Back in the pack for the normal hectic start of the Round The Island Race but made good progress in the beat down to the Needles with the No. 3 and full main.  Took the outer route round the wreck in a fairly stiff building breeze and got the big spinnaker up.  Pretty hairy leg to St Catherine's with a number of broaches and  a forced termination with a split spinnaker shackle and a hurried drop.  Headed offshore for a bit to get the right angle on Bembridge then jibed and put the chicken shute up which powered us along with regular extended surfs at 11-12 knots.  Dropped the kite at Bembridge and a single tack to the Forts with the breeze still building.  Bit close in at the Forts and lost out a bit with a couple of tacks before we managed to get away from them.  Normal fraught tacking up Ryde sands and a few boats in to close and aground.   Put a reef in as the breeze got up and not to bad round Castle Point but had to dodge a few boats before we could finish with quite a reasonable result at 95th out 634 in IRC group.