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Royal Ocean Racing Club
ROLEX FASTNET RACE NEWS
14 June 2011 - Issue 1
Less than 2 months to go
Countdown to the start. Cowes-Plymouth, UK: A record fleet will take part in the
2011 Rolex Fastnet Race on Sunday 14th August. Around 350 boats representing 14
different nations will be vying for position on the Royal Yacht Squadron startline
of this tactically and physically challenging biennial race. Always a spectacular
sight! Our regular newsletters will keep you up to date and provide a taste of what's
to come in the build up to one of the world's classic and largest offshore yacht
races.
Awesome shot: 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race Winner, RAN at the Fastnet Rock, captured
by Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex
Record Fleet for Classic Race
ICAP Leopard leads the fleet out of the Solent after the start of the 2009 Rolex
Fastnet Race - Credit" Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi
The 300 boat limit was reached ten days after the entry list opened back in January!
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) were inundated with requests to join from the
'professional' classes such as Volvo Open 70s, IMOCA 60s, Class 40s and multihulls
who all want to take part in one of the biggest offshore events in the world of
yacht racing. A decision was made that these entrants could be counted above the
limit, so the previous record of 303 starters, set in the 1979 race, looks set
to be broken. Check out the provisional entry lists below for IRC and Non-IRC Classes
or visit the race website: http://fastnet.rorc.org [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=n7tdhpdab&et=1105759225937&s=408&e=001tcStLgksNHHZp1MdtiX4CnEjU3SH0r604ueq2sL87nsTdm3-1ivX3k23aQWGGTOjKX0QSNU-85D4NQ_qQEVOIXyOtoW84I5WSfGYJCAxGXf0PEb7QcSkig==]
Provisional Entry Lists
Provisonal Entry Lists are now available online. They are subject to revision at
any time and the inclusion of a yacht on the list does not mean that it has necessarily
satisfied all of the entry requirements or that it has been allocated a provisional
place.
Battle of the Champions
Rambler and ICAP Leopard, in the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race - Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi
In 2007, Mike Slade's Farr-designed 100ft Maxi, ICAP Leopard (GBR) crossed the Rolex
Fastnet Race finish line in an incredible elapsed time of 1 day, 20 hours and 18
minutes. Having trailed the 90-foot Rambler (USA) by just three seconds at the
Fastnet Rock, Leopard turned on the afterburners, smashing the monohull record by
nearly nine hours. ICAP Leopard was also victorious in the last Rolex Fastnet Race,
winning line honours in 2009. But this year, ICAP Leopard is under serious threat
from George David's Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed Rambler 100, which has proved to
be even faster than ICAP Leopard.
"Having won the Fastnet Race twice, the big play is to win three in a row, which
would be quite exceptional." commented Mike Slade. "During the RORC Caribbean 600,
Rambler proved to be the faster boat in her ideal conditions, but the recent light
airs in the Annapolis to Newport Race gave us hope. We were thrilled to lead the
fleet out of the Chesapeake River, even though Rambler is a much lighter boat.
Rambler 100 may also need to protect herself in bad weather, more than ICAP Leopard.
We feel we have a good chance in light and heavy airs, it is the bit in between
that we might have a problem with! I am really looking forward to the Fastnet, it
should be a very exciting race but above all else, I don't want to lose our record
to Rambler, that would be heartbreaking and we will vigorously defend it.
Class 40s - International Battle Royal
2009 Class 40 Winner, Tanguy de Lamotte,
racing Initiatives Saveurs - Novedia Group.
Credit: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex
The Class 40 fleet typifies the international appeal ofthe Rolex Fastnet Race. 32
yachts flying the flags of 11 different countries, will line up in Sutton Harbour
this August.
Tanguy de Lamotte has enjoyed tremendous success since winning the Rolex Fastnet
Race in 2009. The young Frenchman defeated the highly experienced Giovanni Soldini
(ITA), by just over an hour in an intense, boat-on-boat battle. Soldini is back,
but the racing is likely to offer an intense contest. The Class 40 Rolex Fastnet
Race may well provide the closest finish of the event.
"It is great to see Giovanni back in the Class after being away for a while." explained
Tanguy. "He knows his boat very well and I am sure he will be very excited to be
back in the Class and compete in the race. Giovanni has done a lot of miles in
his boat and he has a lot more experience than me, but we did manage to beat him
in the last Fastnet. He is a strong competitor but there are many others, like
Concise, who will be hard to beat - the competition is always close in the Class
40s. In my last race, The Normandy Channel Race, we won by just a few boat lengths
after 700 miles of sailing."
"To win you have to make just one less mistake than everyone else but the ambience
in the fleet is fantastic - it is serious racing with a friendly atmosphere. On
the dock we are all friends, everybody helps each other, and the class has a truly
great spirit."
Tanguy de Lamotte's Initiatives Saveurs - Novedia Group is the yacht to beat in
the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race, but the talented young sailor from Normandy, expects
a firm but fair fight around the Fastnet Rock.
Official Supporter: Sutton Harbour Marina, Plymouth
To cater for the increased number of entrants this year, Sutton Harbour Marina in
Plymouth has made the complete berthing area adjacent to West Pier and the city's
historic Barbican area available to the Rolex Fastnet Fleet. The Marina is owned
by the Sutton Harbour Group, which is the official berth provider for the race
and is an Official Supporter.
Sutton Harbour Group Chief Executive Nigel Godefroy is pleased to be associated
with the race: "Sutton Harbour Marina welcomes the return of this world famous race"
said Nigel. "We are very proud of the quality of facilities we have here in Sutton
Harbour and to have been selected as the official berthing provider for the Rolex
Fastnet Race. We look forward to welcoming the extra large fleet in August this
year."
