Fastnet Race Prepares for Anniversary Record Next Week

7th August 2015

Afloat.ie Team

Fastnet Race Prepares for Anniversary Record Next Week

#fastnetrock – A little over a week remains before the eagerly anticipated start of the 2015 Rolex Fastnet Race. A veritable international armada will contest the 46th edition of the race, commencing from Cowes on Sunday 16 August.

Around 390 yachts from over 25 countries are set to take part, representing a new record even for this legendary competition (comfortably surpassing the current best of 336 starters in 2013). It is a fitting tribute to the biennial race in a year of landmark celebrations: 2015 marks the 90th anniversary of the first edition when seven intrepid yachts set sail, the winning yacht Jolie Brise finishing in just over six days; likewise it's the 90th birthday of race organizers Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), which was founded in the days immediately following the end of the first race. The Royal Yacht Squadron's bicentenary will also receive a nod, with the start procedures being conducted once again from its clubhouse overlooking the Solent. Both these esteemed yacht clubs enjoy a long association with Rolex, partners of the race since 2001.

Fast and fierce
Set to lead the front end of the monohull fleet in the quest for line honours are three eye-catching Maxi yachts: Jim Clark's 100-ft imperious Comanche (USA) skippered by ocean-racing veteran Ken Read; Mike Slade's 100-ft Leopard (GBR), line honours and race record setter in 2007 and George David's new 88-ft Rambler (USA), which will be able to count on the tactical guile of Brad Butterworth. Each yacht has its preferred conditions but, while the weather will have a say, it is likely that the three will keep each other close company. As pacesetters they will seek to finish within 48-hours and challenge the race record of 1 day, 18 hours and 39 minutes set by the Ian Walker-skippered Abu Dhabi (UAE) in 2011.

Waiting in the wings should misfortune strike the expected pacesetters are two 70-footers Camper (AUS) and Monster Project (RUS) and two Maxi 72s in the shape of Bella Mente (USA) and Momo (IVB).

Elsewhere, a clutch of impressive multihulls will contest their own chase for line honours and their own course record. In 2011, the leading multihull Maxi Banque Populaire set a time of 1 day, 8 hours, 48 minutes (32 hours, 48 minutes).

The Prized Target
The major prize contested is the Fastnet Trophy and Rolex timepiece, awarded to the overall monohull winner under IRC handicap. In recent years this honour has been claimed by an array of different yachts and crews, from professionally-sailed Maxis to Corinthian crewed 30-footers. The defending champions are the two-man Loison crew on the 33-ft Night and Day (FRA) – Alexis and Pascal Loison.

This opportunity creates one of the strongest elements of the race's appeal. The vast majority of the fleet is eligible (in 2015, some 335 are competing for the prize), and the winning crew adds its name to an illustrious list of former winners. Names which include Myth of Malham, Carina, Pen Duick III, Ragamuffin, Tenacious, Rán 2 and Dorade – the latter, a two-time winner in the 1930s, is returning from the United States to race this year.

The first start will take place at 12:00 BST on Sunday 16 August. Following the departure from the Royal Yacht Squadron line at Cowes, the Rolex Fastnet course takes the fleet down the English Channel ahead of the open water passage across the Celtic Sea and the symbolic turn around the Fastnet Rock off the southern coast of Ireland; a rounding that heralds the race's emblematic moment as the fleet embark on the long return leg and the finish in Plymouth. 603 nautical miles of tactically challenging sailing in unrelenting conditions await this intrepid fleet.

Published in Fastnet

Fastnet Race Live Tracker 2023

Track the progress of the 2023 Fastnet Yacht Race fleet on the live tracker above

The 50th edition of the 700-mile race organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club starts from Cowes, Isle of Wight, on Saturday, 22nd July.

Published in Fastnet

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

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.

©Afloat 2020

At A Glance – Fastnet Race