Day of mixed fortunes

The JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race was generally fast this year.

The annual JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race got underway at 6am with the first start for the Open 60s and IRC Group 0 boats with a weather forecast that indicated the potential for a record-breaking anti-clockwise lap of the island in a 15/20 knot WSWerly breeze.

20 minutes into the race beating westwards up the Solent, ICAP Leopard was already off Newtown Creek and going well, while the Team Russia Volvo 70 was half a mile behind followed by the Kiwi maxi Zana. In the Extreme 40 class, starting 10 minutes after the big boats, the leader was Jim Turner's Team Aqua WLT followed by Chris Draper's Oman Sail and Rob Greenhalgh's TeamOrigin.

Things were not going so well for Alex Thomson and the all-star cast on board Hugo Boss. The black Open 60 was involved in a pre-start incident when she snagged the backstay of the Farr 45 Atomic with her bowsprit. Atomic was dismasted while the substantial bowsprit of Hugo Boss was torn clean off. Despite her damage Thomson's Vendee Globe steed started and continued towards The Needles with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton was sat high up on the weather rail.

As the head of the fleet passed Yarmouth, the visibility deteriorated, almost to fog, but the bank was rolling quickly east which should leave The Needles clear.

Rounding the Needles Rob Greenhalgh's Team Origin Extreme 40 had overtaken ICAP Leopard by tucking in close to the Needles whereas the supermaxitook the more conservative route out towards the Needles Fairway buoy. Kites then went up for a fast trip to St Cats where ICAP Leopard reported around 24 knots. En route to St Catherine the mist descended and visibility to almost zero requiring teams to grab their chart. In addition to the low fog, the sea state south of the Isle of Wight was variously described as grim, hairy, wild, lumpy and on the edge. As the leaders returned to the Solent however the sun came out and the wind lessened but became shifty.

In the end TeamOrigin led the way round the rest of the course to take line honours at 09:33.50, in a time of 3 hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds - just 15 minutes outside of the outright race record of 3 hours, 8 minutes and 29 seconds held by Francis Joyon and his ORMA 60 trimaran Dexia Eure et Loire. .

Two other Extreme 40s, Shirley Robertson's JP Morgan Asset Management and Team Aqua finished in 2nd and 3rd position across the line.

"We've had a fantastic day," commented Rob Greenhalgh. "The sailing was fast and hairy, right at the upper limit for us. From The Needles to St Cat's there was only a quarter mile visibility and on this type of a boat, our navigation equipment is basic. It's a great result to add to our iShares Cup events, which we're leading overall with two seconds. We'll be back at the beginning of Skandia Cowes Week for the next instalment."

While the nimble Extreme 40 were unable to better the time of Joyon's tri, in the good breeze Mike Slade’s supermaxi ICAP Leopard was able to eat up the 50 nautical mile course fourth fastest in terms of elapsed time, but breaking his own monohull record set in 2001 aboard his previous maxi, Skandia Leopard, by just over 12 minutes. In the process ICAP Leopard set a new time for a monohull circumnavigation of the island, (subject to ratification by the World Speed Sailing Record Council).

“Round the back of the Island we couldn’t see far, but then we came round the eastern end and the sun came out," recounted Slade. "From there it was a wonderful trip home in the sunshine. The record looked touch and go on our way home, but we didn’t know how many tacks it would take to make the finish line. I am delighted we have knocked 12 minutes off the WSSRC circumnavigation of the Island record.

The Round the Island race usually favours either big or small boats, but with the breeze generally consistent for the duration of the race, the results overall in IRC showed a mix at the top of the leaderboard. First under handicap winning the Gold Roman Bowl was Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom's modified TP52 Ran, steered by Tim Powell, followed by Darren Masters’ diminutive quarter tonner Catch. Last year’s Gold Roman Bowl winner Edward Donald came third in his 25ft Folkboat Madelaine with another TP52, Henri Lloyd Cutting Edge, eight seconds later on corrected time

The ISC Rated Class showed the top boat and winner of the Silver Gilt Roman Bowl as Sandpiper, Adrian Creedy’s Parker 235. Willem Wester was second in his brand new Grand Soleil Antilope. He also wins the JPMorgan Asset Management Family Trophy, racing with his wife, daughter and granddaughter Emily aged 13. Twilight, a 1961 Robb Lion design, was third with Patrick Moreton. Just 22 seconds later on corrected time came Mark Taylor's South Coast One Design Marbella.


