Gladiator Marks Countdown to INVICTUS ‘27

Royal best wishes from Prince Harry

799 boats with crews ranging from families and friends to top international racing yachtsmen, set sail from Cowes on Saturday for the 95th annual Round the Island Race, the world's largest sailing event.

The race around the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, also marked the start of a 12 months countdown to the 8th Invictus Games, being held in Birmingham, 10-17 July, 2027.

In this year's Round the Island the Gladiators were joined by Invictus Foundation wounded injured and sick (WIS) service personnel.

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The team were the second boat to finish the 50 nautical mile course and second in the elite Class Zero on corrected time.

The event also marked 10 years since Bernard, William and Charlotte Langley all sailed with the team on the Gladiator, together with a WIS contingent, to win the coveted Gold Roman Bowl overall IRC trophy, narrowly beating the Invictus of Sir Keith Mills with Prince Harry on board.

rince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, although in the UK at the weekend and had hoped to sail with the Gladiators, was unable to join the team for the race on Saturday but sent a personal note to team boss Anthony Langley wishing the team well.

Next up, the Gladiators go to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands for the third event of the 2026 52 Super Series, before returning to the UK for the 200th anniversary of Cowes Week in August. The team will sail at Cowes Week with a WIS contingent each day, rotating the veterans with the race and support crew.

"These guys are amazing" said Langley. "They are so disciplined, they just fitted right in. It's been an honour and a pleasure having them on the team."

About Invictus Games

The Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event first held in 2014, for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) military service personnel, both serving and veterans. The word invictus is Latin for 'unconquered', chosen as an embodiment of the fighting spirit of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and what they can achieve, post-injury. The Invictus Games were founded by Prince Harry in 2014 . Inspiration came from his 2013 visit to the Warrior Games in the United States, where he witnessed the ability of sport to help both psychologically and physically.

About Round the Island
The Round the Island Race is an annual yacht race around the Isle of Wight. It starts and finishes in Cowes, and is organised by the Island Sailing Club.[1] The course is about 50 nautical miles (93 km) long.[2] It was first held in 1931,[3][4] it was sponsored by JP Morgan Asset Management from 2005 but in 2017 Cloudy Bay took over as the Presenting Sponsor,[5] the 2019 race was sponsored by Helly Hansen, Raymarine, MS Amlin and Chelsea Magazines.

About Gladiator Sailing Team
The Langley Holdings Gladiator Sailing Team is one of 13 teams from 8 different nations competing in the annual 52 Super Series, the world's premier mono hull yacht racing circuit. The Gladiator team also competes in other yacht racing in the UK and the USA, bringing on aspiring young sailors in big boat racing alongside seasoned professionals. In common with Langley businesses, the 52 SUPER SERIES represents the very best technology in its field, attracts talented, dedicated people and is conducted with the highest standards of integrity.

About Langley Holdings
Langley Holdings plc is a privately owned UK-based engineering and industrial manufacturing group, principally producing capital equipment for diverse markets worldwide. Langley businesses are either outright market leaders, or occupy strong niche positions in their respective fields, providing advanced technologies in a solutions-based approach. The group operates in two principal areas: Power Solutions and Diverse Industrials. The group's operations are based in Germany, Italy, France the UK and Norway, with 17 production facilities in Europe, the UK and the USA. The group has more than 45 subsidiaries worldwide and employs over 5,000 people. Langley Holdings was established in 1975 by the current Chairman & CEO, Anthony Langley and remains entirely in family ownership.

Gladiator, making its way to 2nd place over the water from a fleet of 799 boats and 2nd on corrected time in IRC Zero class in the 95th Round the Island Race on Saturday. The team were joined by wounded injured and sick (WIS) armed forces veterans to mark the countdown to Invictus Games in Birmingham next July.

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