A crew from the Law Society Yacht Club picked up one of the trophies in this year’s internationally-renowned Round The Island Race. Achates, a Tradewind 35, was in one of more than 800 boats sailing a course of 51-nautical miles anti-clockwise around the Isle of Wight.

The crew consisted of club commodore Andy Hobson, Steve Marshall, Nick Glassbrook, Heidi Thompson and Richard Ham.

The first leg, from Cowes to The Needles was all downwind which provided the chance to fly the cruising chute 'red mist'. Thanks to tactical advice from former club commodore Nick Lightbody, the crucial turn at the Needles corner was made as tight as possible. 

On getting to St. Catherine’s Point, the southern tip of the island, the tide was turning east and thanks to a wind shift the boat enjoyed a very long tack from Ventnor to Bembridge Ledge, the eastern turning point. A good wind-angle and boatspeed was maintained by Richard Ham on the helm.

Tiredness was taking its toll a little on the final leg from Bembridge to Cowes but a good speed was maintained. Heidi Thompson steered the boat safely off the notorious Ryde Sands. It was then a downwind race to the finishing line off Cowes, with many other boats being overtaken, especially when Achates was under the steady hand of former lifeboat coxswain Nick Glassbrook.

The finishing line was crossed at 8.16pm - almost exactly 12 hours. 

So how did Achates do? Of course the heavy displacement cruising boat, owned and immaculately maintained by Frances and Steve Marshall, wasn't the first overall. But she finished first out of 44 boats in her class (ISC8A) and third out of 400 boats in her entire handicap class (ISC Overall).

All in all, a great achievement for the Law Society Yacht Club, the boat and the crew.

The club welcomes new members of all sailing-related abilities and interests: see https://lawsocyc.org.uk/

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