Onto the reserve list

Entry list full for this year's doublehanded Round Britain and Ireland Race

This year’s Round Britain and Ireland Race, sponsored by Shetland Islands Council, has proved so popular that for the first time in the history of the event the organisers have had to start a waiting list for hopeful competitors.

With still more than two months to go before the start, the Royal Western Yacht Club (RWYC) has announced that it has reached its target of 60 two-man yachts and multihulls, with crews from around the world now undertaking qualifying voyages to prove their fitness and suitability to compete.

Race Organiser for the RWYC Peter Taylor is thrilled by the number and quality of the entries: “We have crews from the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, France, Belgium and Italy, and of course from the UK including Alex Bennett from the West Country. We’ve had a surge of interest from Class 40 competitors, 10 in the last month alone, and this has resulted in the race filling up so early. These state of the art craft are the fastest 40 footers on the water by far and will make for some very, very exciting racing.”

Taylor explained that limiting the number of entrants to 60 optimized the efficiency of the administration for the race, and also took into account berthing arrangements. The race’s home port, Queen Anne’s Battery Marina, has already joined forces with Sutton Harbour Marina, from where Plymouth itself grew as a major port and city, to provide enough space for all the starters.

Douglas Irvine, Business Development Manager for Shetland Islands Council, which is sponsoring the race, said: “I’m delighted at this news. By the time the race reaches Lerwick the fleet will be spread out so we will have no trouble accommodating all of the crews, even with boats not involved with the race also berthed. Lerwick is the crossroads of the North Atlantic, and we can promise all racers and visitors alike an excellent time on the islands. Any interested visitors should look on www.shetlandmarinas.com for information.”

The Shetland Round Britain and Ireland race has had up to 80 entrants in previous years, but due to the grueling nature of the event not all of the boats made it around the full course. Some, due to lack of preparation, never even made it to the first of four compulsory stops or even the start. As Peter Taylor explained: “All of the yachts and multihulls this year are bigger, stronger and better equipped. We would expect no more than 10% of the entries to drop out which is a phenomenal achievement. However, it may be that some skippers pull out before the start and as the race is held only once every four years we are very keen to have a full starting line up, and therefore for the first time we have started to register reserve boats. ”

Anyone wishing to go on the reserve list for the Shetland Round Britain and Ireland 2010 should contact Peter Taylor by email here

The fleet will be split into two sections for the start to avoid conflict between boats in Plymouth Sound, and spectators will find the best vantage points to watch the majestic start to a great adventure on Plymouth Hoe or at Jennycliff, to the east of the Sound.

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