Entries for this year’s J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race are coming in thick and fast via the Race website at www.roundtheisland.org.uk and the Entries team at the Island Sailing Club reports that the first entry received was from an eager Steve Le Butt for his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40 High Spirits.
This is Steve’s 9th consecutive year of entering the Race but last year’s circumnavigation turned out to be somewhat more action-packed than he had first anticipated as he crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron start line in Cowes. His race culminated in him being awarded the inaugural ‘Nautica Outstanding Seamanship Award’ after his crew nominated him for his skill and judgement in assisting in a man overboard incident during the day.
The panel of judges included Race Partners Gavin Crilly-McKean (Nautica Watches) and Simon Boulding (Britannia Corporate Events) who were joined by Dave Atkinson from the Island Sailing Club's race management team. Speaking on behalf of the panel, Gavin Crilly-McKean, commented:
"Steve Le Butt is a superb example of a yachtsman acting in a calm manner in an emergency, communicating clearly and using his knowledge and experience to their best effect. The varying conditions during the race posed challenges and Steve's actions embody the spirit in which this fantastic race is undertaken."
Steve not only received the Nautica Seamanship Award trophy but also a handsome watch, a timely reminder of his excellent handling of an emergency situation. High Spirits secured a respectable 17th place in its 40-strong class, despite the detour. Steve is an RYA Yachtmaster Examiner and principal of the RYA-recognised sailing school Spirit Sailing Ltd. He has many years’ cruising experience including 20,000 miles sailing single-handed. Full details of his rescue mission are reported on in the news section of the website.
NAUTICA OUTSTANDING SEAMANSHIP AWARD
The Island Sailing Club is delighted to announce that the prestigious Nautica Outstanding Seamanship Award, presented in recognition of outstanding seamanship that takes place on the day of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, will be awarded once again in 2010. The Award is open to competitors and spectators, members of the emergency services and race officials. The recipient of this year’s Award will be announced after the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race being held on Saturday 19th June.
CHARITY FUND RAISING TO THE FORE
The Island Sailing Club and J.P. Morgan Asset Management are encouraging those people entering this year’s Race who are wishing to raise money for charity, to set up a Just Giving page via www.roundtheisland.org.uk/go/charity to make it easier to raise funds for whichever charity they choose to support.
Each year, dozens of different charities are supported by competitors in the Race. In 2009 fundraisers managed to total nearly £100,000 with monies going to a number of different charitable causes. The total amount raised in the past four years has reached the remarkable sum of £350,000. This year, organisers want to get that figure up to £500,000.
THE SAILTIME CHARITY CHALLENGE
One Event-backed charitable initiative hitting the water in 2010 is the SailTime Charity Challenge. The four preferred race charities officially supported by the Island Sailing Club and J.P. Morgan Asset Management are for individuals, families and friends dealing with cancer. All Race competitors are encouraged to raise as much money as possible for the following cancer-related charities, Macmillan Cancer Support, Prostate UK, Breast Cancer Care and The Ellen MacArthur Trust.
Crews will compete on identical SailTime 40ft Bénéteau Océanis yachts, with crew places being filled by people who have been involved with or benefited from their charity. Each of the four yachts has its own Justgiving site and each aims to raise a minimum of £4,500 for their charity. The yachts will race for the SailTime Charity Challenge Cup, presented to the fastest Charity Challenge boat to complete the 50nm course at the Race prizegiving on Sunday 20th June.
To enter this year’s race, and to keep up with all the latest news, visit: www.roundtheisland.org.uk.