THERE were two double champions on Around-the-Island race day.

First off the Royal Yacht Squadron line was the multihull Eure Et Loire-Idec helmed by Francis Joyon from Brittany.

If anything was going to come anywhere near to a record, it was this Orma 60.

The trimaran won the class two years ago in 3h:08m:29s but on Saturday the best she could achieve was 4h:05m.

Orion (Harvey Bowden) was second with Hamble-based trimaran Shockwave (Ralph Marx) third.

Meanwhile, snapping at the heels of his Round Britain and Ireland record set last weekend in a 29ft RIB, Simon Rogers from Lymington - along with his two brothers, Kit and David - won the Gold Roman Bowl for the second consecutive year sailing the Contessa 26 Rosina of Beaulieu.

The 30-year old boat was designed by their father, Jeremy, also based in Lymington.

Saturday's win was the icing on the cake, as Jeremy last year won the same top trophy racing with two of his three sons.

This year he decided it was up to the boys.

Rosina of Beaulieu was one of the smallest boats in the 1,595 strong fleet and it was a close-run race with two other low handicapped boats.

The Folkboat Madelaine missed out by just three minutes after a race of over nine and a half hours. Its owner, Edward Donald from Winchester, had tasted success before, winning the Gold Roman Bowl sailing another Folkboat Celia Mary in 1999.

Third was the 2000 IRC overall winner Martyn Wheatley, also from Lymington, sailing the H-Boat Cloud Nine.

As more than 12,000 sailors negotiated the island coast under fair skies, Chief race officer Dave Atkinson and his team were holding the reigns.

With weather at the top of the agenda, plans were being prepared for a possible shortened course.

However, a good ten knots above the forecast meant his team could pack up before midnight on Saturday.

No stranger to making tough calls, he is remembered for hailing a general recall last year for IRC Class 1, keeping them to the back of the pecking order.