The preparations for the Round the Island Race are in full swing. It is slated to be held on July 1.

This event will be held in association with the Cloudy Bay. The Island Sailing Club that is hosting the event is looking for a very good participation. They had total entries of 1500 last year and are hoping that the race will attract as many sailors this year too.

The head of Race Management Dave Atkinson is very busy putting the final touches to the most awaited race of the year for many budding sailors. He says that this is one of the iconic races in the sailing calendar that many sailors always look forward to. It is a race where they can have loads of fun and also great merriment. Sailors with all kinds of personalities and abilities take part in this one-day gala sailing event.

There are plenty of prizes to be won at the competition and many of the sailors love to compete against their own friends in friendly competitions. Atkinson says that the main challenge in conducting this event is the safety of the sailors. As there are as many as 1500 boats taking part in the race, there needs to be a lot of emphases given to safety. There are as many as 200 volunteers looking after the race and a large group of them are in the water. He says that the organizers face different kinds of challenges every year, but they always look forward to offering an enjoyable day for the participants.

There is also the MS Amlin Seamanship Award, awarded to the best seamanship on the race day. This award has been in the line for many years now. This is the second year that MS Amlin is sponsoring the seamanship award.