Fastnet Yacht Race. News from the RORC Offshore Race Event

A massive fleet make their way out of the Solent in the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race

Fastnet Race Entry Numbers Smash All Records

12th January 2021 Fastnet

Like tickets to Glastonbury, registration opened on the dot of 1000 UTC today for this summer’s Rolex Fastnet Race and speedily sold out. Within an hour an unprecedented 400 boats had entered the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s flagship event, which…

On 8 August 2021, the Rolex Fastnet Race will set sail from Cowes bound for the Fastnet Rock

One Week to Go to 2021 Fastnet Race Entry

5th January 2021 Fastnet

Registration for the 49th Rolex Fastnet Race begins at 1000 UTC on Tuesday 12th January 2021. The RORC Race Team are concerned there will be a repeat of the 2019 rush to enter when the race became oversubscribed in less than five…

Nieulargo is aiming for the Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race and Fastnet Race in 2021

Royal Cork's Fastnet 450 Race Winner 'Nieulargo' Eyes 2021 Dun Laoghaire-Dingle & Fastnet Races

24th December 2020 SCORA

Royal Cork Yacht Club 2020 winner Nieulargo will set its sights offshore again in 2021 as the family-based Grand Soleil 40 aims for both of next year's big offshore fixtures on the Irish coast; next June's Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race…

Registration Opens for 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race in January

15th December 2020 Fastnet

With less than one month to go until entry opens for the 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the RORC Race Team are concerned there will be a repeat of the 2019 rush to enter when the race became…

Will Ireland's Fastnet Rock be the only Great Unchangeable? If the Royal Ocean Racing Club Executive's decision of a year ago to change the finish for the next two Fastnet Races in 2021 and 2023 to Cherbourg is upheld at an EGM of all members on December 7th, then Irelands Fastnet Rock will be the only enduring feature of the course of a race which was first staged in 1925

Battle Royal Over the Course for the Fastnet Race

16th November 2020 RORC

It says everything about the iconic nature of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Fastnet Race that a General Meeting about the route for the race, which should be a private matter among the admittedly many members of the RORC, has…

The new course from Cowes to Cherbourg via the Fastnet Rock will see new challenges for navigators and crews in next year's 695 nm Rolex Fastnet Race

Navigating the New 2021 Fastnet Race Course – More Reaching & a New Roll of the Dice

16th September 2020 Fastnet

Moving to Cherbourg for the finish of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's premier event, the Rolex Fastnet Race next year will see navigators and crews facing a few significant new challenges writes James Boyd Firstly the new course is 90…

Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 - With the finish in Cherbourg, more French entries are anticipated but the majority are still likely to be from the UK

49th Rolex Fastnet Race - One Year to Go!

6th August 2020 Fastnet

In one year’s time, a new era will begin for the world’s largest offshore yacht race. On 8 August 2021, the Rolex Fastnet Race will set sail from Cowes bound for the Fastnet Rock as usual, but then, once the…

The new Fastnet Race Virtual race starts on August 3rd

New Fastnet 2021 Race Course Gets Dry Run With Virtual Regatta

27th July 2020 Esailing

Just over a year out from the August 2021 start of the race proper, potential competitors, armchair sailors and gamer enthusiasts from all over the world will have the opportunity to try their hand at competing on the new course…

Northern Ireland Navigator Ian Moore on The New Rolex Fastnet Race Course

26th May 2020 Northern Ireland Waters

One big overall win has eluded Northern Ireland navigator Ian Moore - in nine attempts at the Rolex Fastnet Race Moore’s team has made the podium twice but failed to win the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s flagship race. Ian is fascinated…

Monday 10th August 1987, and the Dubois 40 Irish Independent arrives at the Fastnet Rock, on her way to winning the Fastnet Race overall, and becoming top scorer for Ireland in the Admiral’s Cup.

The Fastnet Race Centenary is in Five Years – How Well Has Ireland Scored Since 1925?

25th April 2020 ISORA

In 2025, the Centenary of the RORC Fastnet Race – arguably the world’s most famous offshore challenge – will be sailed. Until recently, it would have seemed a bit odd to be focusing on a Centenary all of five years…

The Fastnet Rock – “Ireland’s tear-drop” - continues to be the turning point of the Rolex Fastnet Race on its new 2021 course to Cherbourg in France

New Fastnet Course to Finish at Cherbourg – a Coup d’etat & a Fait Accompli?

26th November 2019 Northern Ireland Waters

Well, there’s been something in the air for long enough about the future of the Rolex Fastnet Race writes W M Nixon. Back in September 2018, we were testing a few ideas about where it might go here And on…

Rolex Fastnet Race fleet in Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour

RORC ‘Might Consider’ Plymouth For Fastnet Race Finish In 2025

26th November 2019 Northern Ireland Waters

Organisers of the Rolex Fastnet Race have citied “infrastructre” issues in their decision to move the finish of the 2021 and 2023 races from Plymouth to Cherbourg. And in a press conference announcing the move this afternoon (Tuesday 26 November), the…

L to R: Benoît Arrive, Mayor of Cherbourg-en-Contentin, Marc Lefevre, Chairman of County Council of Manche, Steven Anderson, RORC Commodore, Jean-Louis Valentin, Chairman of Urban Community of Cotentin, Isabelle Vandenberghe, Elected Member of Regional Council of Normandy Geneviève Gosselin-Fleury, Chairman Tourism of Cotentin, Eddie Warden Owen (RORC CEO)

