Doublehanded round the island

130 yachts expected in Royal Southampton YC's race this Saturday

Up to 130 boats are expected to take part in this Saturday’s Island Double organised by the Royal Southampton Yacht Club, as part of its McGuigan Wines’ Double Handed Series. The race looks set to be one of the most popular and keenly contested races of the season.

Entries are accepted right up till race day and by midweek it looked likely to top 130 entries.

The Club’s double handed racing is widely recognised as the premier two-handed racing series in the UK and it has staged the Island Double for 27 years. It was the Club's original double handed race, and still remains the most popular double-handed event in the Royal Southampton's sailing programme.

Competitors are due to start off the Royal Squadron line at Cowes early Saturday morning, and head west towards the Needles before making their way round the south of the Island.

Kathy Smalley, RSYC Captain of Racing commented: “The first Island Double happened in 1981 and was the original two handed yacht race, from which the Royal Southampton has grown its very popular eight race Double Handed Series each year. Now in its 28th consecutive year, the Island Double has become almost the 'Riband Bleu' of two handed racing and entries are already approaching 130, including 90 in IRC, but we could still take more, even at this late stage.”

Time to beat is for the passage round the Island for monohulls is 5 hours, 58 minutes - a record which has stood since 2004 set by the Farr 45, Bounder, sailed by Chris Little and Mike Richards. Their time knocked six minutes off the time set by the Swan 56 Noonmark VI in 2003. The multihull record is held by the Firebird catamaran, Phoenix, sailed by Martin Hutchings and Tim Hazel, as long ago as 1996 at 4 hours 44 minutes and 29 seconds.

First starting gun on Saturday is at 0800 and provisional results are available after the race at a social gathering at the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes. Each crew is awarded a pair of engraved glasses on completing the race.