Round the Island Race: Poole sailors create their own ‘race within the race’

Yacht Quadrophenia racing © Island Sailing Club

Husband and wife crew, Clive and Theresa Lawrence, along with their son and two friends from Poole Yacht Club, will be among the 1400+ boats competing in one of Britain's largest participation sporting events of 2018, the Round the Island Race in association with Cloudy Bay on Saturday 7 July.

The crew are all members of Poole Yacht Racing Association (PYRA) which is an amalgamation of all the yacht clubs in Poole Harbour who regularly undertake passage races. With other boats from the PYRA taking part in this world-famous yacht race, the 'race' for Quadrophenia and her crew will start on Friday 6 July as multiple boats race from Poole, across the Solent to Cowes. They then undertake the main race on the Saturday and race back to Poole on the Sunday; creating their own 'race within the race'.

Clive and Theresa are avid 'yachties', regularly going away cruising for a couple of months at a time in Brittany and beyond. The couple have taken part in Round the Island Race on several occasions since taking ownership of their beloved yacht, Quadrophenia, in 2005. Theresa commented: "Every year coming up from Bembridge to the finish, when I'm tired and we are having to short tack, I tell Clive 'this is the last time I'm doing this!' But every January we enter again! The euphoria of finishing makes you forget [the bad bits] and you are desperate to go around again!"

The famous 50 nautical mile course around the Isle of Wight, now in its 87th year, organised by the Island Sailing Club, is an all-encompassing event. The race's unique 'Race for All' ethos caters for and embraces first timers, families, amateurs and professionals competing at the highest level. There is a long standing charity connection with the race through the Official Race Charity the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, where over £266,000 has been raised to date.

www.roundtheisland.org.uk