Since it was first run in 1925, the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s biennial Rolex Fastnet Race has earned a reputation for being one of the toughest events in the international yacht racing calendar. This has come about from the brutal conditions it can occasionally throw at competitors, as well as the complexity of the race course. Over the 608 mile long course, crews must negotiate tidal gates off the numerous headlands along the English south coast, as well as the open ocean as they cross the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock, 10.8 nautical miles off the coast of southwest Ireland, before returning around the outside (west side) of the Scilly Isles to the finish in Plymouth.
The Rolex Fastnet Race this year has attracted A-list sailors from around the world, and the strongest international line-up of grand prix race yachts amongst the 300 boats setting sail from Cowes tomorrow, Sunday 9th August. Peppered throughout the fleet are stars from the America’s Cup, plus the Volvo Ocean Race and Vendee Globe round the world races.
Racing out on her own for line honours will be property developer Mike Slade’s 100ft supermaxi, ICAP Leopard. Given the relatively light forecast, Boat Captain Chris Sherlock says that breaking the record of 1 day 20 hours 18 minutes, ICAP Leopard set in the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race, is looking unlikely, but he remains hopeful. “It is a British summer – anything could happen! I wouldn’t write it off. We don’t need that much wind to average 14 or 15 knots.”
To optimise their boat to the conditions, they have had to shed a couple of crew and a sail, relieving them of about one tonne in weight in total. They will still have 24 crewon board, an all-star cast including New Zealander Brad Jackson, watch captain on the winning boats in the last two Volvo Ocean Races and from the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand tactician, Ray Davies. “We have a few boys on board to give it our best shot,” continues Sherlock. “When we come up against Wild Oats and Alfa in the Rolex Sydney Hobart this year they will have an equally good crew, so we have invested heavily there.”
A new feature of this race are the IRC Mini Maxis and STP65s, the very latest breed of grand prix race boat and the battle between the four of these will be one to watch.
Making the voyage from the US is the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner, the STP65 Rosebud/Team DYT owned by Roger Sturgeon, which this week won this class at Cowes Week. The very newest is Beau Geste, a Farr-designed 80ft IRC boat owned by Hong Kong-based Karl Kwok and with an international team led by America’s Cup helmsman Gavin Brady.
Favourite in this heavyweight bout is probably the 72ft Ran 2 belonging to Skype founder Niklas Zennström, featuring many of the UK’s top professional sailors led by Volvo Ocean Race veteran Tim Powell. Ran 2 has made the trip up from the Mediterranean especially to compete in this race as has Luna Rossa, the STP65 sailed by Prada owner Patricio Bertelli’s Italian America’s Cup team. She features among her crew five-time Olympic medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winner, Torben Grael.
Torben Grael has competed in the race twice before when the Rolex Fastnet Race was part of the Admiral’s Cup and in 1995 won overall on Medina. “It is a very traditional race which is sometimes pretty hard. The worst one was 30 years ago, so it is special long race. There are difficulties with the tide and sometimes quite strong winds.”
For this race Grael is standing in for another well known Brazilian Olympian, Robert Schiedt and he only sailed on Luna Rossa for the first time this week. “I think light winds are not the boat’s speciality but she should be competitive still,” says Grael. “We will see what the forecast is for tomorrow. It has been bouncing a little bit – very light and then a little better. I hope we have enough wind to keep going.”
For the singlehanded sailors who competed over last winter in the non-stop round the world race, the Vendee Globe, the Rolex Fastnet Race is a sprint. Among the line-up is 2004-5 Vendee Globe winner Vincent Riou sailing on his old boat, now Arnaud Boissieres’ Akena Verandas, while 2005-6 Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper Mike Sanderson is reunited with his IMOCA 60, Pindar. Favourite is expected to be Seb Josse on board BT IMOCA 60, who won this class in the race two handed with Riou in 2007.
Other household names competing in this class are Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail around the world singlehanded non-stop in both directions, sailing Aviva, and Sam Davies, who was fourth home as well as being first British skipper and first woman in the last Vendee Globe.
“The Rolex Fastnet Race is one of the most respected races in the world,” says Davies, who has swapped her Vendee Globe steed Roxy for the more powerful Artemis Ocean Racing. “It comes in a list of great races that I am proud to have taken part in along with the Vendee Globe, the Rolex Sydney Hobart and the Figaro. I remember when I was really young never imagining I’d even sail across the Channel and the Fastnet Race was something I was overawed by.”
