'Tis the season to go sailing

Will Winter with Allegro's owner John Ettling, Jem Barnecutt and Ray Davies © George Jellicoe

The Race entries team at the Island Sailing Club in Cowes, organisers of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, has witnessed a flurry of activity since the clocks changed. The nod towards summer has encouraged an increase in momentum as entries are nearing the 800 mark.

Standard entries close at midnight on Saturday 13th June. www.rtir.me/entries

Clipper makes history

The world's largest fleet of matched ocean racers will make its debut on the start line of this 84th Round the Island Race. This is the eleventh time that Clipper Events has entered the Race and 2015 will see sixteen boats, including their newest fleet of twelve Clipper 70ft Ocean Racers, competing with members of the J.P. Morgan Sailing Club crewing.

Ian Speirs, Executive Director at the Corporate Investment Bank, and Commodore of the J.P. Morgan London Sailing Club, says:

"With the impressive size of boats Clipper Events offers, it is easy to spot the other entries on the water, which adds an extra level of competitiveness."

The Official Clothing Partner to the Race, Henri Lloyd, is also chartering one of the Clipper 68s to do the Race with some employees, Privilege Club members and competition winners on board.

Where there's a Will...

Immediately prior to last year's Race, William Winter from Cambridge received news that he was carrying a gene (CDH1) that could lead to him developing a particular stomach cancer that was hard to detect, and that also carried a low survival rate if not caught in time.

William (34) spent last winter undergoing surgery to remove his entire stomach as a preventative measure. The 2015 RTI will be his first yacht race since undergoing the treatment and beginning his recovery and an opportunity to put the CDH1 episode behind him. William will be crewing for owner John Ettling on his Moody 32 Allegro and this year they hope to reach the finish before the wind dies! We wish them an exciting Race.

Another Will hoping to make it to the start line is Will Robinson, skipper of the 1980 German Frers ketch Snowgoose. Will is passaging across the Atlantic from North East America with a view to arriving in Cowes in time to get to the start of the RTI. Snowgoose is a well-known boat and it will be lovely to have her amongst the starters in this, their first attempt at competing in the Round the Island Race.

Still on the subject of having the will to do something against the odds, or at least that's pretty extraordinary, 40 year-old Dylan Moore from Hamble, sails on the Solent on some good racing boats but wanted to experience the thrill of competing in his Cornish Shrimper Pasty (Gaffer Division 3). He says he's taking his 'coach' along for the ride and to talk to for the 10+ hours that he reckons it will take him to get round!

Official Race Charity: www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org
Official Race website: www.roundtheisland.org.uk

The Island Sailing Club is grateful for the continued support of the Race Title Sponsor, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and the Race Partners: Dream Yacht Charter, Haven Knox-Johnston, Henri Lloyd, Old Pulteney, Raymarine, Volvo Car UK.