The Rolex Fastnet Race has officially come to an end. Le Loup Rouge of Cmn, the last competitor to finish, arrived in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin last night after 8 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 28 seconds of racing.
For the Norman skipper, Pierre Legoupil, this arrival is a victory in itself:
“We may be finishing last, but we managed to finish the race, whereas many had to give up. We had a difficult start in the Solent, but we didn’t break anything”.
The Loup Rouge, built by CMN (Constructions Mécaniques Nautiques), is an Illingworth design classified as a "Boat of Heritage Interest". Designed in 1962 to participate in RORC races,this wooden sailboat still uses the old-school equipment and does not have modern furlers which facilitate manoeuvering.
For technical reasons, the crew had to stop in Penzance, in the south of England for 24 hours.
“Our challenge was to finish the Rolex Fastnet Race," said Pierre Legoupil. "It’s very special to do a race like this on a 1962 boat. Everything is old fashioned so we don’t have a furler and you have to go to the foredeck for all sail changes. The boat was designed for RORC racing and we wanted to go back to what it was originally designed for. We may have finished last, but we made it when many others gave up. We had a tough start in the Solent, but we didn't break anything.”
For more information about the yacht, visit: http://www.legoupil.fr/le-loup-rouge/1-leloup.html