Similar to the IMOCA 60s, but smaller, are the Class 40s. The 19 strong line-up includes Portimao Global Ocean Race winner, German Boris Hermann on his new Beluga Racer. But the favourite is certainly Italian Velux 5 Oceans winner, Giovanni Soldini and his Telecom Italia, who this year won both legs of the class’ Les Sables-Horta-Les Sables two-handed race. Soldini is sailing the Rolex Fastnet Race four up with Italian America’s Cup sailors Pietro d’Ali and Corrado Rossignoli.
“The Rolex Fastnet Race is a very historical race for us,” says Soldini. “I heard about this race when I was a little boy. It is a difficult and tactical race - all the problems with the tide and quite often there can be a low pressure and a front during the course.” He adds that he is not looking forward to the light conditions forecast as his boat, Telecom Italia prefers stronger breeze. “The weather conditions are changing every day. Some days they tell you it will be 10-12 knots - that is okay. Other days it tell you it is 4 knots – that is not okay!”
While the high profile international grand prix race boats grab the headlines, the bulk of the fleet remains the smaller handicap classes and with the race sailed under the RORC’s IRC rating system, any of these is in with a chance. Among them is the 2005 winner, and one of the smallest boats in the fleet, Jean-Yves Chateau’s Nicholson 33, Iromiguy as well as the new Tonnerre de Breskens of 2001 winner Piet Vroon.
1979 remembered
This year’s race marks the 30th anniversary of the disastrous 1979 race when 15 competitors lost their lives in mountainous seas as the fleet floundered in storm-force winds. The chances of a repeat of this incident have been greatly reduced over the intervening years. For example, today all 302 boats are fitted with EPIRBs, GPS and tracking units so that the organisers know exactly where they are at any moment in time.
Commodore of the RORC, Andrew McIrvine comments on how the safety aspects of the Rolex Fastnet Race have improved: “At the least half the crew and the skipper have had to do the qualifying miles. They have to do a sea survival course and a first aid course. They have got into a liferaft and turn it upside down and turn it the right way up again, so they know how things work. But probably the most important thing that people really didn’t understand [in 1979] –they thought it was safer to climb into the liferaft rather than stay on their boat even though it had a broken mast or it had rolled over a few times. A liferaft is only something you step up into when you absolutely know your boat is wrecked and is going to sink.
“We know so much about the weather. In 1979 the weather came completely out of the blue. Today we have very accurate weather forecasting and that was why we were able to make the changes two years ago and say wait 24 hours. And of course all the way around you can be picking up the weather forecast on your iPhone. Navigation is much safer today. GPS wasn’t there [in 1979]. Back then we were using RDF and you plotted a big triangle on the chart.”
In addition this year the forecast is looking relatively benign. According to meteorologist Chris Tibbs the most wind competitors are likely to see in this year’s race is 20 knots.
“The main feature is the ridge of high pressure up through the central Channel,” says Tibbs. “Also we have a small area of low pressure approaching western Ireland tomorrow afternoon. The start will therefore be in a light northerly gradient wind, so hopefully we’ll get a light sea breeze to get the boats away.” Tibbs says that the boats getting down Channel will coincide with the depression moving across Ireland swinging the wind into the southwest bringing 15-20 knots on Monday lunchtime. “There will be a small cold front on Monday afternoon and then it is going to be a light to moderate wind beat from Lands End across to the rock.” Past the Rock the high pressure reasserts itself over the race course to provide a light northwesterly to get the boats back to Plymouth. “For any slow boats, there is another low pressure expected on Thursday or Friday swinging the wind round to the southwest to bring the last boats home.”
The warning signal for the first start on the Royal Yacht Squadron line, off Cowes, Isle of Wight, will be at 1150 BST with the Open 60s leading out of the Solent followed by the small IRC classes, the Class 40 start at 1340 BST, the biggest boats at 1400 and finally the multihulls.
Virtual Fastnet
Following on from the success of the games accompanying other major offshore races, so the RORC this year for the first time have introduced the ‘Virtual Fastnet Race’ game. In this, competitors from around the world can take part in their own on-line race in a standard 40 footer starting from the south side of the Isle of Wight (to avoid congestion at the Needles). With around 500,000 people having already played the round the world race games, the RORC are confident of achieving high participation for their race. As of Thursday, already 11,000 virtual competitors had signed up.
