Red Funnel

2008 Race Review

Grand Day Out for everyone whether little or large
Flavia Bateson - 19:00 Saturday 28 Jun 2008

Twelve hours after the first start in the 2008 JPMorgan Asset Management Race and few very boats were left to cross the finish line in Cowes, which was already brimming with tired but happy sailors. The day started overcast but breezy as the boats tacked down to The Needles. The main problem on the next leg, to St Catherine's Point, was visibility as banks of low fog rolled eastwards. The sea condition south of the Isle of Wight was variously described as grim, hairy, wild, lumpy and on the edge. As the leaders returned to the Solent however the sun came out and the wind lessened but became shifty, keeping everyone on their toes to the end.

The race usually favours either big or small boats, but the results overall in IRC showed a real mixture at the top of the leaderboard. First came a big boat from IRC0, Ran - TP52, followed by Darren Masters' diminutive quarter tonner Catch. Last year's Gold Roman Bowl winner Edward Donald came third in his 25 foot Folkboat with another TP52, Henri Lloyd Cutting Edge, eight seconds later on corrected time

The ISC Rated Class showed the top boat and winner of the Silver Gilt Roman Bowl as Sandpiper, Adrian Creedy's Parker 235. Willem Wester was second in his brand new Grand Soleil Antilope. He also wins the JPMorgan Asset Management Family Trophy, racing with his wife, daughter and granddaughter Emily aged 13. Twilight a 1961 Robb Lion design was third with Patrick Moreton. Just 22 seconds later on corrected time came the South Coast One Design Marbella (Mark Taylor).

2008 Race Preview

Motor sport stars take to the waves
Flavia Bateson - 21:51 Friday 27 Jun 2008

On Saturday 28th June, Lewis Hamilton will be swapping his usual seat behind a Formula 1 racing car for a position on board the record-breaking Open 60 HUGO BOSS, in the annual JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. The event is managed by the Cowes-based Island Sailing Club and this year a total 1,875 boats will be gathering for the start, the largest entry in the history of the race.

Although Lewis has no sailing experience, he will be in safe hands with two of Britain's top sailors showing him the ropes: skipper Alex Thomson and Ben Ainslie, triple Olympic medallist, going for his third consecutive Olympic gold medal this summer.

"What a boat to go out for my first ever sailing race; the world's fastest 60 foot monohull HUGO BOSS, and racing with Ben and Alex too. I am interested to see all the technology that goes behind this boat and the similarities between racing on the water and racing on the track. I'm looking forward to the start, no fixed start position, just all those boats fighting it out for the best space on the start line." said Lewis.

Having suffered their fare share of wet weather during the British Touring Car Championship season to date, Gordon ‘Flash' Shedden and Tom ‘Sonic' Chilton will also be racing in the event. They will be joined by double BTCC champion Matt Neal and fellow touring car stars Dave Pinkney and James Kaye aboard Capricorno, a 40 foot yacht best known for winning the Admiral's Cup.

Team Communications Manager Richard Tait-Harris said: "Capricorno is a very famous racer so it suits to have a yacht full of racing drivers. I just hope they understand that we can't stop as quickly as in a touring car!"

The 2008 JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race gets underway at Cowes from 6am, going westwards the 50 nautical miles round the Isle of Wight on Saturday 28th June.