Crédit : Thierry Seray/DPPI/OC EVents
The prestigious, annual, 50 nautical mile event around the Isle of Wight, has been contested since 1931 and is one of the most popular fixtures on the sailing calendar. The race attracts some of the world’s leading sailors, including round-the-world skippers and Olympic medallists, who compete alongside first-time racers.
The Team GAC Pindar entry, which is new to the Extreme Sailing Series this year, will be skippered by Australian all-round yachtsman and experienced Extreme 40 sailor, Nick Moloney. Nick will be joined by two fellow Team GAC Pindar crew, Britons Andy Walsh and Olly Smith plus experienced guest sailors Julian Metherell, Mark Denton and John Manzoni.
Approximately 16,000 sailors are expected to join the start line of JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on Saturday, making it not only one of the largest yacht races in the world, but the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UK, after the London Marathon and the Great North and South Runs.
The race attracts entries from all over the UK and Europe and some as far as the United States and the Middle East. Other entrants in the Extreme 40 class include Ecover Sailing Team plus two Oman Sail entries - The Wave Muscat and Oman Sail Masirah.
Team GAC Pindar skipper, Nick Moloney, who boasts a rich and successful sailing career, including two America’s Cup campaigns and 12 individual World Sailing Speed Records, has competed in the race three times before. Speaking from Cowes, he commented: “The Round the Island Race is a fantastic event, which brings together some great boats and sailors of all abilities. It’s a really challenging race course too, which requires many different points of sail, as well as a number of sail changes and manoeuvres to effectively complete the ‘full circle’. We’re looking forward to some competitive racing with the other Extreme 40’s, but primarily it will be a great opportunity to get some valuable training ahead of the next Extreme Sailing Series round, in Cowes, next month.”
The race begins at 5am, from the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes, after which the fleet will race westabout to The Needles, around St Catherine’s Point and Bembridge Ledge buoy and back into the Solent, to the finish line in Cowes.
Whilst much of the fleet will take many hours to complete the race, the overall course record stands at 3hrs 53mins 05secs, set by Mike Slade on ICAP Leopard in 2008. ICAP Leopard will be looking to beat their record on Saturday, along with Francis Joyon and his big red Trimaran Idec II, who will also return, in a bid to beat their multihull record of 3hrs 08mins 29secs, set in 2001.
From Team Pindar