To play, visit the Virtual Fastnet Race visit http://fastnet.rorc.org
Further information about the RORC and the Rolex Fastnet Race including a provisional entry list may be found at fastnet.rorc.org and competitors are encouraged to keep a close eye on these web pages since all administrative documentation and race notices will be posted there.
From RORC:
A sound guide to the success of any yacht race is when the entry limit is exceeded. Once again the Royal Ocean Racing Club has managed this with their biennial flagship event, the Rolex Fastnet Race, where the 300 boat maximum has been comfortably reached.
The make-up of this year's Rolex Fastnet Race fleet is one of the most international ever with entries from 16 countries. While the UK and France comprise the majority, this year the line-up includes boats from as far afield as Australia, with the much-travelled Rolex Sydney Hobart entrant Berrimilla 2, sailed by Alex Whitworth and Peter Crozier, to the Chilean Class 40, Desafio Cabo de Hornos, recently second round the world in the Portimao Global Ocean Race, to Karl Kwok's Beau Geste from Hong Kong. A number of boats are also making the journey all the way to the start in Cowes from the US, such as Roger Sturgeon's Rolex Sydney Hobart-winning STP65 Rosebud/Team DYT, or up from the Mediterranean, such as the Italian America's Cup team Luna Rossa with their STP65 led by four-time Olympic medallist, Robert Scheidt.
The line-up this year is as spectacular, as it is diverse, with a huge spread of boats, from the 100 footers - Mike Slade's line honours hunting ICAP Leopard, and the more comfortable Performance Yachts 100, Liara of Tony Todd - down to the smallest class 3 yachts, the shortest being the Polish 30-footer, Four Winds, belonging to Wieslaw Krupski.
The RORC's IRC handicap system is used to level out the widely differing performances found across this range of boats as best indicated by their IRC time correction factors: Leopard's stands at 1.868, while Tony Harwood's comfortable Nicholson 38 Volante is the lowest rated boat entered with a TCF of 0.863. This means that to beat Volante, Leopard has to sail 2.16 times faster than her or when Leopard crosses the finish line, Volante could still be ahead of her if she were only half way across the Celtic Sea outbound to the Fastnet Rock with more than 325 miles of the 608-mile long race still left to sail.
With such a large fleet, the boats are divided up into classes: SZ, Z, 1, 2 and 3 with a special class SZCK, for the canting keel yachts such as ICAP Leopard and the Open 60s such as Alex Thomson's Hugo Boss. In addition, one of the most competitive classes this year will be the Class 40 of which 20 examples are racing, including Giovanni Soldini's Telecom Italia, winner of last year's Artemis Transat.
One of the favourites for the overall handicap prize is certain to be Dutch skipper Piet Vroon and his new Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens. Launched this season, Tonnerre has already won two of the three of the RORC races she has entered.
"It has been going very well. I am rather pleased!" says her Dutch owner enthusiastically. Vroon cannot remember exactly how many Rolex Fastnet Races he has done, but thinks the number is around 21. This includes winning overall in 2001, although he admits he followed this up two years later with a 237th place. "It is the only offshore race left. All the other ones are just overnight," he says as to the attraction of the race. "The course is interesting and difficult. It is not all that easy to predict where you have got to be. In spite of all the electronics and weather information, it always works out slightly different from what you expect. Like in 2001, if you happen to get it all right - if you pass Portland at the right moment, Land's End, if you catch the tides right, if the wind changes your way - by the same token, if you miss it by half an hour you can be out."
Typically small boats do well when the race starts light and conditions build mid-week. In recent history the best example of this was when Jean Yves Chateau's well-sailed Nicholson 33, Iromiguy won overall in 2005. "For me it is the greatest race in Europe," says Chateau of the Rolex Fastnet Race. "There are many, many beautiful racing boats and we very much like this race. I have known this race for a very, very long time. When I was a child it was a dream to do this race, and for me when we won this race four years ago, it was extraordinaire!"
Chateau returns this year with just one crew change. Already this year he has been warming up by competing in the RORC's races and at present lies ninth overall in the RORC 2009 championship.
At the bigger end of the spectrum, the race favourite is probably Niklas Zennström's new Judel Vrolijk 72 Ran 2 that has already had a successful season in the Mediterranean. She also benefits from local knowledge having a largely British crew, led by Volvo Ocean Race veteran Tim Powell.
