| Record fleet bound for
the Fastnet. |
| By the Rolex Fastnet
Race Media Team. |
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Photos by Daniel Forster
and Carlo Borlenghi for Rolex,
edited By Peter Andrews. |
| August 14, 2011. |
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| The record-sized Rolex Fastnet Race fleet had set sail from Cowes in classic conditions that commenced with a beat westward up the Solent in a building west-southwesterly and sunshine, but with an ominous looking line of cloud over the mainland. In the end there were 314 starters, the largest fleet ever to start the Rolex Fastnet Race following the previous record of 303 in 1979. |
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An aerial shot of the record fleet off Cowes, during the start of the Rolex
Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| The first start at 11:00 BST saw the giant multihulls heading off. Fastest out of the blocks were Gitana 11 (FRA), the 23.5m trimaran skippered by Vendee Globe; and Volvo Ocean Race skipper Sebastien Josse and Roland Jourdain’s MOD70 Veolia Environnement (FRA). With round the world yachtswoman Dee Caffari manning the aft grinders, Veolia’s sistership, Steve Ravussin’s Race For Water (SUI), was over the line early and had to restart. |
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The first to start were the multihulls, including Maxi Banque
Populaire and Gitana 11, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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Visible from most parts of the Solent with her 40 metre long hulls and 47 metre tall mast was the world’s fastest offshore boat, the Loick Peyron-skippered Maxi Banque Populaire (FRA) trimaran. After it thundered across the line, it had reached the Needles within an hour, sailing upwind at more than 20 knots. Five hours after starting, Banque Populaire was already approaching Start Point, close to 100 miles down the southwest coast from the start.
Next up were the IMOCA 60 monohulls and by the Needles, Marc Guillemot and Yann Elies doublehander Safran (FRA), were leading the newer generation boats. |
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The race start for IRC Z Class, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| The ebb tide was beginning to kick in by the time the Class 40s’ started and most chose to hug the island shore in the most favourable current. By the time they reached the Needles, Tanguy de la Motte’s 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race winner Initiatives-Alex Olivier (FRA), was a nose ahead of the two Kiwi 40s’, Roaring Forty 2 (BEL) and Peraspera (ITA). |
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Marc Guillemot's IMOCA 60 Safran, after the start of the Rolex Fastnet
Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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| Shortly after passing through Hurst Narrows there was disaster for the Italian entry, Eutourist Serv-System, when she dismasted. With the wind blowing against the direction of the tide; which was particularly severe at the western entrance to the Solent at Hurst Narrows, such conditions subsequently took their toll on the 43-foot trimaran Strontium Dog (GBR), who also suffered a dismasting. |
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George David's JK 100 Rambler 100 at the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race
2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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The most impressive display were the smaller IRC boats, funnelling their way through Hurst Narrows and slowly being overhauled by the larger boats that started after. Doing well in IRC 1 was the Ker 46 Tonnerre de Breskens (NED), skippered by veteran sailor Piet Vroon who was competing in his 23rd Rolex Fastnet Race.
Prior to leaving Cowes Yacht Haven this morning, Vroon wasn’t keen to make many predictions about how this race would unfold.
"A big boat race? It could be an advantage for the bigger boats as they will make Portland and they could get to the Rock before the big wind comes," said Vroon. "But I don’t know. We are bigger than a lot of the small ones! If it is going to be in excess of 30 knots to windward, then it will be hard for the small boats." |
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Piet Vroon's Ker 46 Tonnerre de Breskens on the Solent after the start
of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Vroon, who won the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2001 said he was expecting to finish sometime on Wednesday morning. "Once we took six days and once we took 68 hours, I believe. So anything in between is good!"
As expected in IRC Zero, the Jim Swartz and Karl Kwok co-skippered Farr 80 Beau Geste (HKG) appeared to be doing well, leading her class through Hurst Narrows ahead of the two silver streaks; Niklas Zennström’s 72 foot Rán (GBR) with Andres Soriano’s 68-foot Alegre (GBR) hot on her heels. |
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Karl Kwok's Blue Water 80 Beau Geste, after the start of the Z Division
of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Forging their way up through the fleet was an intriguing match between the three Volvo Open 70s’, due to set off on their round-the-world race this autumn. This is the first time these boats have lined up for some real competition.
While all three were close as they beat their way through the Hurst Narrows, it was Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE), skippered by double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker that was out on front. In Walker’s wake was former round-the-world race winner Mike Sanderson on Team Sanya (CHN), with Franck Cammas’ Groupama 4 (FRA) bringing up the rear. |
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Ian Walker’s Volvo 70 Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE) leaving
the Solent,
during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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| Then there was a hurrah for British sailing fans as the two largest monohulls in the Rolex Fastnet Race fleet thundered up their way up the Solent, with Mike Slade’s 100 foot ICAP Leopard (GBR) ahead of the more highly-rated Rambler 100 (USA) of George David. Just ten minutes after the gun, Rambler had split her headsail in two and the crew had to quickly scramble to set a replacement. |
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Mike Slade's Farr 100 ICAP Leopard at the start of the Rolex Fastnet
Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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Before the giant fleet had even left the Solent, there were a number of casualties. In addition to the two dismastings, the First 375 Little Spirit (GBR) suffered damage to her forestay during a collision with the Bavaria 44 Emerald Star (GBR) and was forced to retire. The situation was the same for the IRC 3 Howling Monkey (GBR) who was holed in a collision with the J/109 Jambo! (GBR). Then there was the canting-keeled Prodigy (GBR), who had also retired with mainsail damage.
Conditions for the bulk of the fleet tonight should be relatively fast, particularly for the smaller boats which will benefit from the wind veering north of west, as the boats further up the course are set to remain headed. |
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The IRC CK and VO70 start off Cowes, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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The main trophy for overall victory in the Rolex Fastnet is the Fastnet Challenge Cup. In addition, there are more than 30 other trophies that will be awarded at the prize giving on Friday, August 19 at the historic Royal Citadel. Overlooking Plymouth Sound and Sutton Harbour where the majority of the fleet will berth, the Citadel is the home to the 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.
For further information about the Rolex Fastnet Race, go to www.fastnet.rorc.org. |
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| Outimage and Rolex © 2011 |
