back with her sistership but retaliated strongly on the final reach to the finish, just 39 seconds behind Cityindex Maximus, which had Olympic medallist Ian Walker providing the local knowledge as tactician.

Seven hours after her start in the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, the New Zealand boat Cityindex Maximus completed the 50 mile course around the Isle of Wight and took the Observer Trophy for the first monohull boat to finish.

Early in her race, as the front of the fleet approached Hurst the SE breeze went very light, first in mid-channel where Nuku Hiva and Pindar slowed, whilst Nokia Enigma and Full Pelt came in fast up the mainland side. Soon however all boats parked just after Hurst Castle whilst the tide continued to sweep them west. By Warden buoy, a SE breeze began to fill in and all the boats began moving again, those in the middle this time picking the breeze up first. A reach to the Needles saw Nuku Hiva 2 pass her ORMA stable mate and she was first round just before 1000, followed by Maximus second, Nuku Hiva third and then Pindar and Nokia Enigma. The breeze held as the leaders set off on the beat for St Cat’s. But behind the leaders the wind in the west Solent remained extremely light and fickle, sometimes from the north, sometimes the west, sometimes the south-east!

Just after 1145, Nuka Hiva 2 rounded St Cat’s about 4 minutes ahead of Cityindex Maximus, with Nokia Enigma and Leopard next. The breeze soon swung to the north-east and dropped very light, so a slow beat ensued up to Dunnose and across Sandown Bay, where Cityindex Maximus took the lead, followed by Nokia Enigma and Pindar, with the two multihulls in 4th and 5th. Behind them, more than 300 of the smaller boats were still struggling to get through Hurst and down to the Needles.

By 1345, Cityindex Maximus was round Bembridge Ledge as the breeze picked up again, spinnakering away to the Forts, followed by the rest of that lead group. An hour later, she crossed the finish line in Cowes, just 51 seconds ahead of Nuka Hiva 2.

In IRC0 Linklaters Fidessa Fastwave (DK46 - Robert Elliott) beat sistership Shockwave (Nick Lutte) by 7 minutes on corrected time after an eight hour race. Further down Shirley Robertson skippering Volvo for Life was just 37 seconds adrift of Hurley Palmer Flatt and had to settle for sixth place.

Emma Richards was racing Pindar Alphagraphics with sponsors and supporters on board and won the Open 60 class from Mike Golding in Ecover. Emma commented: "We had a good, light wind start. The breeze built slowly towards The Needles. Ecover was always on elastic - we'd build a lead and she'd catch up, especially when the wind was coming from different directions. We were delighted to complete this race well, having retired from the Calais Round Britain."

Emma's crew included Mike Sanderson, Brad Jackson and Dave Endean, currently in training for the Volvo Ocean Race, plus Pindar CEO Andrew Pindar and transatlantic rower Debra Veal. Emma will next be racing Pindar in the Rolex Fastnet Race.

Kit Hobday's Bear of Britain was one of the first casualties on the race course when she retired soon after the start - Gurnard Ledge being the culprit.

No overall results are available at this stage, here is IRC 0:

Sail	Name	T.C.C.	Finished	Elapsed	Corrected	Pos
GBR2R	LINKLATERS FIDESSA F	1.209	16:11:32	08:21:32	10:06:21	1
GBR46L	SHOCKWAVE	1.209	16:17:18	08:27:18	10:13:20	2
IRL4900	OKASAMA	1.249	16:07:46	08:17:46	10:21:43	3
GRE55	AERA	1.332	15:38:51	07:48:51	10:24:30	4
GBR8448R	HURLEY PALMER FLATT	1.235	16:16:17	08:26:17	10:25:16	5
GBR5955T	VOLVO FOR LIFE	1.235	16:16:47	08:26:47	10:25:53	6
GBR70R	STAY CALM	1.356	15:33:57	07:43:57	10:29:07	7
GBR4321	OYSTERCATCHER XXV	1.344	15:41:33	07:51:33	10:33:46	8
GBR236R	ERIVALE	1.208	16:37:37	08:47:37	10:37:22	9
GBR998R	CUTTING EDGE	1.239	16:26:24	08:36:24	10:39:49	10
GBR88R	ISLAND FLING	1.355	15:42:53	07:52:53	10:40:45	11
GBR744R	HOTEL CALIFORNIA	1.271	16:18:21	08:28:21	10:46:07	12
GBR2601R	SPIRIT OF JETHOU	1.352	15:49:56	07:59:56	10:48:52	13
GBR76R	NOKIA ENIGMA	1.498	15:07:51	07:17:51	10:55:54	14
GBR9210	JPMORGAN PRIVATE BAN	1.280	16:25:07	08:35:07	10:59:21	15
US23	BREAKAWAY	1.354	15:59:18	08:09:18	11:02:31	16
GBR1R	LEOPARD OF LONDON	1.597	15:06:58	07:16:58	11:37:50	17
GBR8652R	SPIRIT OF DIANA	1.254	17:09:41	09:19:41	11:41:51	18
GBR8653R	SPIRIT OF JUNO	1.254	17:16:42	09:26:42	11:50:39	19
GBR115	SOJANA	1.519	15:41:07	07:51:07	11:55:38	20
BER2000	VENOM	1.419	16:20:50	08:30:50	12:04:52	21
GBR8651R	SPIRIT OF MINERVA	1.254	17:35:46	09:45:46	12:14:33	22
NZL99999	CITYINDEX MAXIMUS	1.774	14:51:00	07:01:00	12:26:51	23
FRA33	FRANCE 2	1.406	17:09:28	09:19:28	13:06:37	24
BEL1	ZEST OF BELGIUM	1.406	17:16:04	09:26:04	13:15:53	25
FRA37	FRANCE 3	1.416	17:12:09	09:22:09	13:16:00	26
GBR2436	FULL PELT X	1.648	15:58:42	08:08:42	13:25:23	27
K808	CREIGHTONS NATURALLY	1.271	19:12:05	11:22:05	14:26:56	28
GBR8654R	SPIRIT OF ISIS	1.254	NOD
GBR521	BEAR OF BRITAIN	1.319	RET