fastnet yacht race route

Everything you need to know about the Fastnet Race

One of sailing's most famous races begins on Saturday 3 August – and here's what you need to know Text by Jonno Turner

It’s one of sailing’s most famous events – a race taking place every two years, and seeing the best sailors in the world come together to test themselves in some of the trickiest conditions around.  

Yep, it’s time for the Rolex Fastnet Race. This 608-mile challenge has been a bucket list event for sailors around the globe since it began back in 1925 – and this time, it’ll look a little different.

On Saturday, the largest ever fleet of IMOCAs in the Fastnet's history – the boats that will contest the next Ocean Race in 2021 – will compete for bragging rights.

What is the Fastnet Race?

Simply put, it’s the largest ocean race in the world, featuring a mind-boggling array of boats. This 608-mile race from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, to Fastnet Rock, sitting on the southern tip of Ireland, and back into a finish off Plymouth. The Fastnet has been raced since 1925 and has its place on the calendar of sailing’s most prestigious events.

Why is the Fastnet Race so famous?

It’s one of yachting’s classic races, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in the UK, and since 1925 has played a big role in the growth of offshore racing as a sport. If you like history, this is a race steeped in it, including a tragic edition in 1979 where 15 yachtsmen lost their lives after a stronger than expected storm decimated the fleet. The race hasn’t gotten any easier over the years and in 2019, the Fastnet remains a real test of sailing skills – with both inshore and offshore know-how needed to win. 

Talk me through the route...

The course has numerous challenges – and veterans often refer to these as mini races within one bigger race. For instance, the start will see the fleet leave the Solent to head west in tidal ranges of 4-6 meters, with strong tidal flows either helping or hindering the fleet. Add in the challenge of racing against over 400 other boats, as well as hundreds of spectators, and the race track becomes extremely complex – even getting out of the starting blocks cleanly can take massive levels of skill and calm – and races have been won and lost within the first 20 miles. As the fleet reaches Lizard Point – the southernmost point of the UK – they will then face shallow waters, Traffic Separation Schemes before popping out into the Celtic Sea, where things get really gnarly. Then, a quick dash to Fastnet Rock – trying to take the prize of being ‘first around the rock’ – before turning back and heading for home, via the TSS and some enormous tides. Throw in a 100-mile sprint back around Lizard Point to the finish in Plymouth, where the winds drop and become fickle, testing the competitors right up to the line.

What’s the connection between the Fastnet Race and The Ocean Race?

There is no official relationship between the two races – but a lot of respect. The Fastnet has often been used as a true test of form before The Ocean Race, and Ian Walker’s Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (VO70) still holds the monohull record from 2011, where they completed the course in 42 hours 39 minutes. This year will be particularly interesting, as it sees a massive fleet of upwards of 20 IMOCA 60s go head to head – the third largest IMOCA fleet in history – including many teams and sailors who are working to make the start line of the 2021-22 edition of The Ocean Race.

Who should I look out for?

There are plenty of Ocean Race legends taking part in the Race (too many to mention) and all scattered across different boats, but keep your eye out for some familiar faces. Three VO65s and three VO70s will take to the start line – and David Witt’s Scallywag 100-footer will race in the maxi class. In the IMOCA 60 class, Boris Herrmann, who is already registered to take part in the next edition, will compete against the likes of Paul Meilhat and Sam Davies.

Meanwhile, Offshore Team Germany, featuring Annie Lush and Conrad Colman is racing with an Ocean Race crew configuration onboard – so will give us the first indication of what life could be like in 2021.

Where can I track the fleet?

Make sure you visit the Rolex Fastnet Race website at https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/  for all the latest news and rankings.

Fastnet Race: Yachts leave Cowes for gruelling race

• Published 8 August 2021

Hundreds of yachts have set off from the Isle of Wight to compete in the Fastnet Race.

The 49th biennial offshore yacht race got under way from the Royal Yacht Squadron line off Cowes shortly after 11:00 BST.

For the first time since it started in 1925, the race will finish in Cherbourg, France rather than Plymouth.

It is named after the Fastnet Rock, off the south-west coast of Ireland which the race course rounds.

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Based on the shortest route, this year's race is 695 nautical miles - 90 longer than the old course.

The race route sees the yachts pass seven landmarks: the Needles, Portland Bill, Start Point, the Lizard, Land's End, the Fastnet Rock and Bishop's Rock off the Scillies.