Fastnet Race to Finish in Cherbourg, RORC Announce

26th November 2019 Northern Ireland Waters

The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), organisers of the Rolex Fastnet Race, announced at a press conference today that the City of Cherbourg will host the finish of the Rolex Fastnet Race for the 2021 and 2023 editions of the…

A major announcement about the biennial Fastnet Race is expected at lunch time

RORC To Make 'Major Fastnet Race Announcement' Today

26th November 2019 Northern Ireland Waters

The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is heralding big changes to its world's largest offshore race, the Rolex Fastnet Race at lunchtime today. The offshore club has invited members of the press to a Briefing concerning the world's largest offshore race, at its…

April English, widow of the renowned professional yachtsman Joe English, who sailed on board Moonduster in the tragic 1979 Fastnet Race, at a wreath-laying ceremony near Howth commemorating the 40th anniversary of the tragedy

Fastnet 1979 Irish Survivors' Reunion Remembers Those Who Died & Pays Tribute to Rescue Agencies

12th October 2019 Howth YC

When an “explosion of a storm” tore its way through the Fastnet yacht race off the Irish coast 40 years ago, there were those among the survivors who could not speak about the experience for years writes Lorna Siggins However, over…

Commodore John Kavanagh, formerly Officer Commanding Naval Service. In 1979 as Captain John Kavanagh, he was in command of the LE Deirdre which played a central role in the Fastnet Disaster Rescue and was on station for longer than any other vessel

Naval Services' Role in Fastnet Rescues of 1979 Recalled at Final 2019 Commemoration Service on Cape Clear

19th August 2019 Island News

The significant role played by the Irish Naval Service in the 1979 Fastnet Race Disaster has sometimes been overlooked in the dramatic images of helicopters and lifeboats in direct action writes W Nixon. But in fact the LE Deirdre under…

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RORC Fastnet Race

This race is both a blue riband international yachting fixture and a biennial offshore pilgrimage that attracts crews from all walks of life:- from aspiring sailors to professional crews; all ages and all professions. Some are racing for charity, others for a personal challenge.

For the world's top professional sailors, it is a 'must-do' race. For some, it will be their first-ever race, and for others, something they have competed in for over 50 years! The race attracts the most diverse fleet of yachts, from beautiful classic yachts to some of the fastest racing machines on the planet – and everything in between.

The testing course passes eight famous landmarks along the route: The Needles, Portland Bill, Start Point, the Lizard, Land’s End, the Fastnet Rock, Bishop’s Rock off the Scillies and Plymouth breakwater (now Cherbourg for 2021 and 2023). After the start in Cowes, the fleet heads westward down The Solent, before exiting into the English Channel at Hurst Castle. The finish for 2021 is in Cherbourg via the Fastnet Rock, off the southern tip of Ireland.

The leg across the Celtic Sea to (and from) the Fastnet Rock is known to be unpredictable and challenging. The competitors are exposed to fast-moving Atlantic weather systems and the fleet often encounter tough conditions
Flawless decision-making, determination and total commitment are the essential requirements. Crews have to manage and anticipate the changing tidal and meteorological conditions imposed by the complex course
The symbol of the race is the Fastnet Rock, located off the southern coast of Ireland. Also known as the Teardrop of Ireland, the Rock marks an evocative turning point in the challenging race
Once sailors reach the Fastnet Rock, they are well over halfway to the finish in Cherbourg.

Fastnet Race - FAQs

When is the next Fastnet Race?

The 49th edition of the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race will start from the Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes, UK on Sunday 8th August 2021.

What's new about the 2021 Fastnet Race?

The next two editions of the race in 2021 and 2023 will finish in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin at the head of the Normandy peninsula, France

What will the fleet size be for the 2021 Fastnet Race?

Over 300. A record fleet is once again anticipated for the world's largest offshore yacht race.

Who races in the Fastnet Race?

The international fleet attracts both enthusiastic amateur, the seasoned offshore racer, as well as out-and-out professionals from all corners of the world.

What types of boats compete in the Fastnet Race?

Boats of all shapes, sizes and age take part in this historic race, from 9m-34m (30-110ft) – and everything in between.

What is the multihull Fastnet Race record?

The Fastnet Race multihull course record is: 1 day 4 hours 2 minutes and 26 seconds (2019, Ultim Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, Franck Cammas / Charles Caudrelier)

What is the monohull Fastnet Race record?

The Fastnet Race monohull course record is: 1 day, 18 hours, 39 minutes (2011, Volvo 70, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing).

Who won the 2019 Fastnet Race?

David and Peter Askew's American VO70 Wizard won the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race, claiming the Fastnet Challenge Cup for 1st in IRC Overall.

How long has Rolex sponsored the Fastnet Race?

Rolex SA has been a longstanding sponsor of the race since 2001.

When was the first Fastnet Race held?

The first race was in 1925 with 7 boats. The Royal Ocean Racing Club was set up as a result.

What boat was the winner of the first Fastnet Race?

The winner of the first Fastnet Race was the former pilot cutter Jolie Brise, a boat that is still sailing today.

Was there an Irish entry in the first Fastnet Race?

Cork sailor Henry P F Donegan (1870-1940), who gave his total support for the Fastnet Race from its inception in 1925 and competed in the inaugural race in his 43ft cutter Gull from Cork.

Has Ireland every won the Fastnet Race?

Ireland has won the Fastnet Race twice. In 1987 the Dubois 40 Irish Independent won the Fastnet Race overall for the first time and then in 2007 – all of twenty years after Irish Independent’s win – Ireland secured the overall win again this time thanks to Ger O’Rourke’s Cookson 50 Chieftain from the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland in Kilrush.