While winning the Rolex Fastnet Race comes down to how well each of the entries sails relative to their rating, many additional wildcards are thrown at the competitors from, in particular, the weather, but also tides and the numerous tidal 'gates' off every headland along the south coast of England. This is what makes this race one of the most tactical games of snakes and ladders in the yachting calendar.
One advantage of having a bigger boat is that they are less affected by these tidal gates than the smaller boats, as Tim Powell explains: "With all these kind of races you need an element of good fortune to make it through the tide gates smoothly. The one thing about our boat is that it doesn't take a lot of wind to get going and get a decent speed up - whereas the smaller boats might struggle to get through a tide gate if there's only 5 knots of wind. In that we'd keep on punching through. I am a firm believer that you need a bit of good fortune with the tides stacking up right for you. But that's something you can't control too much. You end up where you end up."
Ran 2 will sail with her normal all-star cast including numerous America's Cup and Volvo Ocean Race veterans but they will face the very highest competition with crews of equally accomplished sailors on board the STP65s Rosebud and Luna Rossa and on Karl Kwok's Farr 80 Beau Geste. Powell says he will be particularly looking out for Rosebud and Beau Geste as they are the more offshore-orientated.
Once again the Rolex Fastnet Race boats will be fitted with tracking units and a new feature this year is that at the finish the boats will moor in Sutton Harbour, rather than Queen Anne's Battery. Sutton Harbour is right next to the Barbican, Plymouth's most lively district and has enough draft to allow all the boats to berth there, with the exception of the Open 60s fitted with deck spreaders that are too wide to get through the lock.
Another new addition this year is a virtual race game on the RORC Rolex Fastnet Race minisite http://fastnet.rorc.org. Armchair sailors around the world will be able to test their skills against the 2,500 competitors racing on 300 yachts, with the launch of a Virtual Rolex Fastnet Game developed by Virtual Regatta.com. The game is free to play and is designed to be as close as possible to the real thing.
The first signal for the start of the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race sounds at 11.50 BST on Sunday, 9 August.
Further information about the RORC and the Rolex Fastnet Race including a provisional entry list may be found at http://fastnet.rorc.org and competitors are encouraged to keep a close eye on these web pages since all administrative documentation and race notices will be posted there. Provisional entry list below:
Sail No. Yacht Name (alphabetical order) Owner Design/Type
GBR90 90 Degrees Peter Harding Class 40
GBR4218 Act of Defiance Paul Davies SJ 35
GBR8368T Adelaide Star Stuart Cooper Bavaria 44
FRA29777 Alchimiste Mike Murphy JPK 9.60
GBR7041R Anticipation Peter Newlands First 40.7
GBR11N Apollo Nigel Passmore TP 52
GBR8643T Arcsine Kathy Claydon Arcona 370
GBR32 Arctic Tern Mike Sanderson IMOCA 60
NED7800 Arethusa Cornelis Mijs J 109
GBR1090L Aria Luca Rubinelli J 109
GBR62L Ariel Clipper Ventures Colvic Craft 60
GER4955 Arndt Kieler Yacht-Club X 442
GBR2643R Artemis Arden Tomison Grand Soleil 43
GBR100 Artemis Ocean Racing Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60
GBR10 Artemis, The Profit Hunter Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60
GBR5167R Audacious A. Caricato & B. Cianci JOD 35
29 Aurora of London Stuart Jackson Challenge 67
GBR222 Aviva Harry Spedding IMOCA 60
GBR1072L Ayala Mark Goble Archambault A35
GBR47R Azzurra of Bristol Chris Gill First 47.7
GER5555 Bank von Bremen Carol Smolawa Judel/Vrojlik 53 Custom
