It’s Friday! It’s pre-Race day!
The final part of the 2013 J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race Video Series, ‘Top Tips from the Experts’, has been published on the Race website with winning tactical advice from some well-known names and faces associated with this iconic annual event. Watch the latest Winners Tips video here http://rtir.me/videos
Weather Briefing
All Race competitors are invited to the Island Sailing Club (ISC) at 1800hrs this evening for the all-important Raymarine Weather Briefing. Competitors are given the latest weather and tidal information live, combined with expert tactical advice from professional meteorologist and Met Office-trained Chris Tibbs. In addition, competitors can evaluate the weather prior to the Race by viewing the course overview and tidal strategy video here:http://www.raymarine.co.uk/view/?id=7418.
The Weather Briefing is replayed on the RTI Race website from 2000hrs.
20 years …&, we hope, still going strong
We make special mention today of Yvonne Margerison and her long-term partner Mike Flint who are racing in their 20th Round the Island Race.
The couple entered their first Round the Island Race back in 1993 in their boat Charis and we believe they have entered every year, apart from one when the mast was broken awaiting repair, and another when they sold Charis and were waiting to buy their new boat Gernee (S31) which is entered this year.
The couple are passionate about sailing, have been very active members at Rutland Sailing Club – Mike is a Past Commodore – plus they are both Past Commodores at the Newparks Cruising Association Club. There’s been talk of retirement from racing – let’s hope that they won’t be retiring until after tomorrow’s Race and, meanwhile, the Race organisers wish them all the very best.
A tribute to Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson
The J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race pre-Race Press Conference will take place at 12 noon today, hosted by the Island Sailing Club. There is a terrific line up of guests including Dame Ellen MacArthur and Alex Thomson. There will be a short tribute to Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson whose memorial service and private funeral is also being held today. The ISC will fly the ensign at half-mast from 1150-1400hrs.
This is an invitation-only event but organisers have agreed to stream it live on the Race website http://rtir.me/pressconference and on Event TV throughout Cowes.
How to follow the Race Day action
Here are some useful links to the Official Race website to help keep spectators fully up to speed on the racing as it unfolds from 0500hrs.
The Blog rtir.me/liveblog
The Tracking rtir.me/livetracking
The Weather rtir.me/weather
The Latest News rtir.me/news
The Results rtir.me/results
The Race Facebook page will be maintained with news and the Race Twitter feed will be fully fed. For those wishing to contribute to the Twitter news as they sail around the Island, please use hashtags #RTIR and/or #raceforall to raise another £1 for the Official Charity, The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.
Official Race website: