It's all over save for the last few boats and Peter Morton's Mandrake looks to have taken honours in the IRC class and also to have scooped the overall Gold Roman Bowl
In the provisional results released this evening it seemed a firm bet that Peter Morton’s modified Farr 50 Mandrake will take the overall Hoya Round the Island prize, the Gold Roman Bowl, at the Island Sailing Club prizegiving tomorrow lunchtime. She completed the race in 5hr 0min 45sec.
Spectators’ eyes will no doubt have been captivated by the fast circumnavigation of the British America’s Cup team boat GBR Challenge (pictured), which rounded the island in 4hr 23min. That would have captured the mono record today, if it were not for the earlier achievements of Skandia Leopard.
The other America’s Cup class boat to feature today, Hoya High Voltage, finished half-an-hour after GBR Challenge, an early triumph for Peter Harrison’s team.
A total of 10 boats finally beat the old mono record, a result that will have surprised long-term weather watchers who at first suspected the race would face a light north-westerly, then the calms of a low centred directly over the Isle of Wight. In the end, although the wind dropped towards the end of the day, its direction and earlier strength favoured the larger, earlier starters who could punch through playful seas off and around the Needles and make the best of the breeze out of the south.For a portfolio of over 150 photographs from today’s action, click here