GBR6514N Bare Knuckles Nigel Mashembo Prima 38
FRA29269 Bateaux Mouches du Pont de l'Alma Fabrice Amedeo X 332
GBR1293R Batfish III Bill Blain J 133
FRA36940 Batistyl Cyrille Legloahec A 40 RC
GBR9751T Beatrice C Karoline George Hallberg Rassy 49
HKG1997 Beau Geste Karl C L Kwok Blue Water 80
GBR8445R Beaurepere Keith Harding Grand Soleil 45
AUS371 Berrimilla 2 Alex Whitworth Brolga 33
GER4908 Best Buddies Susann Wrede Swan 441 R (mod)
GBR2L Beth of Five Star Guy Knight J 109
GBR68L Blackadder Clipper Ventures Colvic Craft 60
IRL1988 Blackjack Darren Nicholson Pocock 38
GBR4773R Blue Pearl Anders Johnson Swan 70
GBR7585R Blueprint John Wilkinson First 40.7
GBR1660R Bongani Chris Radford Pronavia 38
GBR1429L British Soldier Army Sailing Association Archambault A40
GBR5759R Broersbank Hendrik Onnes Breehorn 44
888 BT Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA 60
GBR8764T Buccaneer of Upnor Murray Smith Elan 333
GBR6665R Cajou Mark Chatfield IMX 40
FRA34844 Cap Extrem Thierry Ollivier Dehler 44
IRL4871 Caper Fergus Ryan Seafarer 48
FRA35256 Captain Blind Yannick Richomme Grand Soleil 40
GBR19 Cariberia Shaun Murphy Class 40
FRA45001 Cartouche Nicolas Groleau Mach 45
FRA64 CG MER Wilfrid Clerton Class 40
GBR8872R Challenger 2 Tall Ships Challenge 72OD
GBR8873R Challenger 3 Tall Ships Challenge 72OD
GBR9070R Change of Course Keith Gibbs C&C 115
GBR1202 Chaser REME Yacht Club Nicholson 55
GBR30 Cheekytatoo Tanguy de Lamotte Class 40
GBR7384R Cheetah Cub Robin Wootton Reflex 38
GBR52R Chernikeeff 2 Peter Harrison Farr 52
IRL79 Cinnamon Girl Cian Mc Carthy Class 40
GBR1393L Cirrus II East Anglian Sea School Sun Odyssey 36i
NED317 Cisne David Collins Swan 43
GBR195 Clarionet Paul March S&S 37
FRA36777 Codiam N Loday & J C Nicoleau Grand Soleil 43
GBR49 Concise Jackson Bouttell Class 40
FRA26 Conquerants de Normandie - Bovis Lend Lease Italy Andrea Ruckstuhl Class 40
GBR3921 Cosmic Dancer III Russell Walker Baltic 37
FRA36689 Coup De Coeur Marc de Saint Denis First 40
GBR851R Cracklin Rosie Brian Wilkinson Corby 40
Bel1239 CTP Mike Celis Elan 340
GBR952R Cutting Edge R Lutener & M Elwood TP 52
GBR6013 Dans La Rouge S. Grigg & A. Jackson First 325
GBR95R Dark & Steamy Nick Haigh DK 46
GBR9305T Davanti Philip Ives Dehler 47
GBR666M Dazzle Michael Butterfield Daz Cat
GBR8725T Deliverance 2 Chris Shipman Dehler 39
CHI76 Desafio Cabo de Hornos Great Southern Sea Inc Class 40
GBR1665 Desperado of Cowes Richard Loftus Swan 65
GBR8999T Destination Anywhere Solent Sail Ltd Bavaria 46 C
GBR9205R Diablo-J Nick Martin J 105
GBR7878R Ding Dong Christopher Rostom Stewart 37
GER6160 Doppelbock Friedrich Böhnert Dufour 45 Performance
GBR9956 Draig O'R Mor Kay & Kevin Stibbs Dehler 36 DB
GBR3401L Draigy 2.0 Nick Barlow Dehler 34 RS
GBR6776R Dreamcatcher of Inverness Derek Douglas Nordship 43
NED7777 Eclectic Koen Lockefeer Dehler 44
GBR4778R EH01 Global Yacht Racing First 47.7
FRA02 Elsa Yann Delplace Class 40
GBR9043T Emma Flying Fish First 40.7
GBR8407R Encore Steven Anderson First 40.7
GBR236R Erivale III Michael Greville Ker 39
GBR4462 Excelle James Russell Sigma 33
FRA9834 Exile/Mirabaud Nicolas de la Fourniere X 34
GBR4973T Exocet Alan Draper IMX 38
GBR3348T Exocet of Messilah Chris Copeland X 119
GBR1596L Exocet Strike John Dyer First 47.7
GBR4601L Fair Do's VII John Shepherd Ker 46
GBR9939 Flame Martin Fordham Sweden 38
GBR6905R Flawless J James Heald J 105
GBR562R Floating Voter Jon Sanders MAT 12
GBR3800T Flying Formula Trevor Drew Sigma 38
GBR4835R Flying Pigs Carol Lo X 35
FRA28711 Foggy Dew Noel Racine JPK 9.60
GBR4545N Fortify Christopher Glossop SunFast 3200
GBR9380R Forward Thinking Stephen Nicholls Reflex 38
POL6544 Four Winds Wieslaw Krupski Tango 30
FRA34949 Foxy F' Ewe Jean-Baptiste Mouton Grand Soleil 37 B&C Q.B.