Principal trophy winners

OBSERVER TROPHY & JPMAM SALVER - First Monohull to finish  
      GBR1R         ICAP LEOPARD                     Michael Slade (Southampton)         
GOLD ROMAN BOWL & JPMAM SALVER - First Overall IRC         
      GBR528R     RAN                                         Robert Swann (Abingdon, Oxon)          
SILVER ROMAN BOWL & JPMAM SALVER - Second Overall IRC      
      GBR707        MADELAINE                          Edward Donald (Winchester)         
ROYAL THAMES CHALLENGE TROPHY & JPMAM SALVER - Third Overall
      GBR952R     H LLOYD CUTTING EDGE  Stacey Clark      (Yately, Hants)    
JPMORGAN TROPHY - First Overall IRC Group 0                
      GBR528R     RAN                                         Robert Swann (Abingdon, Oxon)          
VAPHIO CUP - First Overall IRC Group 1                     
      GBR236R     ERIVALE III                            Michael Greville (Cowes, Isle of Wight)                 
YEOMAN CHALLENGE TROPHY - First Overall IRC Group 2        
      GBR1736L   FULL PELT                            Stephen Fein      (Cowes, Isle of Wight)     
CHAMPAGNE MUMM CHALLENGE CUP - First Overall IRC Group 3   
      GBR707        MADELAINE                          Edward Donald (Winchester, Hants)          
METHUSELAH TROPHY - Winning Team in IRC Groups 0 & 1       
      Royal Thames Yacht Club (CHERNIKEEFF 2, ZANA, ICAP LEOPARD)                     
JEROBOAM TROPHY - Winning Team in IRC Group 2              
      Royal Lymington Yacht Club (ZARAFA, BRIGHTWORK, NO DOUBT)                   
JEROBOAM TROPHY - Winning Team in IRC Group 3              
      Royal Lymington Yacht Club (SUNDOWNER, WHITE MISCHIEF, CLOUD NINE)                                   
SILVER GILT ROMAN BOWL & JPMAM SALVER - First Overall ISCRS
      GBR1513L   ANTILOPE                             Willem Wester (Rollie, Switzerland)      
FIDELIS TROPHY - Second Overall ISC Rating System          
      K771            TWILIGHT                              Patrick Moreton      (Cowes, Isle of Wight)           
GEISCO TROPHY - Third Overall ISC Rating System             
      SC28            MARBELLA                            Mark Taylor (Chichester, West Sussex)     
CRANKSHAW BOWL - O/A Winner ISCRS Grp 4                    
      GBR1513L   ANTILOPE                             Willem Wester (Rollie, Switzerland)      
JIMMIE READ MEMORIAL CUP - O/A Winner ISCRS Grp 5          
      GBR3989R   CANDIDA                               Roger Granger (Freshwater,IOW)        
FEDALAH CHALLENGE TROPHY - O/A Winner ISCRS Grp 6          
      GBR4943T   SOLMATE                               Chris Blackburn (Poole, Dorset)    
SPREAD EAGLE TROPHY - O/A Winner ISCRS Grp 7               
      GBR3857      VIGILANT                              William Norris (Fordingbridge, Hants)      
TRAFALGAR 200 TROPHY - O/A Winner ISCRS Grp 8              
      K771            TWILIGHT                              Patrick Moreton      (Cowes, Isle of Wight)           

ARUN YACHT CLUB TEAM TROPHY - Winning ISC Rating System Team
      Arun Yacht Club (Light Brigade) (SOOPER TROOPER, DEDICATED DANCER, SCAMPI)                                           
LLOYDS BANK TROPHY - First ISC Rating Sys boat to finish   
      GBR1513L   ANTILOPE                             Willem Wester (Rollie, Switzerland)      
GOLDEN MILLER CHALLENGE CUP - Overall Winner GP/MOCRA M'hull
      681M            CARBON TIGER 2                  Brian Haynes (Maidenhead, Berks)      
HOYA TROPHY - 1st Bridgedeck Catamaran Cruiser on corrected
      GBR612M    MAILYS                                   Ian Day (New Milton, Hants)          
DEAN & REDDYHOFF TROPHY - 1st Multihull GP on corrected time
      GBR2            BUZZ                                      Phil Cotton (Poole, Dorset)
FREEDOM CHALLENGE BOWL - First GP/MOCRA Multihull to finish
      OMA1           MUSANDAM                          Loik Gallon (East Cowes, IOW)
BRITANNIA CORPORATE EVENTS TROPHY - First Beneteau 40.7    
      GBR4070L   INCOGNITO                           Paul McNamara (Chichester, W Sussex)                
RENAISSANCE TROPHY - Classic Racing Yachts                 
      269               FAFNIR                                  Philippa Litton ( Sturminster Newton, Dorset)       
COLUMBIA CUP - First Extreme 40                            
      E405             TEAMORIGIN                        Keith Mills (London)           
DISCOVERY TROPHY - First 'Modern' Gaffer on corrected time 
      851               PORTHILLY DREAMER         George Dibben (Lyndhurst, Hants)      
TURBO UK CUP - First Hunter 707                            
      GBR7087      THE ANT HILL MOB             Russell Mead (Fareham, Hants)           
LASER TROPHY - First Laser SB3                             
      GBR3163      EDIGITALRESEARCH.COM Charlie Russell Alec Russell (Winchester)               
SONATA SALVER - First Sonata                               
      8305             PICCOLO                               John Putt (Trowbridge, Wilts)        

LOMBARD MARINE FINANCE CHALLENGE TROPHY - First Open 60    
      GBR3            ECOVER 3                              Mike Golding (Southampton)         
ELEPHANT TROPHY - First IRC Quarter Tonner on elapsed time 
      GBR502        CATCH                                   Darren Marston (Southampton)           
EDWARD HEATH TROPHY - First Sportsboat on corrected time   
      GBR724        BERTIE                                   Simon Barter (Macclesfield, Cheshire)       
NAUTICA WATCHES CHALLENGE TROPHY - First J/80              
      1023             JIROLAMO                             Louis Kenna (Croydon, Surrey)
JPMAM FAMILY TROPHY - First family crewed boat             
      GBR1513L   ANTILOPE                             Willem and Heleen Wester, Minka and Emily                      .