In warm sunshine and light airs around the Isle of Wight, the Arcona 435 Mk II Tessa3 crossed the line 20th in the monohull fleet, the first of six Arcona yachts to finish one of the world’s great yacht races.
On Saturday 11 July, nearly 800 boats set off from the Royal Yacht Squadron line at Cowes for the 2026 Round the Island Race, the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UK. In glorious sunshine and light airs, the Solent filled with colour as the fleet made its way around the Island.
At the sharp end of it, and 20th monohull across the line, was Tessa3, an Arcona 435 Mk II owned by Peter Morris. Skippered by Ross Applebey of the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, a former Gold Roman Bowl winner, Tessa3 delivered a superb performance against a full grand prix entry.
Her corrected results tell the story of a genuinely quick boat: 6th in IRC 1A, 10th in the highly competitive IRC 1 division, and 98th in IRC overall. To finish 20th on the water in a fleet of that size, in a yacht built to cruise as beautifully as she races, is a result any owner would be proud of.
The Thursday forecast had promised a moderate northeasterly, 8 to 16 knots round the back of the Island. On the day it came in lighter and shiftier, and the beat along the south coast became a test of patience. Tessa3 tacked 48 times past St Catherine’s and Ventnor to work her way through, proof that a result like this is earned as much through tactics as speed.
Simon Rosier, SE Yachts Director, who raced aboard Tessa3 with Ross Applebey, said: “Beautiful day, not much breeze, so we just kept tacking. Forty-eight of them round the back of the Island. Tessa3’s a cracker. Race her hard all day, then point her at the Med the next morning. That’s the whole idea.”
And Tessa3 was in fine company. Six Arcona yachts took on the Island this year, and every one of them completed the course. In finishing order:
Six boats, one shared bloodline. From the front of IRC 1 to the classic handicap fleet, the Arconas were quick, consistent, and sailed home by crews who then had a proper interior to unwind in at the end of a long day on the water.
That is the Arcona idea in a single race. These are performance cruisers in the truest sense: fast enough to race at the front of a world-class fleet, and finished well enough to point at the horizon the next morning. You are not asked to choose.
Congratulations to Tessa3’s owners and crew, and to every Arcona owner who raced the Island this year.
SE Yachts is the UK representative for Arcona Yachts and you can see Arcona 435 Mk II, Tessa3 at Southampton International Boat Show, 18-27 September. Find out more here.