GBR4545R Fraxious Jack Pringle Farr 45
GBR2899 Freebird Jonti Clews Sadler 34
IRL1944 Galileo Anthony M. Tennyson First 47.7
GBR7001T Gant Time Gareth Williams First 40.7
GBR407T Genie Andrew Jackson First 40.7
GBR4127R Get Carter Marcelle von Wendland 3/4 Tonner
USA406 Gracie Stephan & Simon Frank McCurdy & Rhodes 69
GBR2041R Great Scot IV Martin Gibbon Elan 410
GER6004 Guts'n Glory Christopher Wuttke Rogers 46
GBR7763R Habanero Christophe Clarke First 36.7
GBR1002L Heartbeat 3 of Burnham Jason Payne-James Dufour 44
GBR3851 Hephzibah David Lees High Tension 36
GER5970 Hexe Norbert Plambeck German Frers 80
GBR1204 HMSTC Dasher Peter Cooper Nicholson 55
GBR641 Hope & Glory/UNICEF Robert Gibson One Off
27 Hot Socks Katie Miller Figaro II
GBR8520R Hot Stuff Flying Fish First 40.7
GBR99 Hugo Boss Alex Thomson IMOCA 60
GBR50L Hydrocarbon Mark Ashwell First 50
NOR11647 Hyggen IX Leif Martin Drange 40.7
GBR1R ICAP Leopard Mike Slade Farr 100
GBR7253T Ilex of Upnor REYC X 332
GER5483 Ilvitello Hagen Ross Comet 45 S
GBR4300 Imperator Paul Waxman SJ 35
GBR9863 In X Celsis Peter Jones X 119
GBR8248 Incisor of Wight Windward Sailing Corby 45
GBR1547L Ingenii Simon Phillips Hanse 470
FRA35439 Inis Mor Lauent Gouy Ker 39
GER5370 Inschallah VI Volker Andreae J/V 41
GBR8972T Inseyandra Solent Sail Ltd Bavaria 46
GBR1471L Inspire Mike Theobald Elan 410
FRA6770 Iromiguy Jean Yves Chateau Nicholson 33
FRA24 IXFUN Olivier Rabine Class 40
GBR4243T Jackdaw David Walters J 39
GBR7382R Jaguar Logic Sailing Logic Ltd Reflex 38
8581 Jalfrezi Gareth Thomas J 120
GBR5433R Jammy Dodger Neil Martin J 133
GBR8537R Jangada Too Richard Palmer J 109
GBR8529R Jazzy Jellyfish John Pickles J 109
GBR9922T Jedi Knight Stan Fenton J 122
GBR5307T Jessica of Selborne Geoffrey Hobbs Najad 520
GBR1509R Jibe Robin Taunt J 109
NED7793 Jitters Patrick de Pree J 109
FRA27967 Jivaro Yves Grosjean J 133
GBR1298R John B Charles Ivill Grand Soleil 54
GBR76R John Merricks II RYA Keelboat Programme TP 52
GBR2722R Jolly Jellyfish David Richards J 122
FRA29718 Jolly Sailor 2 Gilles Pruvost Sun Fast 35
GBR5407R Joopster Neil Kipling First 40.7
GBR9405R Juliette Roderick Knowles J 105
FRA68 Jumpa Lagi Denis Lazat Class 40
GBR2709R Jumping Jellyfish Jellyfish Charters J 109
GBR8837R Jumunu 3 Alistair Ray Santa Cruz 37
FRA28305 Just Aquaholix Joanna Finn J 105
GBR1659R Just4Fun Simon Mather J 109
CO664 Katisha James Moore Contessa 32
GBR42 Kerlaria Mike West Class 40
GBR4455 Knight's Challenge Janet Sainsbury Sigma 33
GBR4519 Kusima Tim Buckley Sigma 33
FRA25732 La Baleine IV René Dupont Dufour 40
ESP6237 La Floresta Del Mar Amanda Hartley Swan 56
FRA35 Laiterie de Saint-Malo Victorien Erussard Open 50 Tri
FRA29999 L'Ange De Milon Jacques Pelletier X 43
FRA34646 Lann Ael Didier Gaudoux JPK 110
GBR1524L Laura Richard Stain Sovereign 400
IRL4052 Legally Brunette Paul Egan X-41
GBR100L Liara Tony Todd Performance Yachts 100