Plans are well underway for the race's arrival and Sutton Harbour Marina Manager,
Mark Brimacombe is working closely with race organisers. He said: "Sutton Harbour
and the historic Barbican provide a perfect backdrop and plans are progressing
well for the smooth arrival of what is a very large fleet. The areas of the marina
we are setting aside are very close to the shore so visitors will get an excellent
view of the fleet and crews will have easy access to their vessels. We are also
working closely with RORC to ensure that the event is promoted extensively so that
Plymouth can make the most of this excellent opportunity to host such a prestigious
race."
The 2009 fleet docked in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth. Credit: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex
2009 Defender Returns - Rán Tactician: "Conditions play a big part"
Niklas and Catherine Zennström's yacht Rán was awarded the Fastnet Challenge Cup
and a Rolex Yacht-Master timepiece as overall winners in the 2009 Rolex Fastnet
Race - Daniel Forster/Rolex
Niklas Zennström's JV72, Rán is back to defend the title of overall winner of the
2009 Rolex Fastnet Race. Tactician on board Rán, for that race and for the next
edition, is Jeremy Robinson, one of only a handful of yachtsmen to have been part
of winning teams for both the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart: "In
2009, Catherine and Niklas Zennström's first goal was to complete the race after
retiring in a previous boat in 2007. So to win the race was a real joy. In ocean
racing, the Fastnet Trophy is undoubtedly a major prize and probably one of the
hardest to win."
"First of all it only takes place every other year and the size of the fleet and
the variety of boats means that on handicap it is a tough race to come out on top
of. You have to try and win your class and then hope that the conditions are going
to suit your type of boat."
Rán has some hot competition in Class Zero as Jeremy explains: "Beau Geste and Alegre
both have their different strengths, Beau Geste is a bigger boat than Rán and is
very strong downwind, whereas Alegre is smaller than us, but historically we have
struggled against her in the light. Both of them have great sailors, such as Gavin
Brady who will be on Beau Geste, who we know very well as he is tactician on TP52
Rán. We all know each other and respect each others' abilities. However, the class
may not be decided just between us, for example, the two TP52s Lucky and Pace will
fair well in a downwind race. Sometimes you have to hedge your bets to cover a competitor
but we will sail our own race and see how it goes from there."
Jeremy Robinson grew up sailing in the Solent and he is understandably passionate
about the Rolex Fastnet Race, which starts in his home waters. "It is just a great
spectacle, seeing hundreds of boats at the start of the race and all of your friends
coming out to see you off, it is quite an experience. From a tactical point of view,
it is a fascinating race that can be broken up into many legs, where gains can be
made, but mistakes can cause some major setbacks. Personally I always look forward
to the race, as it is always full of surprises."
Class Focus: Two's Company - Competitive Two-Handed Fleet
Nick Martin's J105, Diablo-J - Credit: Beken of Cowes
Two-Handed racing has seen a rise in popularity in offshore racing and the 2011
Rolex Fastnet Race certainly reflects this with 27 entries. Nick Martin, RORC Rear
Commodore, will compete in his 5th Fastnet with Diablo-J (GBR), a J/105, four of
which have been two-handed. Diablo-J are currently at the top of the RORC Season's
Points Championship leaderboard in this class:
"We've all been inspired by the great solo sailors of our time and RORC's Two-Handed
Division continues to support and provide the opportunity for many of us, typically
corinthian sailors with full-time careers, to experience challenging and adventurous
competitive racing. An extensive program allows us to pitch ourselves against IRC
boats of all divisions, both Two-Handed and fully crewed alike. It's highly rewarding,
especially when you finish ahead of fully-crewed boats." explains Nick. "It is the
dream of many sailors to qualify & compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race, so to achieve
this in arguably the most challenging division, can be regarded as a pinnacle for
many. It's fantastic that we have attracted a large fleet this year and in my opinion,
this has become the most competitive of all fleets."
Peter Olden's A35, Solan Goose of Hamble in the RORC's Cervantes Trophy Race
Peter Olden grew up in Southern Ireland where the famous Fastnet Rock stands. Ever
since he can remember, it has been his ambition to take part in the race. This year
he will achieve this, competing in his A35, Solan Goose of Hamble (GBR). Commenting
on the increase in popularity of two-handed racing in offshore races: "The challenge
of racing double-handed is probably the index factor, particularly in a long distance
race where many hours will involve sailing the boat single-handed. The logistics,
time and cost of getting a crew fully trained, qualified and equipped, particularly
for the modern Fastnet Race are significant. I am certain this is a key driver.
Technology has also played its part, for example, modern plotters, computers and
AIS save a great deal of time and anxiety, also modern autopilots (properly calibrated)
will do amazing work."
Matthias Kracht & Renaud Courbon will be racing Two-Handed on the JPK 9.60, Ultreia!
Credit: Hamo Thornycroft
Matthias Kracht on the JPK 9.60, Ultreia! (FRA) recently won the Myth of Malham
Race in the Two-Handed Class. He says their first aim is: "To finish the race which
is still a monument among the offshore races, a kind of Everest for French sailors.
We will give our best, weather permitting. The two-handed division is certainly
one of the classes that will develop over the next few years. It is almost the perfect
match for all-round sailors, as part of the race, especially in long races like
the Fastnet, is sailed almost single-handed but with the security of having a perfect
partner on board. It is a long race, made to test endurance, vigilance and is asmuch
about teamwork as with a full crew. It gives you perfect understanding of your partner,
and obviously you need to have complete confidence in them. I am very lucky with
Renaud Courbon, because all serious decisions are constantly discussed on board
during the races. We would like to do some good clean sailing, and if we finish
in a good time, in the Two-Handed Class as well as in IRC 4, we would be more than
happy; obviously the Fastnet is the major race in the RORC Championship."
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