The Collins Stewart Round the Island Race 2008

A strong fleet of 28 yachts assembled on Saturday in Ramsey for the 53^rd Round the Island Race sponsored by Collins Stewart and run by the Manx Sailing and Cruising Club. With strong tides and a forecast predicting strong south-easterly winds to start with, followed by fog, rain and then light winds from the south it was clear that some sharp tactical navigation would be required (plus a wee slice of luck) to win the race.

The overall winner was the Prima 38 Dynamite-Tee, owned by Glynn Sheffield of Liverpool Yacht Club who retains the titles he won last year. Very close behind were Cheetah Cub, the Reflex 38 sailed by Robin Wooton from Douglas then it was Allan Hannon’s Bjaysus, a J124 from the Royal Ulster Yacht Club who took line honours and will continue to race around the Irish Sea almost without pause until she has accumulated enough miles to qualify for this year’s Round Ireland Race!

Ralph Kee of the MS&CC won the Coronation Cup as overall winner of the Portsmouth Handicap classes in his E-boat Eliza Bee, which last won the race in 1982.  A very tough performance here put some bigger boats behind this twitchy little racer and the crew can be proud of their achievement in a boat new to all of them.

With the slower classes starting first, spectators at the Point of Ayre were treated to the faster grand prix yachts charging through the fleet under spinnaker, then gybing (mostly under control) for Jurby Head and Peel. Spinnaker problems for Honey of Bosham (Sigma 33 from Whitehaven) and Airy Dick (Bolero from Douglas) put paid to early hopes for some.

The yachts reached quickly down to Peel, then came hard on the wind (still up to 20 knots but now with rain) from Contrary Head to the Chickens, with gains being made by those who stayed close in to the land.  Tacking through the channel between the Calf and the Chicken Rock, the next hazard was fog which enveloped most of us until we popped out near Derbyhaven, challenging the navigational skills of the racing teams.

The run up the East coast was frustrating with decent breezes interspersed with calms particularly for some in Ramsey Bay where yachts sat waiting for a breath of wind with the finish mark in full view and the Yacht Club bar visibly filling up with competitors who had completed the course. Moral fibre was required here to restrain oneself from switching on the engine, but it was good to cross the line.

The MS&CC would like to thank the sponsors, the helpers and most of all the competitors who turned out again to keep this grand old race running into the 21^st Century

Sail Numbers of Finishers:

Jerry Colman

Cruiser Captain

Manx Sailing and Cruising Club