Sir Ben Ainslie joins the ISC Commodore and J.P. Morgan Asset Management for the Race Prizegiving

J.P.Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race (Photo by Barry James Wilson)

Article by PETA Stuart-Hunt.

The Island Sailing Club, organisers of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, was packed to the rafters with happy Race competitors this morning as they celebrated individual and team successes at the Prizegiving for the 83rd edition of this annual one-day nautical extravaganza.

The Commodore of the ISC, John Dudley, was joined on stage by Sir Ben Ainslie, Richard Chambers, CMO, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Corrie McQueen, Events & Sponsorship, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and Chris Thomas, Sailing Secretary, ISC, who galloped through the proceedings in under an hour.

After the Commodore welcomed the VIPs and the assembled gathering, he ran through some of the more interesting Race facts and stats, including that there were 715 finishers and 791 retirees; always regrettable to have more retirees than finishers but a very positive response from the majority of competitors nonetheless.

The slowest elapsed time for a line honours boat ever recorded in the Race’s history was 08.51.37 achieved by Team Richard Mille on their GC32 foiling multihull…and Dudley enjoyed pointing out that Sir Ben had done it on his AC45 in 02.52.15 last year!

Also applauded was the winner of the Tenacity Trophy, awarded annually to the skipper of the last boat home. This year it fell to Stuart Whitmore to win the applause. He crossed the finish line on his Sigma 33, Sixes and Sevens, (IRC3) at 21.51.35, having started his race at 0730 – that’s 14hrs, 21mins 35secs later.

Folkboat Madelaine's skipper Edward Donald (left), crew & the family Donald celebrating winning the Gold Roman Bowl & additional trophies presented by Sir Ben Ainslie at the 2014 J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. (Photo by Patrick Eden) — Folkboat Madelaine’s skipper Edward Donald (left), crew & the family Donald celebrating winning the Gold Roman Bowl & additional trophies presented by Sir Ben Ainslie at the 2014 J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. (Photo by Patrick Eden)

The Gold Roman Bowl was awarded to…a Folkboat, Madelaine, skippered by Edward Donald, who hasn’t quite achieved the record four wins of the Gold Roman Bowl by Edward Heath but he’s nearly there, having won it individually three times and the Donald family has collected this famous trophy four times.

The 2014 Raymarine RIR Young Sailor Trophy was awarded to Christopher Barker from Surrey, who was joined on stage by his siblings, Sir Ben Ainslie and Corrie McQueen from J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Photo: Patrick Eden

The Island Sailing Club is grateful for the continued support of the Race Title Sponsor, J.P. Morgan Asset Management whose CMO drew the loudest applause when he referred to the ten years of title sponsorship of this amazing Race and importantly announced an extension of this up to and including 2016. The ISC also wishes to thank its Race Partners Dream Yacht Charter, Haven Knox-Johnston, Henri Lloyd, Nautica Watches, Old Pulteney, Raymarine, Red Funnel, Volvo Car UK.

Everyone looks forward to welcoming back the competitors, families and friends, on Saturday, 27th June 2015.

Full results posted here: http://rtir.me/results

The Race weekend highlights on video can be enjoyed here: http://rtir.me/videos

All the Race news summaries, the live blog and the image galleries can be enjoyed on the official Race website:

The J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race is the 4th largest participation sporting event in the UK after the London Marathon and the Great North and South Runs, with around 16,000 sailors taking part over the course of one day. The Race is an all-encompassing event that caters for and embraces first timers, families, amateurs and professionals competing at the highest level.
2010’s Race had 1,754 entries and 1,607 finished the Race. This is the highest ever recorded number of finishers in the history of the Race.

Over the event’s nine years of sponsorship by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, more than £600,000 has been raised for charity.

The annual Outstanding Seamanship Award is sponsored by Nautica Watches.

The current monohull race record set by Mike Slade on the 100ft ICAP Leopard on 1st June 2013 stands at 3.43.50.
This is 9 minutes and 45 seconds inside ICAP Leopard’s own race record set back in 2008.

The multihull race record set on 1st June 2013 by Sir Ben Ainslie on J.P. Morgan BAR, an AC45, stands at 2.52.15 beating by an impressive 16 minutes the previous multihull race record set by Francis Joyon in 2001 aboard Dexia Eure et Loire of 3.08.29.

In 2013, the most coveted prize, the Gold Roman Bowl and J.P. Morgan Salver for First Overall IRC went to 5 West, the TP52 owned and helmed by Sir Keith Mills and Robert Greenhalgh.
J.P. Morgan Salver for Second Overall IRC went to Pace and Johnny Vincent.
The Observer Trophy and J.P. Morgan Trophy for first Monohull to finish went to Mike Slade and ICAP Leopard.