Two handed Round Britain Race

Two handed Round Britain Race. 1970, 74, 78, 82, 85, 90 and 02 The British isles were made to be raced around and this race, organised by the Royal Western Yacht Club, has taken place every 4 years since 1966. It is open to any craft but only two people aboard. It’s course is around the British isles starting and finishing from Plymouth, includuing St. Kilda, with stops at Cork in Eire, Barra in the Hebrides, Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, and Lowstoft. It is extremely demanding for the constant changes of weather experienced, the restriction of the nearness of land and the sheer physical effort required and is probably one of the most competitive yet enjoyable races in existence. Leslie Williams and RKJ entered Ocean Spirit in 1970 and won by two days. In 1974 RKJ teamed up with Gerry Boxall and won with “British Oxygen” by a margin of 1 hour 10 minutes from “3 Cheers” sailed by Mike McMullen and Martin Read. In 1978 RKJ teamed up with Billy King-Harman, chartered “Great Britain 11”, and 80 foot maxi, and finished 11th. 1982 saw Billy and RKJ to-gether again in “Sea Falcon” but the 17 hour rest between completing the La Rochelle to New Orleans Race and the start of the two handed race was insufficient to effect proper repairs. Torn sails meant lost time and they finished 4th. 1986 the pair returned with “British Airways” and again finished 4th. 1n 1989, RKJ teamed up with Bob Fisher in the 45 foot mono-hull sloop “Barracuda”. They won class 4th, finished 11th overall, no monohull under 60 feet beating them. Finally in 2002, entered in “Spirit” owned by American Bill Foster, a 45 foot trimaran. During an early gale off the Scillies the boat was hit by a large wave that flooded the port outrigger and the forward part of the main hull forcing retirement.