#rorcrfr – It was looking like a middle sized boat was best positioned to win it for a long time with Class 1IRC having six of the top 10 places including first place. Royal Cork's Antix has always been behind two lower rated boats so she was never looking great in her class. Coin Coin, a Ker 43, is lower rated and is currently 10 miles ahead.
From last night (Monday) it turned into to either a big boat win or small boat win with Rammler and Momo the likely big boat winners if they can get in and the breeze stays lightish. However looking at the forcast, the breeze is due to increase a bit over the course of today and veer from South to South–West, giving a decent broad reach to the Fastnet for the majority of the fleet and a fetch/tight reach in 25 knots back home to the Scillies. This should bring the smaller, longer boats up the rankings.
In this regard the JPK 10.80 Courier de Leon, who has won three RORC races already this year, has a good chance. She was over the line at the start and took 40 minutes in no wind to get back. Now she is leading her class (3) on the water and she is also a good reaching boat.
But If it goes light again, look for the Sigma 33's to come up the rankings.
Ireland's Fastnet rock is one of the famous emblems of offshore sailing, the foremost of several scenic and imposing lighthouses on the Rolex Fastnet race course. Passing the Fastnet rock is a welcome and rich moment for all those competing in the race, the turning point following the arduous trek across the Celtic Sea and start of the long final leg to the finish in Plymouth. At 15:00 CEST on Tuesday, nine of the 356-strong Rolex Fastnet fleet had reached the rock and given the almost entire absence of wind during their roundings, the majority had plenty of time to admire its rugged beauty.
The leading multihulls rounded the rock late on Monday afternoon with the Dona Bertarelli and Yann Guichard skippered Spindrift 2 – the largest yacht in the fleet – first to round. Spindrift held her status as first on the water until shortly after lunchtime on Tuesday having endured an arduous journey back towards Plymouth - taking nearly 24 hours to cover 150-nm. At that point the 80-ft Maxi trimaran Prince de Bretagne made a decisive move in the building breeze narrowing the gap significantly on Spindrift. The duel between Spindrift and the Lionel Lemonchois-skippered yacht promises to go down to the wire. They are both expected to arrive in Plymouth at around midnight.
Jim Clark's 100-ft Maxi Comanche was the first monohull yacht to round the rock passing at 02:00 BST on Tuesday morning. Another American yacht – George David's 88ft Rambler – is pushing Comanche close. Rambler crawled round the rock at 04:50 BST and currently trails her larger rival by 9-nm. This dogfight at the front is captivating with first one yacht and then the other holding an advantage. For video highlights click here.
Engaged in their own duel some 45-nm off the leading monohulls are the Maxi 72 Momo (CAY) – a race debutant – and Mike Slade's 100-ft Maxi Leopard.
The vast majority of the fleet have passed the Scilly Isles and still some 120-nm from rock. Despite the frustrating conditions, some welcome news could be on the horizon with 20-knot southerlies forecast to arrive at the Fastnet rock in the early hours of Wednesday morning. If it does, it will provide welcome relief for the crews and will reignite the contest to secure the coveted Rolex Fastnet Challenge Trophy and Rolex timepiece as overall race winner on IRC handicap.
Despite the trying conditions only four boats have currently retired from the race, testament to the perseverance of the competing crews and their desire to complete the course come what may.
The 2015 edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race is proving to be tactically challenging and a true demonstration of sailing prowess and seamanship.
