It was a turbulent start for the sailors of the 49th Rolex Fastnet Race yesterday, Sunday. However, the largest offshore regatta in the world is known for its rough conditions. They took their toll: 50 of the 330 registered yachts had to end the race early - including prominent sailors such as Yannick Bestaven on his "Maitre Coq".
The wind was blowing at 30 knots from the south-west. In gusts, the wind force climbed to over 35 knots. In combination with an outgoing tide, an unpleasant wave formed in the Solent and in the Armel Channel off the British south coast. It visibly caused problems for the sailors.
The favourites and defending champions of the race, Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, were unimpressed by the conditions. Immediately after the start at 11 a.m. local time, they surged ahead and took the lead of the field in the Ultim trimaran "Maxi Edmond de Rothschild". After just three hours, they had already crossed the channel and were heading west of La Hague towards the Fastnet rocks. Hot on their heels were Thomas Coville on the "Sodebo Ultim 3" and Yves le Blevec on the "Actual".
While some raced ahead, the harsh conditions thwarted the others early on - they had to turn back after just a few nautical miles, including Vendée Globe winner Yannick Bestaven. His "Maitre Coq" was damaged in a collision at the bow in the turmoil at the start. The race was over for him.
The race also came to a premature end for Loïck Peyron's crew on the "No Limits", an Outremer 50. West of the Needles - a group of rocky islands off the west coast of the Isle of Wight - the mast broke.
German sailor Jörg Riechers also seemed to have problems. The Gitana 80, on which he was sailing, turned away from the regatta course on Sunday evening and also returned to the harbour.
After a stormy night, the wind has calmed down a little recently. Meanwhile, the organisers reported at around 8 a.m. local time that the first yacht had rounded the legendary Fastnet Rock off the southern Irish coast: The crew of the Ultim trimaran "Maxi Edmond de Rothschild" managed to hold on to the lead from the start with a wide gap to their pursuers. Around two and a half hours later, at around 10.30 local time, the "Sodebo Ultim 3" rounded the turning mark, followed by the "Actual".
While the trimarans are already on their way back, the majority of the field is cruising westwards south of Plymouth. Leading the German sailors at the moment is the crew of Jens Kellinghusen's offshore yacht "Varuna" (GER 56). With 216 miles sailed, they were in 19th place overall at around 10.30 a.m. on Monday morning. In 31st place and around 30 nautical miles behind them was the sailing group Störtebeker with the racing yacht Carkeek 47 from the Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt. The Volvo Open 70 "Hypr", skippered by Jens Lindner, is currently in 42nd place in the overall standings.
The Fastnet Race is the largest offshore race in the world. Sailors from 31 nations are taking part this year. The majority 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 crews are taking part.
The course is 695 nautical miles long and rounds the legendary Fastnet Rock south of the Irish coast. The start is in front of the legendary Royal Yacht Squadron in the British island town of Cowes. This year, for the first time in the history of the race, which has been sailed since 1925, the finish line in front of the harbour of the French municipality of Cherbourg instead of the British port of Plymouth.
The first finishes are currently expected in the night from Monday to Tuesday. The preliminary results and a live tracker of the boats can be found on the Fastnet Race website.
