Rolex Fastnet Race 2021: Biggest offshore regatta in the world starts on Sunday

It is the biggest offshore race in the world - the Rolex Fastnet Race. According to the organisers, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, 355 boats will take to the starting line off the legendary Royal Yacht Squadron in the British island town of Cowes this Sunday, 8 August.

The spectrum of yachts entered ranges from the brand new ClubSwan 125 by Russian Dmitry Rybolovlev to Pierre Legoupil's 11-metre Maya classic "Le Loup Rouge Of Cmn" and the short tri-foiler "L'Albatros".

In addition, some of the most famous boats outside the IRC fleet in the largely French Grand Prix classes have announced their participation. These include the fastest offshore boats in the world, such as the "Sodebo Ultim 3" by Thomas Coville and the 100-foot trimaran "Actual Leader" (formerly Macif).

Instead of once around the world, 13 registered Imocas will also be sailing once around the Fastnet Rock. Among the registered sailors are the current Vendée Globe winner Yannick Bestaven on the "Maitre CoQ" and Charlie Dalin on the "Apivia". Also on the starting list are Alex Thomson on board the "Hugo Boss" and Sam Davies on the "Initiatives Cœur".

In total, sailors from 31 nations will be competing this year. The majority of participants come from Great Britain (149) and France (111). But there are also representatives from Japan, Hong Kong and Mexico.

According to the entry list, 13 German boats are taking part. Among them is the sailing group Störtebeker with the racing yacht Carkeek 47 of the Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt and the offshore yacht "Varuna" (GER 56) of Jens Kellinghusen.

An older German cruising crew led by lawyer Dirk Lahmann also decided to take on the challenge of this year's Fastnet Race - and the result was a great success. and that without in-depth ocean experience.

The aim of the participating crews will be to round the Fastnet Rock south of the Irish coast. The course is 695 nautical miles long, and for the first time in the history of the race, which has been sailed since 1925, the finish line will not be in front of the British Plymouth off the harbour of the French municipality of Cherbourg.

The multihull classes will start at 11 a.m. local time, followed by the Imocas/Class 40s and a total of five IRC classes at 15-minute intervals. The majority of participants will be sailing in the IRC fleet. In addition to international professional sailors, there are also family crews and training boats. The last start of the IRC Zero Class is scheduled for 12.30 pm. Fastnet fans can watch the race here live.

And it is likely to be rough, at least at first: preliminary weather forecasts show that the sailors can expect 23 to 28 knots from the south-west on Sunday and into the night. Chris Tibbs, weather expert for the Rolex Fastnet Race, warns: "The wind is against the tide, especially off Hurst and Portland Bills, and a dangerous chop is to be expected.

From Monday, the wind will ease to 13 to 18 knots. The further west the boats travel, the lighter the breeze will become from a westerly direction. According to current forecasts, a front will move through on Tuesday. Smaller ships in particular are likely to benefit from this.

Downloads:

Hugo Boss: Open 60, Foiler by Alex Thomson (pdf)