They're off

Latest news from the Round the Island race

08.35 GMT

Well it was a case of Bang! And they were off.

Multihulls were first with the impressive sight of Bruno Peyon’s Orange II that caught everyone’s eye. The start for them, however, was somewhat lame – with the smaller multihulls taking the early advantage with shy reaching spinnakers off the line. Breeze is from the South East around 10-14 knots. Orange II was some way back and didn’t really get fully wound up to speed and into the lead until level with Gunard. Orange II lead Francis Joyon’s Edec by a minute at the Needles where the best of the breeze propelled the big cat to the late twenties of boatspeed.

Orange II rounded St Catherines at 8.01am and it picking up pace, although a record breaking race is unlikely with the computers forecasting a 10am finish for them.



Best start of the day went to Ben Ainslie, sailing his Volvo Laser SB3. Ainslie was out reasonably early and did one timed run at the line with strong favourable tide under them and then was hidden in the pack. At their Sportsboat start, Ainslie pulled the pin at exactly the right time and was nicely placed in the lead. Unfortunatley for Ainslie he has a journalist in his three man crew and the spinnaker hoist didn’t do his timed run justice! Glen Bourke, also sailing an SB3 was hot on his heels.

The massed start for IRC 1 and the Red Funnel Ferry Class (one entrant – why do they have to go through the start line, surely for once a year they could cancel one sailing) was very tight, with one boat called OCS. Erivale – the DK 46, made a nice start, with Bear of Britain down to leeward of the pack. Early leading positions were taken up by Chris Little’s IC 45 Bounder and the former Hollywood Boulevard (now Red Bear) the Farr 52, with Nigel Musto skippering, looking good with their big asymmetric up.

Leopard of London, Mike Slades big Maxi, pulled out of the race at Lymington, suffering from a broken a runner. This opens the race up in the monohull division for line honours. No word yet of Full Pelt X’s progress.