South coast challenges

The world-famous Round the Island Race (RTIR) celebrates its 90th anniversary this year and, with so many high-profile events having been cancelled, it’s tipped as one of the biggest events to be staged since the UK’s first lockdown in 2020.

Organised by the Island Sailing Club, RTIR has always been one of the UK’s largest participation sporting events – it regularly attracts over 1,500 boats and thousands of sailors – and this year takes place on Saturday July 3.

One of the unique attractions of the event is its even-handedness and the opportunity for amateurs, families and club sailors of all ages to compete on the same course as Olympic and World champions.

While the majority of crews simply enjoy the challenge of getting all the way round there will, however, be many aiming to beat the existing course records. The current monohull record continues to be held by Mike Slade on ICAP Leopard, who in the near-perfect conditions of 2013 posted an elapsed time of three hours, 43 minutes and 50 seconds. The multihull class, introduced in 1961, generally achieves even faster times, as shown in 2017 when Ned Collier Wakefield’s Concise10 flew round in just two hours, 22 minutes and 23 seconds.

Rob Peace, Rear Commodore for Sailing, ISC says: “The Island Sailing Club are delighted to launch the 2021 Race. Sailors are desperate to get back out on their boats, and our race is perfectly timed and definitely provides a unique and thrilling experience for all of the crews. Over the past 90 years approximately 500,000 sailors and 70,000 boats have been challenged by this race – those are some impressive statistics.”

The ethos of a ‘Race for All’ continues at pace this year with the first Windeler Cup competition to set sail after the main fleet departs from Cowes, allowing small keelboats – which are too small to safely participate in the main event – to experience an exciting Solent Race.

Instead of sailing the full 50-nautical mile course of RTIR, boats from the Daring, Dragon, Etchells, Flying Fifteen, Mermaid, Redwing, Sunbeam, Swallow, Sonar, Squib, RS Elite, Victory and XOD classes will compete in a ‘Round the Solent’ race. The race will start from the Royal Yacht Squadron line off Cowes after the main Round the Island fleet is under way. It will follow a course towards Hurst Narrows, around Western Solent marks, before taking advantage of favourable tides to return along Cowes beach and finish back on the RYS line in Cowes.

The new race is named after the founder

of RTIR, Major Cyril Windeler, who 90 years ago decided there should be an opportunity for owners of smaller yachts to enjoy a ‘bigger than usual’ competition. He presented the Island Sailing Club with a magnificent trophy called the Gold Roman Bowl which was to be awarded to the overall winner of the race.

It was not until the outbreak of World War II that Major Windeler finally won the trophy, sailing his 7 Ton auxiliary cutter Kaliste to victory. Over the last nine decades competitors have battled to win the ultimate prize of the Gold Roman Bowl, with some saying that with the right conditions any boat could win it.

Spectators will be able to enjoy a fantastic view of all the action from many points on the Isle of Wight’s breathtaking coastline and, to comply with Covid-19 guidelines, the organisers are working with Visit Isle of Wight to produce a comprehensive guide to the best ‘fresh air’ viewing spots with associated public transport, parking, facilities and refreshment information.

RTIR continues to support and fundraise for its official charity, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, which focuses on rebuilding confidence of young people after cancer, through sailing and adventure. • www.roundtheisland.org.uk The RTIR weekend is this year being extended to welcome competitors from other watersports worlds, who will enjoy their own competition on the days leading up to the main sailing race.

Five or more rowing teams will set off on the afternoon of Thursday July 1 in their ocean rowing boats, circumnavigating all 50 nautical miles around the Isle of Wight in a bid to be the fastest. Their offshore rowing boats will be similar in shape to the airdropped boats that were designed by the late Isle of Wight local Uffa Fox, and used in WWII to save downed pilots afloat in the sea. Rowed by a mixture of doubles or fours they have wave-piercing bows, a cabin forward and aft and three rowing positions midships.

The East Coast’s own Round the Island Race is due to take place on September 4-5 when the Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club hosts its endurance event – at 40 miles it’s the UK’s longest annual dinghy, catamaran and board race and not to be confused with other ‘24-hour’ races which allow for a change of helm and crew.

Sailed clockwise around the island, the race was established in 1959 and starts and finishes at Sheerness. It includes tidal sea, river and estuary sailing – larger dinghies and multihulls have to be stopped, heeled over and walked under the inner span of the lifting road bridge at Kingsferry.

