Bubbleheads to take part in new Round the Island race as training for 3,000 mile Atlantic odyssey

The inaugural Round the Island Rowing Race will take place on Thursday, September 24 - two days before the rearranged Round the Island sailing spectacular.

The Island Sailing Club and The Bubbleheads rowing team have organised the race which will see five teams bid to become the quickest to row the 65 nautical miles around the Isle of Wight.

The Bubbleheads will be racing against Minds Matter, Atlantic Titan, Team HPF and Emergensea Girls.

The Bubbleheads crew is made up of four saturation divers who will be using the race as part of their training for a 3,000 mile Atlantic crossing this December.

They are raising money for a charity close to their hearts - the Wessex Cancer Trust - by taking part in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge, starting in the Canary Islands and finishing in Antigua.

They will be competing in a 25ft Rannoch R45 rowing boat for the entire race. And prior to entering the race, the quartet had only ever rowed on a machine in the gym.

Andrew Taw, Bubbleheads Navigator, said: ‘The Ocean rowing teams feel privileged and

honoured to be invited to one of the greatest yachting regattas in the world.

‘We hope to share our passion for the sea with the yachtsmen and women participating in the Round the Island Race.’

Dave Atkinson, Round the Island Race Director, said: ‘The Round the Island Race and the ISC welcome the rowers to our event this year.

‘It’s been clear to us during our conversations that they share our enthusiasm for our iconic event. It will be interesting to see how quickly they can complete the course.’

Taw is joined in The Bubbleheads team by Chris Ayres, James Piper and Lewis Locke.

The team are raising money for the Wessex Cancer Trust, a charity who have helped and supported James’ wife Nikki in her battle against cancer in recent years.

There are some great stories to be found in some of the other Atlantic Challenge teams as well. For example, the Emergensea team features just two women - Exeter-based doctors Charlie Fluery and Rosie Alterman.

They have set their sights on breaking the women's pairs world record of 50 days.

The fastest crossing by a four-strong men’s team is 29 days, 14 hours and 34 minutes - set by British-based Four Oursmen in 2017.

The world-famous Round the Island Race has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 26, due to the Covid-19 crisis forcing its postponement in June.

Organisers are optimistic that over 1,000 yachts will compete in what will be the latest staging of the race in its 89-year history.