The annual Round the Island Race, run by the Island Sailing Club, is something of a unique event in the sporting calendar and is the fourth largest mass participation event in the UK (after the London Marathon, Great North and South Runs). It’s rare to find a sporting occasion that encourages enthusiastic amateurs to compete against the elite pros and Olympians of a sport, all on an equal footing and around the same racecourse. This race does just that and celebrates the varied collection of sailors that compete, all of whom love to have a cracking day out on the water.
Few things can compare to the sight of hundreds of boats racing, whether you’re within the fleet yourself or spectating onshore from one of the many excellent vantage points on the stunning Isle of Wight coastline.