There are just ten days to the start of the 25th edition of the annual Mini Fastnet, and 70 entries have registered for the event that begins and ends in the French port of Douarnenez, and, like the Figaro, this race visits Irish waters, without actually stopping off.
The race includes both solo and double-handed sailors, and launches them on a 700-mile round trip from Brest to Wolf Rock, around the Fastnet Rock and back.
The closeness of the racing marks this out as a fantastic offshore sprint to watch and compete in, with boats often in sight of five or more competitors at any given moment. The live race tracker (HERE) will again bring the race to life.