GBR1725 Libeccio Jason Manning Elan 40
GBR9388R Lion Chris Reddish Reflex 38
GBR815 Longue Pierre D Cooper & P England Dehler 38
USA52152 Lucky Bryon Ehrhart TP 52
ITA4599 Luna Rossa Vittorio Volonte STP 65
GBR809 Lutine Lloyds Yacht Club Swan 53
FRA29483 Major Tom Fabrice Tropres Dufour 34
GBR979R Malice Mike Moxley HOD 35
GBR1317L Maluma Merchant Yachting Elan 410
GBR7732T Mardy Gras James Boret X 332
GBR390L Maridadi John McLaren Ker 39
GBR1264 Marinero Kenneth Newman Swan 46
GBR9880T Marisco Madness Chris Clark Elan 37
GBR3689 Mavis III of Gosport Stephen Winter IOR One Tonner
GBR8352 Mefisto Kevin Sussmilch Sigma 38
BEL8000 Merena Alexis Guillaume Class 40
GBR122L Mint Julep David Cule J 122
BEL4701 Moana Mathieu Goubau First 47.7
NED75 Moonpalace Adriaan van Oord Class 40
GBR1946L Morwenna Traditional Sailing Pilot Cutter
GBR9140 Nazca II Mike Wilkinson OOD 34
GBR4750R Nimrod of Dartmouth Patrick Taylor Dehler 47
GBR9824 Njos Tim Octon Corby 35
GBR3591T Nokomis Andy Theobald Sigma 362
GBR5698R Noonmark VI Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy Swan 56
GER5500 Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg Eike Holst Andrews 56
GBR5951T Northern Child Christian Reynolds Swan 51
GBR8883R Norton Rose Below Zero Graeme Lewis First 40.7
FRA35950 Nutmeg IV François Lognone J 122
BEL111 Ocean of Smiles Christophe Bullens IMOCA 60
FRA20 Oceans Eleven Jacques Fournier Class 40
GBR8543R Offbeat David McLeman J 109
GBR626 Old Mother Gun Philip Farrands Humphreys 40
FRA35390 Optim'X Frank Lang X 40
GBR77R Orca R. Tolkien/N. Jobling/T. Hayhoe Class 40
GBR4712R Outrageous Mark Stevenson Swan 47
GER5676 Outsider Tilmar Hansen Elliott52ss
GBR503R Oxygen III Michael Birmingham Corby 34
GBR4321 Oystercatcher XXVI Richard Matthews Humphreys 42
GBR6512N Oz Privateer T Basset, I Magee & G Minter Prima 38
ESP26 Pakea Bizkaia Pakea Bizkaia IMOCA 60
FRA34961 Parsifal Dardot Didier Sphinx 33
FRA60 Partouche Christophe Coatnoan Class 40
GBR7777L Passion Merchant Yachting Elan 410
FRA122 Pen Azen Philippe Delaporte J 122
H1410 Persephone Yves Lambert Tina
GBR8287 Persephone of London Nigel Goodhew Sigma 38
GBR8237T Persistance Jerry Collins Sigma 38
GBR1232T Phantom Ashley Weston Laurent Giles 44
GBR1372R Pi Nisida Peter Hopps GY 51
GBR477L Pi Squared Fin McGurran First 47.7
NED7374 Picolini Martin Lossie Dehler 32
GBR7207T Playing Around Logic Peter Robson First 40.7
SWE20002 Pleomax Harm Prins Volvo 60
GER6002 Pogo 1 Markus Seebich Class 40
GBR7872R Polar Bear Philip Richardson Challenge 72
GBR9505R Prime Evil of Maldon John Wetton Sigma 400
FRA34634 Prime Time M Alperovitch & J Huillard A 35
GBR7716R Psipsina John Loden HOD 35
GBR7383R Puma Logic Sailing Logic Ltd Reflex 38
GBR5963T Pyxis Kirsteen Donaldson X 332
NED5783 Que Guapa Kees Groenenboom X 332
GBR7360T Quinta Stan Davies First 40.7
GBR1236L Quokka Andrew McIrvine Corby 36
BEL613 Rackham Eric Van Campenhout JPK 110