The race is open to all classes of dinghy, catamaran and sailboard. Typical passage times are between three and 10 hours – current course records are one hour 52 minutes for multihulls, two hours 17 minutes for monohulls and two hours 34 minutes for sailboards. • www.iossc.org.uk

What ‘s known as ‘Europe’s toughest inland sailing race’ celebrates its diamond anniversary on June 5-6 this year. The course of this Horning Sailing Club event covers over 50 miles and three different rivers – the Bure, Ant and Thurne – and sees competitors having to lower masts to navigate three bridges at Potter Heigham and Acle. Each has up to 24 hours to complete the course. • www.3rr.uk

Offering close racing at a different location every day, this family-friendly event is due to take place on July 24-31. Organised by all the clubs in the area, a near-unique feature is the variety of sailing on offer: Hunstanston and Snettisham Beach SCs are in the Wash and offer large open sea courses, while The Ouse Amateur Sailing Club offers tidal river racing, and the largest coastal salt marshes in the world stretch between Brancaser Staithe and Blakeney. Daily and weekly trophies mean there’s something for all and the facilities offered by host clubs are as varied as the sailing itself. • www.norfolkweek.co.uk

The region’s ‘most challenging and friendly’ regatta, Burnham Week attracts a full range of sailors including national champions and beginners with cruisers, one designs, multihulls and dinghies. The sheltered waters of the Rivers Crouch and Roach and all-tide access to the Thames Estuary are the setting for a variety of courses and there’s plenty of action off the water too. This year’s event is from August 28 to September 4. • www.burnhamweek.com Clacton celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, so it’s especially exciting that the spectacular Clacton Airshow returns in 2021. The Essex town’s award-winning seafronts and west greensward will once again be transformed into a fun-filled site and flight viewing area for the displays which take place on August 26-27. In previous years, crowds of around 250,000 visitors gather to watch impressive aerobatic displays and historic fly-pasts. In good conditions, a huge number of sailing and motor yachts anchor off the beach too, their crews enjoying a unique view of the aerial action. The year 1871 is seen as the founding of modern Clacton, as it was in this year that a group of businessmen built the Pier and Royal Hotel to spark the creation of a new holiday resort; the town was officially incorporated in 1872. • www.clactonairshow.com

The sheltered waters of the River Blackwater provide a fitting setting for the ‘family and friends-oriented’ Mersea Week, due to be held on August 8-13 this year. Organised by a committee of volunteers from the Dabchicks Sailing Club and the West Mersea Yacht Club – which means that competitors are welcome to use the facilities of both throughout the week – this event is one of the Essex island’s premier fixtures. Under separate organisation, the West Mersea Town Regatta is scheduled for August 28. • www.merseaweek.org

Brightlingsea harbour and waterfront are the setting for a host of activities on July 10-11. Dinghy and keelboat races will be run by Brightlingsea Sailing Club and Colne Yacht Club, and there will be gig races plus a Fancy Dress Stand Up Paddle Board race. Newcomers will have the chance to try sailing and powerboating, while crabbing and sandcastle competitions will keep visiting children entertained. • www.brightlingsearegatta.com

Acombined open cruiser and dinghy race held each year over a 20-mile circuit of the Thames Estuary, The Nore Race starts and finishes at Southend Pier.

Benfleet Yacht Club has organised the event since the 1930s – it’s likely to have taken a break during the war years – and for many skippers and crew, it is the only race that they will compete in. Entries usually number around 140 vessels, and include all classes of sailing dinghies and cruising yachts, both multi- and monohull.

This year’s event is due to take place on June 19, when there’ll be split start times for the dinghy and cruiser classes, with the ‘fast multihull’ dinghies completing two laps.

Once they’ve completed the circuit, competitors

often anchor and enjoy the Ray Sands before returning home on the tide.

