A NEW date has been announced for next year's Round the Island Race.
The iconic race, organised by the Island Sailing Club (ISC), in association with Cloudy Bay, will now take place on Saturday, July 7, 2018.
The 82nd edition of the race, which attracts more than 12,000 competitors, had originally been due to be held on June 23, 2018.
However, it has been rescheduled to avoid clashing with the Isle of Wight Festival, which takes place from June 21 to 24.
The club's rear commodore, Dave Atkinson, said: "Given the importance of both the festival and race to the Island's economy, the ISC and our partners have committed to ensuring the Isle of Wight can cope with the number of visitors attending both these world-class events, without placing undue pressure on our stakeholders and the Island's infrastructure.
"It was a complex decision to make but, ultimately, we feel it was the right one for both visitors and residents."
Race entries open in January 2018.
For more information visit: http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk