Rolex Fastnet Race

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27/07/01
Start des Rolex Fastnet Race 2001 am 12.August 2001
by Trish Jenkins on 27 July 2001 09:32:00 GMT
Britain’s classic ocean racing challenge, the Rolex Fastnet Race, looks set for a vintage start to the new century as a powerful line-up of international stars prepares to take a crack at the records for the 605-mile course.
Both America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race crews will be flexing their muscles in a fleet of well over 220 boats as they are sent westward from the Royal Yacht Squadron at 4.00pm on the afternoon of 12 August 2001 by the organising Royal Ocean Racing Club.
Ahead of them lies a tricky navigational test all down the English Channel, a stretch across the southern Irish Sea to the lighthouse marking the desolate Fastnet Rock off the south-west coast of Ireland, and then back, skirting the
Scilly Islands, to the finish in 608 miles away in Plymouth. Conditions are unpredictable and reputations are at stake. Many records are at stake. The index focus will be on the 2 days 6 hours 9 minutes and 56 seconds set by the George Coumantaros’ American maxi Boomerang in 1999. It is vulnerable, as are all the others for water-ballasted yachts and multihulls.

Fotos: Strategie

Leading the charge will be three superyachts, Hasso Plattner’s Morning Glory, the winner of the Sydney to Hobart Race in 1996 in his previous boat. Plattner is a major backer of the Team New Zealand defence of the America’s Cup in Auckland in 2003 and he will have on board some members of that squad as they take time out from preparing for the 150th anniversary America’s Cup Jubilee Regatta which kicks off in Cowes on 18 August.
Stealth, owned by that prince of the Italian motor industry Giovanni Agnelli, and Skandia Leopard, the new American-designed 92-footer campaigning in its first season for British property developer Mike Slade will provide Plattner with a serious test. And the man who was first home last time, Sweden’s Ludde Ingvall in the 80-footer Nicorette, is keen to add the handicap prize to all the international trophies he has already won. He was also first to finish in the 2000/2001 Sydney to Hobart Race.
All of them know that the Sydney to Hobart record was obliterated by a Volvo 60-class yacht in 1999 and there will be a clutch of them using the Rolex Fastnet Race as their last chance to weigh each other up ahead of the start their round the world race on 23 September. At least half of the eight in that race, Illbruck Challenge skippered by John Kostecki, Djuice Dragons, skippered by Knut Frostad, Team SEB, led by Gunnar ‘Gurra’ Krantz, and Assa Abloy, with the Dutch Olympic medallist Roy Heiner in charge.
Said Heiner: "The Rolex Fastnet gives us a great opportunity to get together with the whole team and test everything in race mode." And Kostecki, himself also an Olympic silver medallist, added: "The Rolex Fastnet is one of the world’s premier ocean races. With other Volvo 60s competing, it will be a great tune up for the Volvo Ocean Race."
There are other 60s keen to make a point of their own. Bernard Stamm, who recently set a transatlantic record in his Open 60 Bobst Group, will be rivalled by Vendee Globe singlehander Catherine Chabaud. She is back to prove a point having won the top prize, the Fastnet Challenge Cup, in Whirlpool in 1999. Bitterly disappointed at having to retire from the Vendee Globe less than 500 miles from the finish, she said: "We are very excited to bring the title into play. In addition, it is going to be the last race for my monohull in its Whirlpool colours and probably my last participation in an offshore race. The CEO of Whirlpool will be a member of the crew for this race and that just makes it more special. This is my third time in the very prestigious Rolex Fastnet. None has been more important."
Catherine Chabaud will not be only one carrying a flag for the competitive presence of women in top class sailing. Britain’s Emma Richards will be aboard one of the fast multihulls, the 60-foot trimaran Pindar, and the doublehanded partnership of Lorna Graham and Jo Burchell will be repeating their attempt to complete the course in the 35-foot Criterion and beat their previous best time of 4 days, 20 hours and 34 minutes.
Nor are all the competitors international stars. There are entries from 11 countries - Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Many of their crews are amateurs, many are on co-ed boats, but all of them share the objective of having on their CVs a successful completion of the Rolex Fastnet Race.

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