Teams are competing for the Fastnet Challenge Cup which was claimed by Wizard, an American VO70 yacht, in the 2019 race.

In 2011, Abu Dhabi's Azzam yacht, led by double GB Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker, broke the monohull record for the race, crossing the finish line in one day, 18 hours and 39 minutes.

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Historic Fastnet race will no longer end in UK

• Published 27 November 2019

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2021 Rolex Fastnet Race

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Rolex Fastnet Race: 50th Edition Grows the Legacy

Cherbourg, 28 July 2023 - The 50th edition of a contest as legendary as the Rolex Fastnet Race deserved to be special. The largest ever fleet in the history of offshore racing spanning fully professional ocean racing greyhounds as well as more Corinthian entries combined with conditions that tested preparation, determination and expertise. The result, an epic that will be remembered not just for the celebratory element, but its contribution to a near 100 year legacy. First held in 1925 and organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the Rolex Fastnet Race sits alongside the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race as a pillar of Rolex’s longstanding and privileged relationship with yachting, and as one of the most revered and challenging ocean races in the world.

Setting off from Cowes, England, on 22 July, into winds gusting 40 knots, crews were set an immediate and extreme examination of boat-handling and resilience. When those who completed the course crossed the finish line in Cherbourg, France, fatigue from their exertions was matched by pride at passing the test. The sense of accomplishment was evident throughout. In terms of prize winners, Max Klink’s 52 foot (15.85 metre) Caro from Switzerland secured the Fastnet Challenge Cup for overall victory under IRC time correction, adding a new name and country to the honour roll on the coveted trophy. Two records were set: first home across the entire fleet, the 105ft (32m) French trimaran SVR Lazartigue  skippered by François Gabart, established a new benchmark time for the 695-nautical mile (1,287 kilometre) course, while Charlie Dalin’s 60ft (18.29m)  Macif Santé Prévoyance  beat the previous best for a monohull.

Overall winner Caro ’s battle was against the main body of yachts, 358, spread across five classes. Diverse entries ranging from the 88ft (27m) carbon-fibre canting-keeled racing maxi, Lucky , from the United States with 20 crew, down to  Maluka , sailed by five. The 90-year-old design is built of pine, a mere 30ft (9m) in length and gaff-rigged like the winner of the first Fastnet, Jolie Brise . Its Australian owner is a 30-race veteran of the Rolex Sydney Hobart. Such is the heritage and status of the northern hemisphere’s premier offshore competition, that Sean Langman, who has raced immensely powerful skiffs, trimarans and maxis over a long career, chose to compete in his first Rolex Fastnet Race in yacht almost the same age as the race itself. Langman commented:

“Racing offshore [in Maluka] is, for our team, a connection with the purity of the sport.”

The win for   Caro   was a source of immense satisfaction although anything but straight-forward. The navigational and technical skills, as well as the courage, determination and fortitude, required to succeed in this type of competition reflect the quest for excellence inherent in the sport from its earliest days, attributes which drew Rolex to begin its support in the late 1950s. According to Klink:

“ The first hours we were just in survival mode, trying to keep the boat at 100 per cent. I wasn’t thinking about any title or trophy, it was just about getting through the conditions.   Winning the Rolex Fastnet is any sailor’s dream,   It’s all the more special that this is the 50th edition of such an iconic race."

This was a victory born of exemplary planning as much as performance on the course. Klink is a committed ocean racer. His latest   Caro   first went offshore at the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart, where it finished third overall only 17 minutes behind the winner.

" The boat is meant to do well in all these Rolex 600 milers, the Fastnet, the Middle Sea Race, the Hobart … "

Armed with a boat clearly suited to challenge, the crew also needed to play their part. British sailor and tactician Adrian Stead, already a two-time winner in 2009 and 2011, blended his substantial experience of the course area with the acumen of Andy Green, the navigator, remarkably on his first Rolex Fastnet Race. Stead felt their work ahead of the start was key to managing the early conditions and being able to press at the end: 

“ The practice run we did before, out in the Solent in 25 knots of breeze, was useful preparation for everyone on the team. Practising starting and then a full circuit of the Isle of Wight, a good seven-hour shakedown for all of us and the boat. ” 

“ It was very tough, particularly the first eight hours with the front coming over. Our goal was to survive that and then race hard. The Volvo 65s and Lucky had got away from us at the rock, but we had a good run to Scillies. Over the last 180nm we saw the boats in front slowing, so we worked extra hard. ”

Fortune with the weather is always a component in any offshore win, but for Stead there are more significant factors:

“ An owner who is passionate for the sport, great preparation, a great team. Those are the ingredients it takes to win a Rolex Fastnet Race .”