GBR7236R Rán Niklas Zennstrom JV 72
GER66 Red Mathias Mueller von Blumencron Class 40
GBR8369 Red Macaw John Edwards Sigma 38 Mod
GBR8401T Redcoat REYC Sigma 38
NED4343 ROARK / Claus en Kaan Architecten Kees Kaan Grand Soleil 43
USA60065 Rosebud/Team DYT Roger Sturgeon STP 65
GBR1077T Rumpleteazer Eric Bates Scanmar 33
25 Safran Marc Guillemot IMOCA 60
GBR532R Sassenach Ian Laing Swan 53
GBR5678T Scarlet Jester Jamie Muir SJ 320
GBR547R Seawolf 2 Henri Tinchant Lutra 42
GBR976R Selene Adrian Lower Swan 44
GBR5955T Shadow David Richards Farr 45
BEL1325 Silhoa Pascal Habousha First 47.7
USA48000 Sjambok Jens Kuehne Reichel Pugh 48
SWE442 Skidbladner Johnny Rickman First 36.7
GBR6687T Skywave Royal Signals Yacht Club Elan 333
GBR5236R Sonic Boom II Simon Brady Figaro II
GBR667R Space Race Frontline Sailing First 40.7
GBR1225R Spirit of Daedalus Alan Thornewill MG 346
GBR8652R Spirit of Diana Ondeck Farr Millenium 65
GBR8654R Spirit of Isis Ondeck Farr Millenium 65
GBR8653R Spirit of Juno Ondeck Farr Millenium 65
GBR8651R Spirit of Minerva Ondeck Farr Millenium 65
GBR5455R Spliff Andrew Dawson Class 40
FRA36859 Stamina III Michel Peretie A 40
GBR3205L Star Chaser Wijnand (Boogie) van den Boogaard Swan 51
GBR8924R Starcross Ross Wilson Swan 42
GBR980R Strata 4 East Anglian Sea School Sun Fast 35
GBR986R Strata 6 East Anglian Sea School Sun Odyssey 36i
FRA308M Tancrède Joel Malardel Normanni 34
GBR1121L Tangaroa Geoff Poore Pronavia 38
FRA50 Techneau Benoit Daval Class 40
ITA55 Telecom Italia Giovanni Soldini Class 40
974C The Fox Richard Raistrick Warrior 35
GBR4343C Ticktock John Twiggs JOD 35
GBR7540R Titian Stuart Galloway Elan 40
GBR55 Toe in the Water Steve White IMOCA 60
NED46 Tonnerre de Breskens Piet Vroon Ker 46
GER53 Tzu Hang Axel Strauss Class 40
FRA28747 Ultreia! Matthias Kracht JPK 9.60
GER6146 Varuna Jens Kellinghusen Rogers IRC 46
GBR1013L Vela Fresca Neil Matson Dufour 34
GBR932R Velocity Girl Richard Lett VQ 32
US60006 Venomous Derek Saunders CM 60
GBR447R Vespucci's Black Sheep John Stapleton First 44.7
GER5497 Vineta felix scheder-bieschin marten 49
AUT15764 Visione Nikolaus Knoflacher ILC 40
GBR8146 Vitesse Jon England Sigma 38
GBR722R Voador Simon Curwen J 105
GBR1184 Volante Tony (A.K.) Harwood C&N 38
IRL77777 Whisper Mark Dicker Southern Wind 78
GBR8470R White Knight 6 RACYC First 34.7
GBR7714R White Knight of Wessex James Neville HOD 35
GBR516R White Rose Bob Jackson Elan 40
GBR5113T Widgeon Nick Fletcher Hallberg-Rassy 31
K4900 Wight Spirit Stefan Mieczkowski Sigma 33
GBR8799T Wild Spirit Paul Jackson Jeanneau 40
GBR8539T Windshift Hamish McLeay Dufour 36 Classic
NED118 Winsome Harry Heijst S&S 41
GBR8338 With Alacrity Chris & Vanessa Choules Sigma 38
GBR1332R X-Rated Charles Gurney X 332
GBR7332R X-ToSea David Hunt X 332
GBR124 Yeoman XXXII David Aisher Rogers 46
GBR1921L Yoda Paul Johnson Sigma 38
GBR8329 Zanzara Nick Gale Sigma 38
B4444 ZED4 Gerald Bibot Class 40
