Isle of Sheppey Round the Island Race 2017 to be held on 9th September

Ducking under the bridge during the Isle of Sheppey Round the Island Race 2016 © Nick Champion / www.championmarinephotography.co.uk

This is 40-mile clockwise circumnavigation of the Isle Of Sheppey in north Kent organised by IOS Sailing Club and is the UK's longest annual dinghy, cat & board race.

Established since 1959 as an endurance event, it is open to all classes of dinghy, catamaran, sailboard & SUP and has a combination of sea, river and estuary sailing with tidal conditions.

In popular years 200 to 300 competitors have taken part and every competitor successfully completing the course receives a circumnavigation certificate signed by the Commodore.

The race starts and finishes at Sheerness and is a clockwise circumnavigation of the island. Firstly by sea to Leysdown and around the NE tip of the Island, Shellness, and then into the Swale estuary. The Swale gradually narrows into the river, with the lifting road bridge at Kingsferry acting as an obstacle at its narrowest point. Larger dinghies and multihulls have to be stopped, heeled over and walked under the inner span of the bridge. The course continues up the Swale, through the ancient port of Queenborough and into the mouth of the Medway, before finally rounding Garrison Point to the open sea and the short distance back to the Club.

Isle of Sheppey Round the Island Race course - photo © IOSSC

The 2017 race takes place on Saturday 9th September, with Sunday 10th September as a reserve day in case the conditions are unfavourable. Entry is £30 before 31st August or £35 on the day.

Registration takes place from 8am inside the clubhouse. Every competitor must register on race day. The briefing takes place at 9.30am inside the clubhouse.

Start Times:

• 08.00 - Paddleboard
• 10.00 - Monohulls PY >= 1120 & Sailboards
• 10.30 - Monohulls PY 1119 to 1030 inclusive
• 11.00 - Monohulls & Slow Multihulls PY >= 900 to PY < 1030
• 11.30 - Fast Multihulls PY < 900

Tides: (BST)

• HW - 15:23 (5.94m)
• LW - 09:24 (0.72m)

Course records:

• Multihull: 1hr 52mins Stuart Gummer/Ryan Crawford (Hobie Wild Cat), 2010
• Monohull: 2hrs 17mins Neil Ashby/Sam Proctor (RS800), 2010
• Sailboard: 2hrs 42mins David Clay, 2010

Requirements:

Every boat should be capable of completing the course in whatever conditions are encountered. Particular note should be made of the possibility of being reliant upon your own resources for a protracted period, even returning after dark or in fog.

All boats buoyancy arrangements must be in thoroughly efficient working order. Safety boats are instructed that, if necessary, crews are to taken off, and boats left to be towed in later. It is therefore advised that all boats carry an anchor.

Find out more at www.iossc.org.uk/islandrace/index.php