Line Honours Technology and innovation play a critical part in being the fastest over the course. Both the multihull and monohull line honours boats proved their cutting-edge credentials, surpassing their closest rivals in tactics and speed, and outwitting the weather. Although few in number, the multihulls always make a huge impression. Particularly the grand prix foiling trimarans, whose immense power was plainly demonstrated.   SVR Lazartigue   crossed the line at 21:38:27 BST on 23 July beating   Banque Populaire   by just under an hour. By contrast, at the same time, the leading monohulls were reaching the Fastnet Rock, half the racetrack in arrears. Gabart’s time of one day, eight hours, 38 minutes and 27 seconds set a new outright race record, beating the 2021 time by just over 36 minutes.

A class winner in 2013 and cruelly beaten on the line in 2019, Gabart was thrilled with his team’s achievement:

“ The start was not easy with strong winds for the first six or eight hours. The Rolex Fastnet is an incredible, mythical event. I have been looking for a win for a long time now, so I am very proud to do so with this beautiful boat and crew. ”

Racing with just two crew,   Macif   was launched in June 2023. Dalin carries great experience of both the race and competing at the highest level. A class winner here in 2013, he finished second in a solo round the world race in 2021.   Macif   is equipped with the latest offshore foils, which were used to good effect to overhaul the larger   Lucky   en route to the Scillies. Finishing in two days, seven hours, 16 minutes and 26 seconds, Dalin improved the previous monohull record, also set in 2021 and by a yacht twice the length of   Macif , by one hour, 15 minutes.

ROLEX AND YACHTING Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand's enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world's most famous harbours. Rolex's partnerships with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Yacht Club Italiano, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.

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LIVE - Follow the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race

Once the multihulls have set off at 11:10 (BST), the 13 IMOCA boats will enter the race at 11:25 (BST), on the same line as the 34 Class40 monohulls.

More than 350 boats in total will set off from Cowes (Isle of Wight) on this 49th edition of the most legendary of British sailing events. From the largest yachts, such as the brand new Swan 125 Skorpios (Juan K design), to the smallest family yachts, the Rolex Fastnet Race is a grand dame that is as popular as ever; and despite a complicated sanitary context, 2,300 sailors are today setting out to conquer the Fastnet Rock.

Six months after the Vendée Globe, the IMOCA skippers who did not race in The Ocean Race Europe in June are back in the competition today. Only the duo of Justine Mettraux and Simon Fisher (11th Hour Racing) are at the start of these two early season races and have the most miles together this year.

Other favourites include 2019 winners Jérémie Beyou and Christopher Pratt (Charal), but also the combination of two formidable Figaro sailors on board ARKEA PAPREC: Sébastien Simon and Yann Eliès. Sébastien was forced to retire two years ago with Vincent Riou. The red and blue monohull had just come out of the yard and had experienced some technical problems.

Another tandem to watch is APIVIA with Charlie Dalin (2nd in the Vendée Globe) and Paul Meilhat (winner of the Route du Rhum and also the Fastnet as skipper of SMA). There is no doubt that with their skills and a dense training programme over the last few months, these two are aiming for victory.

Yannick Bestaven, the winner of the Vendée Globe is also making his return to the water with Maître CoQ IV, a boat of an older generation but one that his skipper knows perfectly. This is also the case for his team-mate, Roland Jourdain, who has already shared the 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre on board with Yannick. Romain Attanasio and Sébastien Marsset's Fortinet-Best Western and Samantha Davies and Nicolas Lunven's Initiatives-Cœur are from the same generation and also have a few trump cards to play.

And of course, don't forget the return of HUGO BOSS. The British sailor Alex Thomson, at the helm of a boat with unique lines, will be keen to write a new page after his retirement from the Vendée Globe in the South Atlantic after a thunderous start to the race.