Dinghy sailors travelling to take part in the Nore Race are welcome to use the launching facilities at Benfleet Yacht Club, but as that’s a long way from the start line, special arrangements are in place with both Thorpe Bay Yacht Club and Alexandra Yacht Club to allow those from outside the area to use their club and launching facilities. • www.benfleetyachtclub.org

The 42nd Thames Traditional Boat Festival takes place August 27-30, promising four days of family fun in the company of dozens of classic river craft and Dunkirk Little Ships. Taking place opposite the Royal Regatta course at Henley-on-Thames, this celebration of all that’s best in British boatbuilding and craftsmanship evokes the nostalgia of boating from a bygone era and offers more attractions on the water than ever before. The event owes its origins to concerns in the 1970s over the demise of many unpowered craft, seen neglected and rotting along the river Thames. The idea of a rally, to be held annually and open to anyone, was taken up by the River Thames Society which agreed to organise an event in 1978. Over the years the Festival has welcomed the involvement of many boat clubs and societies, but the emphasis has always been on the preservation of beautiful craft, and its awards are still keenly fought for. • www.tradboatfestival.com

Benfleet Yacht Club’s Coastal Rowers are an active group of rowing enthusiasts – the club has a number and variety of fixed and sliding seat coastal rowing craft available for all members to use, and many compete in major events in other parts of the UK as well as the near continent.

Keeping the action close to home, however, Benfleet Yacht Club organises the annual Round Canvey Race, a rowing, row/sail or paddle event that covers a 14.5 mile circuit of the entire coast of Canvey Island.

This annual open event was established in 2010 and an eclectic mix of vessels have competed to date: fixed seat and sliding seat row boats, surf skis, kayaks, outrigger canoes and a variety of sailing dinghies. The current time record is one hour 44 minutes – an average speed of 7.2 knots – and boats from as far away as Whitby have travelled to compete.

This year’s Round Canvey Race is due to take place on 10 July. The course includes four tidal barrages, there are bridges to pass under – so masts will come down – and all craft must be suitable for deep water and potentially rough conditions. Free overnight camping is available at Benfleet Yacht Club, which is on the northern shore of Canvey Island. • www.benfleetyachtclub.org

Hosted by the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club, Wroxham Week features seven days of racing and a full programme of land-based evening entertainment. Taking place from July 26-31, the regatta is open to all single- and double-handed dinghies, and is followed on August 1 by the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club Open Regatta which has racing in all classes. • www.nbyc.co.uk Thames sailing barges are synonymous with the East Coast – flat-bottomed with a shallow draught and leeboards, in bygone days they were perfectly adapted to working the shallow waters and narrow tributary rivers of the Thames Estuary. Today those that remain are a familiar sight as they carry leisure passengers rather than cargoes, their orange canvas sails a reminder of the region’s maritime heritage. Every year a number of Thames barges compete in a series of summer races, with the vessel securing the most points being declared Champion Barge. There are three classes of competition – Coasting, Staysail and Bowsprit – and races are held on six rivers across the region, with local sailing clubs playing host to the barges and their crews. Dates for this year are: River Orwell, July 3 River Blackwater July 17 River Swale July 31 River Thames August 14 River Medway August 28 River Colne September 11 • www.thamesbarge.org.uk

Suffolk Yacht Harbour’s annual Classic Regatta takes place June 25-27, dates deliberately selected to fall after the government’s planned lifting of all Covid restrictions.

Founded in 2002, the SYH Classic Regatta is the largest event of its kind on the East Coast. A three-race series takes place on Saturday and Sunday in Dovercourt Bay, Harwich Harbour, and the Orwell and Stour estuaries. On-the-water action is complemented by socialising in the on-site Haven Ports Yacht Club lightship, with a regatta party and live band on Saturday evening.

An optional addition to the schedule this year is a Friday night race on the River Orwell, which will have separate prizes to the overall regatta.

Regatta entry criteria requires yachts to be either pre-1970 design of traditional construction, Bermuda or gaff rigged and built of wood or steel. Modern classic yachts with wooden or steel hulls are also welcome.

For the first time, classic motor yachts are also invited to attend – SYH has a growing reputation for restoring Fairey Marine boats and it’s hoped that this event will bring together yacht owners who have a shared appreciation of traditional vessels.

SYH Managing Director Jonathan Dyke says: “We are planning for a full racing and social programme to kick-start the racing season in style. Whilst we are optimistic for a fantastic return of the regatta, we are aware things may change and we will be monitoring the situation closely. If we need to alter the onshore set-up to allow for any ongoing Covid restrictions, then our large outdoor area enables us to do so easily.”

Owner of Spirit 52 Flight of Ufford and founder of Spirit Yachts, Sean McMillan says: “There is something quite magical about racing on the East Coast. The welcome here is quite extraordinary… and the manners on the racetrack are rather wonderful. I wouldn’t miss it.” • www.syhclassicregatta.co.uk TheCoastalGuide 2021 41