Yacht racing fans from the world over descended upon the Isle of Wight for the high-octane spectacle of the JP Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race.

The one-day race was held on the last weekend of June, with 1,647 vessels battling it out for a taste of the spoils in the gruelling race around the Isle of Wight.

Of the vessels which entered, some 1,198 finished the race and it's likely those on board will have been delivering respectable displays of team building sailing to get their vessels across the line. The participating vessels were split among a number of different classes for this year's event, the 81st to be held overall.

Trevor Hardaker and his seven-strong crew were among some 16,000 sailors who tackled the famous 50 nautical-mile race.

He said: "I think in common with most entries, we're happy to get round without disgracing ourselves. It's a great experience; it's a great opportunity to press the boat a bit harder than we ordinarily would."

Afterwards, crowds of well-wishers and competitors gathered in Cowes, with those who had sailed taking some well-earned rest in the town's many restaurants and cafes while fans found out more about conditions on the water.

The boats had to cross the line by 10pm, with the deadline and conditions on the waves too much for the 245 who failed to finish. The near-75% finish rate was in line with the percentage for the previous year's event.

The first boat overall on the IRC handicap was TP52 Manroland Sheetfed. With Tony Langley at the helm the vessel scooped the Gold Roman Bowl prize.

It was the second to cross the finish line but won on the back of corrected times. It finished the race in four hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds, but the first monhull to finish was ICAP Leopard, which picked up the Observer Trophy.

But the race was not just for professionals, with experienced amateurs also welcome to take part. People wanting to take their sailing to the next level in 2013 can find out more about their Round The Island Race options on the Sunsail website. Whether you want to join an existing crew or look into full-boat packages, there is something for everyone to ensure you are in the thick of it at next year's event.

But back to this year, and the prizes were handed out at the Island Sailing Club in a ceremony featuring guest of honour Dame Ellen MacArthur. Dame MacArthur, of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, handed out the prizes with the help of JP Morgan Aberdeen Asset Management COO Roger Thompson.