ALL AT SEA JULY 2021
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ROLEX FASTNET RACE With more than 450 yachts entered in this year’s 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s biennial yacht race in the world. Image: Rolex-Kurt Arrigo
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Vendée Globe skipper Sam Davies has entered her Initiatives Coeur in the 13 strong IMOCA class, while in the Sun Fast 3300 races with D
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ithin an hour of entry opening, an unprecedented 400 boats had entered the RORC’s flagship event - bow to bow this line-up represents almost 5km of yachts. Most extraordinary about this year’s Fastnet Race is this huge fleet. Over the last two decades it has almost doubled in size, but the leap between the 2019 and 2021 has been the biggest ever, up to the present tally of more than 450 from 388 two years ago. The bulk is the IRC
fleet competing for individual class prizes as well as the overall winner’s trophy, the Fastnet Challenge Cup. This year’s Rolex Fastnet Race will begin in the Solent on 8 August and, for the first time, will finish in Cherbourg, France. The course takes the boats down the south coast of England, between the Scilly Isles and Land’s End and across the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock off southwest Ireland. The fleet then returns rounding Bishop Rock, to the west of the Scilly Isles.
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New direction
race to France is very appropriate given its position as the leading nation for this genre of racing. French racing success has extended to the Rolex Fastnet Race where, in 2019, French yachts actually won nine of the 10 classes. “Cherbourg is the perfect venue for the finish of the race,” said race director, Chris Stone. “It has amazing facilities for competitors, berthing that allows us to grow and expand the event, plus the city is right on the doorstep of the race village. Of course, coupled with that is the enormous love for offshore sailing in France. That popularity brings interest and visitors to the city and the race village – it is going to be amazing.”
Covid concerns
From here the course is new for 2021, with the finish port moving from Plymouth, its traditional destination since the race’s first edition in 1925, to Cherbourg in northern France. This change increases the length of the race from 608 to 695 miles, and tactically it will place fresh demands on crews with a final hurdle of tackling the fast-moving currents of the Alderney Race before reaching the French finish. Bringing the world’s largest offshore
Although the French Government has restricted travel between the UK and France (at the time of writing the UK is on the French amber list), the RORC remains hopeful that the start date will be unaffected. However, the race management team are considering all scenarios and how it could affect the running of the race. Chris Stone said: “As with most of the pandemic, things are changing daily and we are working with our partners in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and government authorities to create the safest race we can; on and off the water. The team will continue to monitor the situation and advise on issues and alternative arrangements, if necessary.” Competitors sailing to the UK for any RORC races, including the Rolex Fastnet Race, can do so without the need for
Image: Rolex / Daniel Forster
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quarantine and paying for tests on arrival in the UK, as per the UK Border Force advice and on the assumption that no crew touch land in the UK. “This is great news for our European sailors and should provide plenty of reassurance for the Rolex Fastnet Race competitors in their preparations. We have also decentralised our race offices, offering competitors the opportunity to finalise their registrations in either the traditional Cowes office, the Hamble office on the mainland or, for the first time, a race office in Cherbourg from 4 August. “It is a great initiative for our European competitors who can benefit from free berthing in Cherbourg throughout that period, and carry out all the registration procedures before taking the start – all without having to stop over in the UK,” concluded Chris. www.rolexfastnetrace.com www.rorc.org
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