THE 67th Around-the-Island race was never going to be one which saw record-breaking times.

The somewhat early start in a gentle north easterly force two for the 1,595 boats led into a good 17-knot lap of the island.

It was more a day for celebrity spotting, in and outside of the sailing circuit.

Aside from Hamble's Around Alone heroine Emma Richards, Ellen MacArthur was seen enjoying some somewhat less stressful yachting than usual onboard fellow Offshore Challenges yacht OC1 driven by Nick Malony.

The force behind Offshore Challenges, Mark Turner was out of the office and on the afterguard of the Open 50.

As for Richards, she set sail for the 55-mile race around the Isle of Wight with her sister, Phillippa, brother Dave and a pack of America's Cup muscle on Timberland Europrix 45, donated for the day by the organisers of Europrix a new round Med race.

Helm for the day Mike Sanderson brought with him a host of Team New Zealand and maxi yacht Mari Cha stars.

Looking relaxed, Emma and her team didn't break any records and finished 11th in her class.

The 6.30am gun began a series of spinnaker starts making their way down to The Needles.

After one IRC class 2 yacht ran aground at the western tip, a handful of boats followed suit and were bunched together with spinnakers.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's wooden ketch Suhaili, famed for taking him solo around the globe in 1969, had a slow run down to The Needles followed by a hard upwind slog.

But, sailing with brother Chris, he was in no hurry and the pair went home with the Golden Globe Trophy from the Sunday Times stable.

In IRC class 1, head turners and Britain's Olympic athletes Ben Ainslie, Shirley Robertson and Laser sailor, Paul Goodison, competed on Volvo For Life-Team Tonic and were joined by the Ex-England rugby player Jeremy Guscott.

After a fair start, the Farr 52 Volvo For Life-Team Tonic helmed by Ainslie jostled through the crowded Solent chasing rivals Chernikeeff 2 and Bear of Britain.

The latter pulled out a good lead by The Needles which she sustained, not only beating the other two Farr 52s but ending up Class one winners.

Robertson had added competition as husband Jamie Boag was saling onboard Chernikeeff 2.

Other Admiral's Cup competitors were out including Cowes' Paralympic gold medallist Andy Cassell heading up Chernikeeff, a Synergia 40 with a 50per cent disabled crew.

Mike Slade's Leopard of London, extended and rebuilt, sliced through the water to an overall finish of 5 hours 27 minutes.

Slade, who holds the monohull record, had fellow maxi yacht owner John Caulcutt onboard as well as a number of America's Cup and Volvo Ocean race talents, including local Jason Carrington and Jules Salter.

From the high-tech modern classes to the oldest of them all, Kelpie the South Coast One Design.

The stunning gaff is a century old and, along with the J-Class Velsheda, were a reminder of the 150th Anniversary Jubilee regatta on the Solent not so long ago.

Kelpie, owned by Brian Keelan, finished in second place in her class.

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