Monday 05 Aug 0900 - IRC Three and IRC Four

The vast majority of the Rolex Fastnet Race armada racing in IRC Three and IRC Four passed the Isles of Scilly on the second night of the race. As they enter the Celtic Sea they are in for a bumpy ride.

Maxi Edmond de Rothschild set a new multihull record following an intense match race to the line with fellow Ultim, MACIF. See the video below:
© ROLEX

The 32m long Ultim trimarans laid on a spectacular finish in this 48^th Rolex Fastnet Race resulting in MACIF, the leader since rounding the Fastnet Rock earlier this morning, being beaten to the finish line in the last breath of the race by her arch-rival Maxi Edmond de Rothschild.

As Maxi Edmond de Rothschild’s skipper Franck Cammas explained: “Just after they gybed onto the layline for the finish we crossed them and decided to overlay. It was our last chance to see if there was something still possible. But until five minutes before we finished we never thought it was possible!”

Rambler 88 broke the monohull record to the Fastnet Rock by 88 minutes when the canting-keeled sloop from New York passed the rock at 16:45:47 this afternoon. George David and his crew have set a new time of 1 day 2 hours 47 minutes, breaking their own record which they set back in 2011 with the bigger Rambler 100 (1 day 4 hours 15 minutes). However, that was the same occasion when the keel fell off the 100-footer, not long after rounding, requiring the crew to be rescued.

Sunday 04 Aug 1200 - IRC Three and IRC Four

After leaving the Solent the fleet enjoyed a fresh breeze along the south coast of England but after sunset on the first day, the wind evaporated during the night. By dawn the fleet was concentrated in an area offshore from Start Point, devoid of breeze. After a frustrating first night, a south westerly wind materialised by late morning. Those teams that had ventured further offshore got into the new breeze first, reaping the rewards on their respective leaderboards.

Day One - Morning report

Overnight in this 48^th Rolex Fastnet Race, the much forecast park-up caused by the wind transition between the southeasterly and southwesterly gradient breezes created a driftathon and a major compression in the fleet between Start Point and the Lizard. This meant a park-up for the majority of the fleet…but for some more than others.

Across Lyme Bay the majority of the fleet took a southerly course, passing closer to the Casquets traffic separation scheme than to Start Point, the idea being that the all-important transition zone leading to the new southwesterly breeze would be at its narrowest here. As they were headed and tacked, the boats most fully committed to the south – especially the IMOCA 60s PRB and Malizia – Yacht Club de Monaco - had sailed as far south as the Channel Islands before the breeze shifted enough for them to tack.

The  48th edition of the epic offshore race got off to a spectacular start. See the video below:
© ROLEX

A record fleet of 388 yachts set sail this afternoon from Cowes on the Rolex Fastnet Race.

From the outset this 48^th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s pinnacle event was unusual. Whereas in most ‘normal’ Rolex Fastnet Races, the giant fleet embarks on a highly tactical race, tacking down the Solent and out into the English Channel, then having to figure out how to make the best of the strong tide, instead today they were treated to a southeasterly wind allowing them to broad reach in a straight line down the western Solent and through the usual bottleneck at Hurst Narrows and on past the Needles.

A key part of the famous Rogers Lymington yacht design/boat building dynasty are sailing what they describe as a ‘museum piece’ in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race. The sons of Jeremy Rogers, creator of the Contessa range - Kit who has taken over the reins of the family firm and renowned yacht designer Simon plus their respective eldest, Jonah and Hatty - are sailing the 1972 vintage Contessa 32 Assent.

Whether to go inshore or offshore, how long will it take, will it be a ‘big boat or small boat’ race, how to handle the powerful tides and will I need an anchor and an umbrella? The answers for this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race are profoundly different according to whether you are on an Ultim trimaran or one of the fastest monohulls like Scallywag and Rambler 88 or on Assent, the Rogers family’s well-travelled Contessa 32 or one of the 390 or so boats in between.

The great and the good of the 48^th Rolex Fastnet Race appeared on a specially prepared stage set up for the public on Cowes Parade this afternoon.

For the first time the Rolex Fastnet Race will be operating a pop-up Fastnet Race Village on Cowes Parade ahead of the 48th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race.

Open from 11am - midnight onThursday 1st August, for one day only, the Fastnet Race Village will be open to competitors and the public alike with free attractions, food and entertainment!