A fun day out: Round the Island Race
Toby Heppell looks at the Round the Island Race course in detail and shares his tactics for getting around the course
Racing might not be your thing, but there are few events that attract such a wide range of sailors. Indeed, there are few other sports that allow everyday folk to pit themselves against professionals and Olympic medallists on equal terms. The Round the Island race does just this, regularly seeing thousands of amateur sailors taking part in addition to Olympic sailors and offshore legends.
But over and above all that, the Round the Island Race (RTIR) is simply a cracking day out on the water. Few things can compare to the sight of thousands of boats heading west down the Solent towards the Needles, and that sight is particularly stunning from within the fleet.
For those of us less used to the cut and thrust of yacht racing, approaching the Needles surrounded by a sea of other boats, all with the same intention to turn left, avoid the Varvassi wreck and set off for St Catherine’s Point might sound like a recipe for disaster. Fear not, however. The RTIR might be a race (and trying to get the better of those boats around you is a major part of the fun) but, in truth, most are there for an enjoyable day out and are happy to not take the racing too seriously.
HOW TO START THE ROUND THE ISLAND RACE
Before looking at the Round the Island Race course, the first tricky part of the race to be negotiated is the start.
Typically the start line runs from the Island Sailing Club, sitting towards the eastern end of Cowes High Street and runs out
to an outer distance mark in the Solent itself.
Although thousands of craft take part in the racing each year, the fleet as a whole is split into classes with boats of similarly matched sailing speeds grouped together. As such the start is not quite as hectic as it might otherwise be, consisting of usually around 30 boats per fleet. That still represents a large number with which to share the same piece of water, so things can get a little spicy, so a good lookout on the bow is required.
The absolute key to the Round the Island Race is keeping in clear air. And happily for those not wanting to do dozens of tacks along shorelines, keeping clear air largely means staying clear of other traffic.
To this end try to start clear of the bulk of the fleet, who may well all be fighting tooth and nail for the favoured end of the line.
If you manage to find a decent lane of clear air, you should do everything you can to maintain it. This often means it is usually worth bearing off to go behind another boat when crossing upwind, even if you have right of way over another boat, and this is true downwind too.
If you are beating off the start line, try to have someone to leeward on the headsail sheet for the early part of the race so you can easily ease sheets and duck behind others. Make your intentions clear from a long way out from any crossing and let other boats know of your intentions.
The same applies downwind too; ignore tide, ignore right of way, ignore all other considerations, just try to keep some clear air, over and above all else.
WEST SOLENT & HURST NARROWS
Although clear air is your key consideration, particularly in the early part of the race, there are some good rules of thumb to follow. Early on, the tide should be under you, so try to stay in the deep water channel where possible.
In very light, northerly winds it can pay to take the north shore, but as this is a rarity, it’s best to discount this and stick to the channel and the Island shore.
ROUND THE NEEDLES
This is probably the most famous – and most feared – part of the race. It’s almost a cliche to mention it, but don’t tangle with the Varvassi wreck near the Needles, however inviting cutting the corner might seem. The four separate hunks of the wreck are difficult to place, so unless you really know what you are doing, keep clear.
Most will know to avoid the wreck, but a common error is to give it too much space. If you overstand the Needles, you’ll often end up swept west by the tide, and the problem is exacerbated by the clump of boats rafted up trying to squeeze round the inside route, creating a wind shadow beyond the Needles themselves.
Be cautious, but try to avoid falling into the trap of giving too much space and sailing far further than you need to. This is a natural compression point for the fleet, so often you can find yourself closing in on a number of boats who are going slowly.
Remember you can ease your sails to slow down as you look for a suitable gap, and this can be preferable to trying to take the outside route.
SOUTH-WEST SIDE & ST CATHERINE’S POINT
Rock ledges are the main feature here, and from Hanover Point to Atherfield Ledge they extend a good distance out into the Channel from the island. It often pays to take an inshore route, but an echo sounder won’t help you in the approach to some significant ledges, such as Hardman Rock or Atherfield Ledge with their steep sides making for very sudden changes in depth.
The coast is rockbound from Rocken End via St Catherine’s Point to Dunnose Point and there are many offlying rocks. Try to find a route that keeps your wind clear, minimises any adverse tide and gives a sensible margin over rocks. Watch out for serious overfalls in strong winds.
SANDOWN BAY & BEMBRIDGE LEDGE
In light airs, the wind can become quite complex as you cross Sandown Bay. Many people are tempted to sail close to the shore as there is less tide, but often there is better breeze out in the stronger tide offshore – consider this option in light wind races.
If you did choose to go close into Sandown Bay, you’ll want to head out into the Channel fairly early as it very rarely pays to go close to Bembridge Ledge itself – though try not to overstand the buoy, which is a mark of the course. Once round the buoy, focus again on finding clear air, as this can often be a challenge at this pinch point where the fleet converges again. This can be particularly tricky at this late stage in the race where fast and slow boats are intermingling.
RYDE SANDS & CASTLE POINT
You can stay out of the tide by sailing into the shallows of Ryde Sands and there is often a benefit by doing so, but be mindful that you don’t run aground – for ease of mind try to keep a boat of a similar size inside your line in the hope they will give you early warning should grounding be likely. Once past Sandshead Post, the bottom shelves steeply, so keep an especially wary eye on the echosounder here, and consider heading out into the tide a little early, even if this means giving up some speed. Generally, it pays to go in close at Castle Point, but if there’s a lot of south in the wind, there’ll be no wind under the point at all. Again, it is easy to get sucked into the windless spot and the slow sail out is frustrating. Much better to give the bay plenty of room. In south westerly winds, you may well find that the breeze increases significantly after Castle Point as the funneling effect along the Solent comes into force.
CROSSING THE LINE
There is a temptation to relax once Cowes is within sight but you still have a fair bit of sailing to do. And this last section can take longer than you think. Try to manage your crew’s expectations as people will be tired and ready for that post-race beer. Alert crews can gain many places in the last two or three tacks. And then enjoy that beer or gin and tonic and reflect on a fun day out. RTIR is 90 in 2021. It is organised by the Island Sailing Club. roundtheisland.org.uk