The Official
Website of the
International
Sailing Federation

The 55 mile course, clockwise around the Isle of Wight, was used in the 100 Guineas Cup on 22 August 1851, when America, belonging to a syndicate led by New York Yacht Club Commodore John Cox STEVENS, beat the best yachts the British sailing establishment could muster. In winning this race and taking the 27 inch tall trophy back to their New York club house, thus began a series of races known as the America's Cup and a winning streak that would last until 1983.

A majority of the yachts competing in the Rolex Race Around the Isle of Wight will have competed in the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge, including race favourites Robert MILLER's 140 foot (43m) schooner Mari-Cha IV and Charles BROWN and Bill BUCKLEY's 100 foot (30.5m) Maximus. Mike SLADE's Leopard, which holds the counter-clockwise race record for around the Isle of Wight, is another entry. However, there are several additions. The Grand Prix class is joined by Charles DUNSTONE's 76-foot (23.1m) Reichel Pugh maxi and 2003 Rolex Fastnet Race winner Enigma and American Mike WEBB's Breakaway. The Performance Cruising class will see additional entries from Hamilton, a Swan 86 also owned by Charles DUNSTONE, and Richard MATTHEWS' Oyster 74 (22.5m) Oystercatcher XXV.

This clockwise course was last raced during the America's Cup Jubilee regatta in 2001 when the elapsed time winner was Stealth, the all-black maxi of the late Gianni AGNELLI, in a time of 4 hours and 48 minutes - less than half the time it took America to sail the course.

The Rolex Race Around the Isle of Wight will start from the Royal Yacht Squadron line with a first warning signal at 0800 hours UTC.