Round the Island Race off the Isle of Wight in photos

Meanwhile, the winner of the Round the Island Race's prestigious Gold Roman Bowl - awarded to the first boat to cross the finish line - was Christian Zugel’s Volvo 70 Tschuss 2, which completed the race in 4 hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds. 

It was a close-fought battle between Tschuss 2 and Notorious, the 72ft Mini Maxi Mills, owned by Isle of Wight yachtsman and business owner Peter Morton.

Christian Zugel said: "We are delighted with our race performance. What better way to start a new programme on our new boat! Great sailing, great competition and a fantastic welcome from the Island Sailing Club."

Isle of Wight sailor Peter Morton's Notorious. (Image: Christian Lawrence.)

Dramatic scenes from the Isle of Wight as the crowds watch on. (Image: Christian Lawrence.)

• Catch up on the rest of the day's action here: Isle of Wight Round the Island Race LIVE blog

Strong weather conditions challenged the 1,100 boat fleet, which started from the Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes, on Saturday morning.

The Silver Roman Bowl went to the appropriately named Dark'n'Stormy.

The Isle of Wight's Peter Morton was handed the Royal London Challenge Cup, on Notorious.

Dave Atkinson, Round the Island Race director, said: "We were carefully monitoring the weather and knew it was going to be a challenge, especially for the smaller and less experienced boats."

He said: "The whole of the race team are incredibly proud of the determination of the competitors to complete the race - but with a high regard for safety which is paramount for a race of this kind.

"A huge thanks to the support services of the RNLI, independent lifeboat crews and the Coastguard, who worked closely with our team before and during the race."

He also thanked the race partners and official charity, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, which is marking its 20th birthday.