A FORMER Gold Roman Bowl winner has recently been restored in Cowes and will be taking part in today’s Round The Island Race race (the fleet leaves the Royal Yacht Squadron start line from 6.30am).

Organised by Island Sailing Club, it is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.

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In 2000, Cloudnine won the race with Martyn Wheatley on the helm and his son, Magnus, crewing.

Magnus recalled: “It was one of those days where everything went right and I will never forget the feeling of sheer joy when we looked at the results on the noticeboard at the Island Sailing Club and found out that we had won the race. Incredible!

"And then waking up onboard Cloudnine, the next morning with my father and reading in the Observer newspaper that we had won the Gold Roman Bowl was just amazing!"

Isle of Wight County Press:

Part of the County Press’s coverage from the edition of June 16, 2000, which told of Cloudnine’s victory in the Round the Island yacht race.

Magnus continued: “We had a pact that if we won the race, he would give the boat to me. Unfortunately I was busy building a career in London and New York and couldn’t take the boat on, so it was eventually sold.

“About five years ago I was determined to get the boat back, so contacted the owner who was over in Portsmouth and eventually he agreed to sell it to me during lockdown.”

They brought it over as a family in October 2020 with Martyn helming, Magnus's sister Georgie, who is a schoolteacher at Walhampton in Lymington, and Magnus's son Harry, who is at Ryde School.

They moored it at the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club, but the boat was in need of upgrading, so Peter Morton of The Wight Shipyard Company offered to work on it.

Magnus concluded: “It’s the family boat and we are so proud to be back competing 21 years later and really looking forward to the event.”

Look out for our coverage of today's Round the Island yacht race.