Fastnet Yacht Race. News from the RORC Offshore Race Event

Fastnet Update: Winners & Losers Are Playthings Of The Weather Gods

18th August 2015 Fastnet

#rorcrfr – This Tuesday evening, Dieter Schoen's new Maxi 72 Momo continues to be the best overall performer in the Rolex Fastnet Race's core IRC Division writes W M Nixon. The front-runners in the mono-hulls continue to be the hundred…

Fastnet 2015 – Demonstration of Sailing Prowess & Seamanship

18th August 2015 Fastnet

#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…

Fastnet Race Gets More Interesting By The Minute, But 'Lucky' She Ain't

17th August 2015 Fastnet

#rorcrfr – There's a whole secret community in sailing worldwide which thinks it's the Fascinating Race writes W M Nixon. But if the Fastnet Race with all its intriguing twists and turns and tidal gates and heaven only knows what…

Quoile's Baker Leads Fastnet Figaro Class As Massive Fleet Waits for Wind

17th August 2015 Fastnet

#fastnet – Quoile Yacht Club's Andrew Baker tops his class in the Fastnet Race this morning. Baker from Strangford Lough, an Artemis 23 skipper, leads the 32ft Figaro II one designs. Progress overnight in the Rolex Fastnet Race has been better than expected…

Fastnet Race Solent Start 'Driftathon'

16th August 2015 Fastnet

#rorcrfr – Giant crowds packed the Cowes and Western Solent shoreline this afternoon as a record-sized fleet of 356 set off on the 90th anniversary Rolex Fastnet Race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. With a complete lack of…

And They're Off! Fastnet Fleet Tackles Zephyr Breeze at Start of 46th Race

16th August 2015 Fastnet

Oman Sail's MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail crept over the start line of the 2015 Rolex Fastnet Race as light winds slammed the brakes on the biggest and fastest racing fleet ever to take part in the event. Today saw the start…

Fastnet Race Will Be Combination of Diets & Anchors

15th August 2015 Fastnet

#rorcrfr – A forecast of profoundly light winds is forcing crews to take drastic action before setting off tomorrow on the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Rolex Fastnet Race. With high pressure mid-Atlantic and over Norway, little gradient wind is forecast…

Record Fastnet Race Fleet Ready For The Start

15th August 2015 Fastnet

#rorcrfr – A new record should be set tomorrow at the Rolex Fastnet Race. This classic 603-nm offshore race, running from Cowes to Plymouth in the United Kingdom, is set to welcome its largest ever fleet, comprising almost 370 international…

Griff Rhys Jones Hoping for Stronger Wind for Fastnet Race Challenge

14th August 2015 Fastnet

#rorcrfr – This morning at the RORC's new Cowes clubhouse, a select cross-section of competitors in this Sunday's Rolex Fastnet Race shared their observations about the Royal Ocean Racing Club's biennial 600 mile flagship event. By way of introduction, RORC…

Coveney Onboard With O'Coineen For Fastnet 'Kilcullen Voyager' Challenge

13th August 2015 Fastnet

#fastnet – Irish Team – on the "Kilcullen Yoyager" compete for the first time in the Rolex Fastnet Race, Cowes, Isle of Wight, Sunday 16th August On Sunday 16th August Ireland will be represented for the first time in the…

Cowes Buzzing in Anticipation of Sunday's 46th Fastnet Race

12th August 2015 Fastnet

#fastnet – A record-sized fleet, at present standing at 372 boats (up from 335 in 2013), is entered in this 90th anniversary Fastnet Race. On Sunday this will be split between seven starts, setting off west down the Solent from…

Fastnet Race Prepares for Anniversary Record Next Week

7th August 2015 Fastnet

#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…

Who Will Win The 2015 Fastnet Race?

4th August 2015 Fastnet

#fastnetrace – With a record-sized fleet of 335 in the running, the question 'who will win the 2015 Rolex Fastnet Race on handicap is a tough one writes James Boyd. As ever, the corrected time prize is raced under IRC,…

Champions, Veterans, Contenders: Ireland's Fastnet 2015 Entries In Focus

23rd July 2015 Fastnet

#FastnetRace - It's the world's biggest offshore race, heading into its 46th edition when the fleet sets of from Cowes on 16 August. And while others might sail over longer distances, the 603 nautical miles of the legendary Fastnet Race…

IMOCA 60s Test New Foils in Rolex Fastnet Race

8th July 2015 Fastnet

#fastnet – One reason the Rolex Fastnet Race is the world's biggest offshore yacht race - at present 390 boats are entered - was the decision of the Royal Ocean Racing Club to include non-IRC offshore classes: Volvo Ocean 65,…

Irish Fastnet Sailors Prepare for World's Largest, Most Diverse Offshore Yacht Race

17th June 2015 Fastnet

#fastnet race – Two months out from the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Royal Ocean Racing Club has made public the latest entry list for its biennial 600 mile race from Cowes to Plymouth, via the Fastnet Rock,…

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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.

©Afloat 2020

At A Glance – Fastnet Race