Rolex Fastnet Race: Blockbuster with record field and Admiral's Cup final
Tatjana Pokorny
· 24.07.2025
The anniversary edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race will be heralded by the traditional cannon thunder on Saturday off the Isle of Wight in the south of England. The starting shots will be fired on 26 July after the first announcement signal at 11.10 a.m. local time (12.10 p.m. German time). The starting line will be in front of Cowes and the Royal Yacht Squadron. Rolex has been a partner of the notorious long-distance race for a quarter of a century. The connection is probably one of the most traditional sponsorships in the history of sailing.
The race leads from the Solent around the Fastnet Rocks off the south-west coast of Ireland and Bishop Rock off the Isles of Scilly to the French harbour of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. Just under 700 nautical miles have to be mastered. At last count, 451 yachts were registered. Everything points to the previous record of 430 boats being broken at the 50th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race two years ago.
Rolex Fastnet Race: 100 years of fascination
With its impressive numbers, the Rolex Fastnet Race is by far the largest offshore regatta in the sailing world. The boats come from 34 countries this British sailing summer, the sailors from 57 nations. They are expected to be between 14 and 81 years old, chasing lifelong dreams, embracing sea sailing, braving the elements and also feeling a lot of history.
All that the sport of racing sailing has to offer, from Formula 1 sailors to spirited and ambitious amateur crews, will be there. Plus the Admiral's Cup fleet, which has dwindled to 29 boats since the sad mast breakage on the Bavarian "Red Bandit". The "queens of the seas" will also be at the start: the 32 metre long and 23 wide flying Ultim trimarans. They could gallop the 695 nautical mile course at speeds of 35 to 40 knots in just over a day.
A whole series of the Imocas known from the Vendée Globe will compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race, as well as Ocean Fifties and fast Class40ies. But the bulk of the fleet is made up of the IRC classes, including some of the fastest 100-foot maxi yachts in the world in IRC SZ through to 30-foot family cruisers and sailing school boats in IRC 4, including a significant number of one-designs and 80 double-handed crews in the classes in between.
Fastnet factor 3 for the Admiral's Cup fleet
The Admiral's Cup boats play an important role in his comeback year. For them, the Fastnet result with the highest factor of 3 is included in the ranking. This means that the offshore classic can once again turn all the results achieved so far upside down. The Admiral's Cup challengers are back in the Rolex Fastnet Race for the first time since 1993, having been removed from the programme in the last decade of the unofficial world championship for sailing teams between 1993 and 2003.
Instead, there was the so-called Wolf Rock Race from 1995, which was never able to replace the fascination of Fastnet and became one of the symbols of the Cup's decline. The Admiral's Cup, now making its comeback with such a strong field, has regained its Fastnet factor. It will challenge the racers, some of whom are particularly good at coastal racing, but also emphasises the all-round ability that is required in the Admiral's Cup - and should be from the point of view of the vast majority of participants. Click here for the current team standings in the 24th Admiral's Cup 2025.
The first announcement signal for the two Admiral's Cup fleets AC 1 and AC 2 will be heard on Saturday (26 July) at 11.50 a.m. local time (12.50 p.m. German time). The starting signal for the 29 Cuppers will follow at 12 noon (1.00 pm German time). Holger Streckenbach's TP52 "Imagine", Daniel Baum's Tison 48 "Elida" and in AC 2 Dirk Clasen's Humphreys 39 "Ginkgo", the Farr 42 "X-Day" with skipper Lars Hückstädt and Thomas Reinecke's Millenium 40 "Edelweiss" will start in AC 1 without the retired "Red Bandit".
Rolex Fastnet Race: one for (almost) all
A total of around 30 GER crews want to tackle the challenges of the Rolex Fastnet Race. In addition to the Admiral's Cup yachts, these include the crews on Nikolas Manthos' Class 40 "Cheekytatoo", Jonas Hallberg's JPK 10.30 "Hinden", Sverre Reinkes and Lina Rixgens' Sun Fast 30 OD "Gaia", Henri de Bokay's Elliott 52 "Rafale" and Jens Kellinghusen's Ker 56 "Varuna 6". Click here for the complete entry list.
The Rolex Fastnet Race is one of the major international sailing events where "ordinary" regatta sailors can show up at the same starting line as the stars and heroes of the sport. Among them are Olympic champions, Vendée Globe winners, America's Cup dominators, Ocean Race circumnavigators and many more extraordinary personalities. This long-distance race is like no other and certainly not a race for everyone, but it is open to challengers with very different backgrounds.
This year, 100 years after its premiere, the Rolex Fastnet Race is divided into 13 classes - six IRC classes, from IRC SZ to IRC 4, as well as five non-IRC classes (Ultim, Imoca, Ocean Fifty, Class40 and Mocra) and the two Admiral's Cup classes AC 1 and AC 2.
Beautiful homage to the Rolex Fastnet Race:
