The Edgartown Yacht Club Round the Island race was tested by light winds on Saturday, but high spirits persisted nonetheless. The 56-mile course had to be shortened along the south side for two-thirds of the fleet.

“There were modest winds all around the Island,” said yacht club manager Bill Roman. “But still enough to have some boats finish. . . and a lot of happy sailors.”

The club held its first Round the Island race in the summer of 1938, according to its website, and except for the years of World War II the race has been an annual tradition ever since.

“It is reminiscent of the race around the Isle of Wight in England, which was the course of the first America’s Cup,” the statement continued. “The distance around Martha’s Vineyard is similar . . . both courses have views of cliffs, headlands, villages and open water; and the tidal currents and wind effects are important in both.”

Forty-two boats in eight different classes registered for the 81st race, two of which were non-spinnaker classes. Only the three largest boats were able to complete the entire course. One of those boats, Irie 2, won the Venona Trophy for the best overall corrected time in the spinnaker divisions. She is a 55’ Ker from Newport, R.I. captained by Brian Cunha.

Irie 2 defeated Beau Geste, an 80’ black Botin owned by Karl Kwok out of Hong Kong, by just three minutes in corrected time. Irie 2 also won its Class 7 PHRF A, and Beau Geste went on to win the Class 8 IRC.

“It was one of the lighter races we’ve done, but it was enough for us to keep moving,” said Beau Geste tactician Gavin Brady. “It was more technical, finding the wind and bits of current.”

Mr. Brady is a veteran of the Round the Island Race and has won “three or four” times aboard Vineyard-based ship, Vesper.

“This is one of the more challenging courses,” he continued. “It really makes you appreciate how big the Island is when you have to go all the way around it.”

Division winners:

Class 7 PHRF A — Brian Cunha, Irie 2

Class 6 PHRF B — Douglas Curtiss, Wicked 2.0

Class 5 PHRF C — Steve Dahill, Riva

Class 4 PHRF D — Luke Tougas, Kanga

Class 1 PHRF N/S B — Paul Duffy, Domino

Class 2 PHRF N/S A — Chip Hawkins, Caneel

Class 3 Double-Handed — William Marsh, RUSE

Class 8 IRC — Karl Kwok, Beau Geste