This year’s annual JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race (Cowes, Isle of Wight, England), organized by the Island Sailing Club, was blessed with gorgeous sailing conditions from dawn to dusk. With the first boats starting just after 0700 hours on Saturday morning, the massive fleet of 1,540 boats enjoyed blue skies and moderate westerly winds blowing down the Solent from the famous Needles (the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight and the first turning mark of the race). This one-day 50nm yacht race around the Isle of Wight is one of the largest yacht races in the world and the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UKânearly 16,000 sailors in total participate. Starting on the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes, the fleet races westabout, to The Needles, round St Catherine’s Point and Bembridge Ledge buoy, and back into the Solent to the finish line at Cowes. In the Sportboat Class, there were 16 J/70 entries racing against a mixed bag of Cork 1720s, Open 7.50s, Farr 280s, C&C 30 One-Designs, Melges 24s and a Tofinou 8m. After blasting around the backside of the island from St Catherines Point down to the Forts at the eastern end of the Solent, the J/70s proved yet again they are not only fast upwind in big waves and chop, their ability to plane fast in big waves offshore assured them of top overall positions on handicap time. The first four places were dominated by J/70s with Martin Jones’ BILLY RUFFIAN in first, with David Mcleman’s OFFBEAT in second, Olivier Vidal’s ATLANTIC ENDEAVOUR in third and Andrew Barraclough’s JENGA 8 in fourth. For more Round Island Race sailing information, click here.