"jlrogers±³©" wrote in message
news
A record number of competitors in nearly 1,800 boats have been taking part
in one of the world's largest yacht races around the Isle of Wight.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...re/7478941.stm

In 1953, which was the year the Queen was crowned, a race around the IoW for
dinghies was held.
IIRC there were about 200 entries, including the prototype which turned
into the 505 class and the prototype Osprey, which I think won the race.
Famous dinghy designer Uffa Fox modified one of his Atalanta cruisers and
made it into an open dinghy by leaving off the deck. He was one of the main
people behind the organisation of the race.
My brother and I sailed round in my 12' Firefly dinghy and with a combined
weight about140lbs above the optimum for that class we were doing very well
beating to windward outside the island. But as we reentered the Solent the
wind fell away to almost nothing which was very frustrating. Our time was
about 14 hours.
This race has never been repeated, and it is easy to see why. We kept fairly
close in but others went a long way offshore and became well scattered and
if several dinghies had needed rescuing simultaneously it would have turned
into a nightmare.
In this day and age, with lawyers always poised to sue, nobody would accept
the risks involved in arranging such an event.