But sailing is still sailing and the weather will be a central element in the story, with the end of the course taking the fleet for the first time to Cherbourg and its famous currents. With a zone of light, or even very light, winds forecast at the beginning of the week and high tides.... anything can happen.

WATCH THE STARTS ONLINE - LIVE

sThe 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race starts on Sunday 8th August, 2021 from the Royal Yacht Squadron line, Cowes, UK.

The first warning signal is at 1100 (first start 1110) and the fleet is divided into seven groups, each starting at a different time and heading west down the Solent toward the Needles.

The live streamed Start Show, with commentary from on and off the water, begins at 1030 BST. Expert commentators: Pip Hare, Abby Ehler, Matt Sheahan, Louay Habib and Simon Vigar, will be talking us through all the action from the start of the world's biggest offshore yacht race, with analysis and interviews from competitors and organisers in build-up to the race.

Choose how you watch: Race website:  https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en RORC YouTube -  https://www.youtube.com/rorcracing RORC Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/RoyalOceanRacingClub/   NB: Websites and broadcasters interested in taking the live feed, please contact the RFR Press Officer – [email protected]   LATEST ENTRY LIST https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en/follow/follow-the-race/entrylists    START TIMES 1110 Multihull, 1125 IMOCA 60, Class40, 1140 IRC 4, 1155 IRC 3, 1210 IRC 2, 1225 IRC 1, 1240 IRC Z

WHERE TO WATCH The best vantage points of the start will be along Cowes Green and Egypt Esplanade. As the fleet funnels west out of the Solent there will be lots of chances to see the yachts from Yarmouth as well. From the mainland you can view the yachts on their outbound leg; the best places to watch are from Hurst Castle, Anvil Point, St Alban’s Head and Portland Bill.

LISTEN Listen to the commentary of the race on 87.9FM or online at: https://www.coweslive.co.uk/ or through the speakers if you are sitting watching the spectacle from Princes Green or on The Parade in Cowes.

TRACK All yachts are fitted with a YB Tracker so you can follow an individual boat, a class or the whole fleet. The race tracker will be up on the official site closer to start day:  https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/

https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en/competitors/race-documents/fleet-tracking

PLAY: VIRTUAL REGATTA

If you aren't on a boat in the race this year, then join thousands of armchair sailors from the comfort of your own home. The player will be on the race website: https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/en/follow and at:  https://www.virtualregatta.com/en/

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50th edition Rolex Fastnet Race - dates for 2023 announced

Following the success of the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race from Cowes to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and its French partners are delighted to announce the date for the next edition of its flagship event in 2023.

The 50 th edition of the world’s largest offshore race will start from the Royal Yacht Squadron line on Saturday 22 nd July, 2023, prior to the annual Cowes Week festivities.

Jean-Louis Valentin, President of the Arrival Fastnet Cherbourg Association comments: “We are delighted to once again welcome the arrival of the mythical Rolex Fastnet Race in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin in 2023. The Association and Public Partners; the City of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, the Agglomeration Community du Cotentin, the Department of Manche and the Normandy Region continue to work hand-in-hand to welcome this great international maritime race to our region. The new date of 22 nd July 2023 will attract more people and we will again offer a warm welcome before the start of the race and a big party at the finish. Our teams are already working with the RORC to make the arrival of this 50th edition a great festival and friendly event for everyone.”

“We will all be looking forward to taking part in what will be a very special anniversary year for the Rolex Fastnet Race. Following the resounding success of this year’s edition, we will again be finishing in Cherbourg and expect to attract a record entry. We feel certain that our partners in France (City of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, the Agglomeration Community du Cotentin, the Department of Manche and the Normandy Region) will ensure competitors and visitors receive the same warm welcome and will be able to celebrate the golden jubilee race in inimitable French style,” comments RORC Commodore, James Neville.

“The 50 th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race will run before Cowes Week in 2023 in order to cope with the berthing needs of the large fleet prior to the start on 22 nd July, and pre-event registration will again be offered to competitors in Cherbourg. We are excited to be working with our hosts once more for the finish of this great race and expect it to be even better than the 2021 event,” says Race Director, Chris Stone.

The biennial 690 nautical mile race is a rite of passage for all those taking part and is one of the very few global events where Corinthian sailors can compete on the same race course as their sporting heroes. The ultimate goal is to take home the overall trophy; the historic Fastnet Challenge Cup - first presented back in 1925, but for most sailors, to complete the race and the tough personal challenge; to test their mettle against others in their class, or to compete against hundreds of passionate sailors from around the globe, is the main attraction of this renowned classic offshore race.

