The UK's biggest single-day yacht race
Race the Round the Island —
with Unity Sailing
Crew opportunities for every level. Race-ready Sun Fast 3300s and J-class yachts. Professional skippers, full safety kit, prep training, and a briefing that gets you race-ready before the start gun. From Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble.
About the Round the Island Race
The Round the Island Race is the largest yacht race in the UK and one of the largest in the world — over 1,000 boats and 16,000 sailors circle the Isle of Wight every June from a Cowes start line. It's a 50-nautical-mile sprint round the Needles, past St Catherine's Point and back across the Bembridge line.
Unity Sailing typically enters two to four boats — Sun Fast 3300s and 3200s plus J-class racers — with mixed crews ranging from first-time racers to returning regulars. RTIR makes a brilliant first big-fleet experience: inshore, single-day, and home in your own bed the same night. It's also a serious race for the IRC-rated fleet, with a real shot at a class podium for the Sun Fasts.
Crew opportunities
Available crew places
Round the Island entries open later in the year. Register your interest and we'll get back to you with crew places when the new season's entries are live.
Register interestPrep training
Get race-ready before the start gun
Two days on a Sun Fast in the months before RTIR turns "I've raced a few times" into "I know the boat" — and gives you a shortcut to the better crew slots.
Spinnakers, Foredeck & Pit Training
Sunfast Foredeck & Pit Training — intermediate two-day course with optional Sunday racing
Double Handed & Race Skipper Training
Race Skipper & Double Handed Training — advanced short-handed and DH training (from £375)
Sunfast Training Weekend
Intro to Sunfasts and Racing — two-day beginner Sunfast course (Tue/Wed, Thu/Fri or Sat/Sun)
Round the Island FAQs
Can I join a Round the Island crew with no offshore experience?+
Yes — RTIR is an inshore single-day race, ideal as a first big-fleet event. Comfortable as Competent Crew (or equivalent) is the minimum. We mix new crew with returning Unity regulars on every boat.
What boats does Unity enter?+
Sun Fast 3300 and 3200 race yachts, plus the J-class racers when available — typically 2–4 entries depending on the year. All Cat 3 / inshore safety equipped.
What's included in a Unity crew place?+
Race entry, mooring fees, insurance, lifejackets and full safety kit, briefings, professional skipper, and crew chat in advance via WhatsApp. Food is a shared crew order — cost split.
Do I need to do prep training first?+
Recommended — our Intro to Sunfasts and Racing weekend or the Foredeck & Pit Training are designed to get you race-ready for RTIR. Crew who've done the training run smoother boats and faster times. You'll see prep weekends listed below.
Where do we start and finish?+
Start off Cowes (Royal Yacht Squadron line). Course is roughly 50 nautical miles clockwise around the Isle of Wight — through the Needles, around St Catherine's, back across the Bembridge line and up the eastern Solent.
How long does the race take?+
From around 6 hours for the fastest IRC big boats to 12+ hours for cruisers. Sun Fasts typically finish in 7–9 hours depending on the wind. Most crews are home in Hamble by late evening on race day.
Race the Island this year
Crew places fill fast. Tell us your experience level and which boat you fancy — we'll match you up.