Round the Island 2019

[NickCQ]

PH'er yachties always seem to come out of the woodwork around this time of year so why not start a thread.

Looks like a downwind start (so even more cluster-fkular than usual) with the wind dying and going right throughout the day.
It's going to be fun spinnakering back through Ryde Sands trying to cheat the tide

[leemarkadams]

We are currently sat in Newtown Creek and staying here until Sunday, looking forward to watching all the spinnaker shenanigans as they all pass us. A friend of ours has a sail school and 3 of his boats are entered and he is expecting some buffoonery!

If this wind dies down looking to get my Mavic drone up to get some good footage.

[rossb]

Leaving Chichester for hamble point today for tomorrow's start - looks breezy so just 2 up today and no reefing will make for a quick sail. Conditions look light tomorrow - am starting at same time as you OP - but lower rated class so it's all gonna be about getting some clear air for us - busy line/kites/tide with us....start should be fun! Anyway after REALLY light winds of Morgan cup last week and attendant clusterfks of wind holes etc - tomorrow should at least have some wind. Am thinking of Ryde sands with the kite and that sudden need to go right very quickly....

Edited by rossb on Friday 28th June 04:54

[schmalex]

Call me a curmudgeon, but I’ve always hated the RTI. It counts as part of the RORC offshore series so we always took it very seriously, but the sheer number of fkwits on the water who “race” once a year make it close to impossible to execute a strategy as you spend most of time dodging out of people’s way.

[rossb]

schmalex said:

Call me a curmudgeon.

Curmudgeon! - Did the RORC Morgan Cup the previous week and there were similarities to this years RTIR - no wind/wind holes etc

I think it's fun to sail against some well known and well sailed boats - as well as avoiding clashes with those who "race" once a year in boats which are crewed by those with low race experience - you should be out of their space fairly early on in the race anyway.

That said, this year - took us 13.5 hours to finish. 283 boats finished and 853 retired out of 1210 entrants. We spent 16 hours on the water - from leaving marina to arriving back in the marina after the race. We arrived in Hamble just as the bar was on the verge of closing. One pint meant it was not the social experience some of my crew had signed up to.....