The arrival of the immense fleet will once again be eagerly anticipated, with spectators enjoying the atmosphere of the international yachting festival as boats complete the 690 nautical mile course from Cowes to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, via the Fastnet Rock. Starting with the first arrivals from the 23 rd of July, the daily influx of international competitors on a diverse range of boats, culminates in a memorable prizegiving to mark the 50 th Rolex Fastnet Race in Cherbourg on Friday 28 th July 2023.

Save the date – Saturday 22 nd July 2023.

For further information or enquiries, please contact the RORC Race Team on: E: [email protected] , T: +44 1983 295 144, or go to: www.rorc.org

www.rolexfastnetrace.com

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Rolex Fastnet Race 2023 - Taking Maluka to sea

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Rolex Fastnet Race winner declared as Caro takes victory overall

• Toby Heppell
• July 26, 2023

Max Klink's Botin 52, Caro has been declared winner of the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race, the 50th edition of the event after a big breeze start on Saturday

Max Klink’s Botin 52, Caro , has officially been declared the winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2023 , with the announcement coming early afternoon on Wednesday 26th July.

“This is a legendary group of sailors who I have been fortunate to sail with for a few years now,” said Swiss owner, Klink, “but when we set out on this race I never expected that we could win. It’s a dream come true, and all the more special that this is the 50th edition of such an iconic race.

“The first 12 hours we were just in survival mode, trying not to break anything, trying to keep the boat at 100 per cent. I wasn’t thinking about any title or trophy, it was just about getting through the conditions.”

Tactician aboard Caro for the race, Adrian Stead – himself a two-time winner previously with Niklas Zennström’s Rán – added: “Conditions were pretty extreme and to the west of Portland we found ourselves all sitting in the cockpit and sailing at 5-6 knots just to get through, just to make sure we didn’t break the boat.”

The team lost their wind instruments in those early moments and so had to complete the majority of the course without a significant amount of their instrumentation. But having weathered the early conditions well otherwise, they proved very quick, particularly after rounding the Fastnet Rock.

Stead admits they had the dream run back from the Isles of Scilly. “We pretty much straightlined it all the way and we realised we had a very good shot at winning IRC Zero so pulled out all the stops, got out some extra chocolate bars and had everyone hiking hard on the rail for the last few hours into the finish.

“We were fortunate how the weather worked out for us, but I think we did a great job of preparation and keeping ourselves in the game for as long as possible and we are so pleased how it all paid off.”

The Caro team had practised the start and all the way out to the Fairway Buoy on the Wednesday before the race start, with similar current and in 25 knots in order to ensure that they were acclimatised to the course start, and the conditions expected.

Caro crossed the finish line at 06:25:02 on Tuesday 25th July giving them a total race time of 2 days 16 hours 40minutes and 2 seconds. But they faced a long wait for confirmation of their win with the bulk of the fleet still out on the water and with several boats still hypothetically in contention.

However, the outlook was positive for the eventual winners as the wind dropped off for the fleets behind, particularly on Tuesday afternoon and evening when conditions turned very light, particularly in the English Channel.

Caro closing in on the Rolex Fastnet Race finish/ Photo: Paul Wyeth / RORC

Caro had already been declared winner of IRC Zero on Tuesday, so all eyes were on the slower fleets to see who might challenge. The wind was forecast to build again from the south-west overnight on Tuesday and during the course of the day on Wednesday 26 July, which potentially could have seen some of the smallest boats coming home in faster conditions towards the finish.

But, though the breeze did increase (and the forecast looks for much more wind and rain later on Wednesday night) the build did not come early enough for the smaller boats to put up any real challenge for the win.

“Max is a great owner, he’s got a fantastic team with a really well prepared boat and those are all the boxes you need to tick for a race like the Fastnet,” Stead concluded.

The winning crew on Caro are: William Parker, Wade Morgan, Ryan Godfrey, Justin Ferris, Jono Swain, James Paterson, Harry Hall, Cian Guilfoyle, Andrew McCorquodale, Andy Green, Adrian Stead and owner Max Klink.

Follow all our 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race coverage

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