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12.08.2011
Tackling the Rolex Fastnet Race
To the south of Ireland, on an isolated rock some five miles from land, the
Fastnet Lighthouse is a mythical mark for the world’s sailors. Created in
1925, the Rolex Fastnet Race brings together this summer 323 boats measuring
between 10 and 40 metres, including six 60-foot IMOCA monohulls. Marc
Guillemot and Yann Eliès will be at the start on Safran at 1 p.m on 14th
August as they prepare for the Transat Jacques Vabre...
Description : Safran1108There have never been as many entrants before for
what is one of the world’s oldest races. 323 crews will be setting out from
the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes (Isle of Wight-GB) with a finish in
Plymouth after rounding the Irish lighthouse and completing the 608 miles of
the race course, in what are often windy conditions. The Fastnet, built in
1854 on the Carraig Aonar, the lone rock in Gaelic, was the final part of
the European coast that the emigrants saw as they made their way to the
United States in steamers… Organised every other year in odd years by the
Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race is the 44th
edition of the race, with the record time of 1d 20h 18’ held by the monohull
ICAL Leopard since 2007…
Time to practice
For Safran which has just completed a training period in La Trinité-sur-Mer
after smashing the Round Britain and Ireland record, the Rolex Fastnet Race
is above all a taster before the index event of the season, the Transat
Jacques Vabre: “The five other IMOCA 60 boats will be racing double-handed,
so this is a good way to see how we can do against the latest generation
like PRB, Cheminées Poujoulat, Virbac-Paprec3, but also Hugo Boss and DCNS
1000. After our training in La Trinité-sur-Mer, we needed a complete change
with a technical course with a range of wind, sea and tidal conditions,”
explained Marc Guillemot, who arrived on the Isle of Wight on Wednesday.
The 608-mile course tests not only performance capabilities on coastal
courses, but also the sailors’ abilities in an ocean race. It requires a lot
of preparation as well as a good speed potential. “The start is to take
place with a North-westerly wind blowing between 10 and 15 knots with
squalls likely in the Channel Approaches. In the Celtic Sea, a front should
be passing over before the Fastnet Lighthouse and then there are likely to
be high-pressure conditions becoming established with an easterly wind
accompanying them all the way to the finish in Plymouth. The race will
essentially be an upwind affair in moderate winds locally reaching 15-20
knots… They can look forward to at least two days at sea,” explained Sylvain
Mondon of Météo France.
Finding their feet
Marc Guillemot and Yann Eliès know 60-foot IMOCA boats and double-handed
sailing well, having already sailed together in these difficult and
sometimes rough seas. That was the case in the Solitaire du Figaro, at the
finish or start of transatlantic races and indeed during the Round Britain
and Ireland trip. “The Rolex Fastnet Race is a rehearsal for us, a mock
exam, a chance to try some double-handed racing. As Safran is a demanding
boat and this year’s race looks like being rather rough, it means it is
going to be similar to what we can expect at the start of the transatlantic
race with the exit from the Channel and the voyage across the Bay of Biscay.
I raced in this event in 2007 sailing double-handed: it was my first chance
to get to know IMOCA 60 sailing and it was an excellent way to rehearse. The
course itself is something we know well having taken part in the Solitaire
du Figaro: The Fastnet Lighthouse is one of the most beautiful sights from
the sea there is in Europe…” explained Yann Eliès.
In the middle of the choppy waters of the Solent, the stretch of water
separating the Isle of Wight from the indexland, more than 300 boats will be
setting off with a series of starts scheduled from 1200 hrs local time on
14th August. Safran and the five other Imoca 60 boats taking part will
quickly be out there with the serious stuff facing the opposition: Marc
Guillemot and Yann Eliès will have to find their feet very quickly …
Safran is a leading international high-technology group with three core
businesses: Aerospace (propulsion and equipment), Defence and Security.
Operating worldwide, the Safran group has more than 54,000 employees and
generated sales of 10.8 billion euros in 2010. Working alone or in
partnership, Safran holds world or European leadership positions in its core
markets. The Group invests heavily in Research & Development to meet the
requirements of changing markets, including expenditures of 1.2 billion
euros in 2010. Safran is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris and its share is part
of the CAC Large 60 index.
For more information, www.safran-group.com
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