Extreme conditions at a yacht race led to a number of incidents including a man being thrown overboard.

The Round the Island Race normally attracts one of the largest fleets of any yacht race. But the race, a 50-mile circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, faced difficult conditions with wind speeds of 50 knots at the most western point of the course, an area known as The Needles.

The day had started with sunny conditions, but the weather rapidly deteriorated and wind speeds of 54 knots were recorded at the Needles Battery wind station. Conditions like this can be difficult to manage in smaller vessels.

Eight classes were cancelled by organisers ahead of the race on Saturday morning, disappointing many of the crews of the 939 boats that entered, but hundreds of boats were still unable to complete the course. There was also a crash between two boats near Yarmouth.

Horrifying images showed a man clinging to his life jacket after being tossed overboard. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was standing by to help anyone in trouble during the race, however.

Just 61 boats finished the course after eight hours of racing. Eventually, 152 yachts finished but 418 were forced to retire with many turning back home at The Needles – a number of boats were left with sail damage.

The first boat to cross the finish line in Cowes was Highland Fling, which completed the course in three hours, 39 minutes and five seconds. The first monohull was Notorious, in four hours, 21 minutes and 20 seconds, which also made it first overall on corrected time winning the coveted Gold Roman Bowl.

The event, organised byt the Island Sailing Club, puts amateur sailers up against the very best involved in the sport. Around 10,000 sailors take part every year.

Organisers say that “the race regularly attracts over 1,200 boats and around 10,000 sailors, making it one of the largest yacht races in the world.” It is also one of the UK’s biggest mass participation sporting events, after the London Marathon and the Great North and South Runs.

Competitors from all over the world come to compete in the event, which has a course that spans 50 nauticul miles. Detailing the course, organisers said: “Starting on the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes, the fleet races westabout, to The Needles, round St Catherine’s Point and Bembridge Ledge buoy, and back into the Solent to the finish line at Cowes.”