Two restored Itchen Ferry’s are taking part this year. Previously heading for the bonfire before being offered to Chris Waddington, founder of the Old Gaffers section in the Round the Island Race, Nellie was built in 1862 by Dan Hatcher in Southampton and is currently the oldest boat entered in this year’s race. When Mr Waddington retired in 2005, Nellie passed to his son Scott who is the current owner and he has just completed phase two of her restoration; a thorough refastening of her topsides. She has been restored to her 1920’s coat of grey and has had a completely new set of traditional rigging made for her.

Despite Nellie’s 148 years, she has never been sailed around the Island, making this year’s Race a most auspicious occasion. Scott will be accompanied on the day by a very special crew member, Mr John Banks, Commodore of The Cowes Corinthian and Grandson of one of her original owners. She will be skippered by Chris’s son Scott Waddington.

Joining Nellie is Fanny of Cowes, who is making her first trip home to Cowes since 1970 having been based on the East Coast for a number of years. Fanny was built in 1872 for the Paskins, a family of fishmongers from Cowes. She came to the East Coast in 1958 and has been owned by boatbuilder Nigel Waller since 2003. This will be her first trip ‘home’ since 1970. Nigel will be joined by Mini-Transat, Open 40 and Open 60 sailor Nick Bubb and his fiancée Sophie who will be married in September.

Nancy Blackett is a Hillyard 7-ton built in 1931 and entered by The Nancy Blackett Trust. Previously owned by Swallows and Amazons author Arthur Ransome, Nancy Blackett provided Arthur with the inspiration for possibly his best book, 'We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea'. This is widely regarded as a classic of both children's and seafaring literature, and she appears in it, lightly disguised as ‘The Goblin’, which plays a leading role in the book. The action takes place almost entirely aboard the little boat, as four children seek to sail her across the North Sea, at night, in a storm, and without any adult aboard. Ransome sailed the course himself in Nancy, and worked on the book aboard her, while living near Pin Mill on the River Orwell in Suffolk, where the story begins…