J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race / 10 per cent of the fleet finished in time for lunch...

The stream of finishers at Cowes is continuing to accelerate and Cowes Yacht Haven is beginning to fill up with boats that have completed the race.

At 1300, more than 150 boats had crossed the finish line, including the first finisher in the ISCRS division, led by Daniel Hardy’s Oyster 625 Lady Mariposa, who crossed the line at 1205. The Oyster Lightwave 48 Scarlet Oyster, one of the five boats sailing with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, finished a few minutes later to the delight of lots of very excited young people on board. She was followed a little later by Coral of Cowes, Richard Oswald’s stunning 100ft gaff schooner built in 1902 – a fabulous sight as she crossed the finish in glorious sunlight.

The north to north-westerly wind in the central Solent is maintaining most of its earlier strength. However, off Ryde Sands it was reported as swinging into the west at 1230, disadvantaging the hundreds of boats that are now short-tacking against the tide there.

Highlights so far:
Sir Ben Ainslie’s 45ft America’s Cup catamaran J.P. Morgan BAR stormed round the Island in 2 hours 52 minutes 15 seconds, carving more than 16 minutes off the record time set by Francis Joyon in 2001.

Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard finished at 0843.50, shaving 9 minutes 45 seconds off the monohull race record he set in 2008.

Last year’s overall Gold Roman Bowl winner, the TP52 Weapon of Choice (which sailed as Manroland Sheetfed in 2012), has picked up a time penalty for a rule infringement, putting her out of contention for the big prizes today.

Phil Cotton’s 30ft Seacart trimaran Buzz is currently heading the Grand Prix multihull class on handicap, with a half hour lead on Sir Ben Ainslie’s record breaking 45ft catamaran J.P. Morgan BAR on corrected time.

LINE HONOURS OVERALL (first over the line)
1. J. P. Morgan BAR (Sir Ben Ainslie) 2hrs 52mins 15sec
2. ICAP Leopard (Mike Slade) 3hrs 43mins 50sec
3. Buzz (Phil Cotton) 3hrs 54mins 47sec

LINE HONOURS MONOHULLS
1. ICAP Leopard (Mike Slade) 3hrs 43mins 50sec - winners of the Observer Trophy and J. P. Morgan Asset Management Trophy
2. Hugo Boss (Alex Thomson) 4hrs 12mins 1sec
3. Artemis Ocean Racing (Brian Thompson) 4hrs 19mins 27sec

LINE HONOURS MULTIHULLS
1. J. P. Morgan BAR 2hrs 52mins 15sec
2. Buzz (Phil Cotton) 3hrs 54mins 47sec
3. Orion (Harvey Bowden) 4hrs 17mins 40se