| A long slow finish. |
| by the Rolex Fastnet Race 2009 Media Team |
 |
Photos
By Carlo
Borlenghi and Kurt Arrigo for Rolex.
Edited by Peter Andrews. |
11:35 GMT, August
14, 2009. |
|
| Typically the Rolex Fastnet Race is all but concluded by the Friday morning, five days after the start. But by this morning, only around one third of the fleet have reached the finish off Plymouth, for the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 608 mile long biennial offshore classic. |
|
Norbert Plambeck's German Frers 80
Hexe, sails through the finish line of the Rolex Fastnet Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
|
 |
|
|
Even in Class Zero, around one third of the boats have still to finish. Here, the winner is almost certainly the Swan 56, La Floresta Del Mar of Amanda Hartley and Jamie Olazabel. At present, they are almost 1.5 hours ahead of second-placed Tonnerre de Breskens of former Rolex Fastnet Race winner Piet Vroon.
La Floresta Del Mar was previously Filip Balcaen’s Aqua Equinox, winner of the Rolex Swan Cup in 2006. But the Madrid-based Anglo-Spanish couple "fell in love with her" and bought her two years ago to replace their Grand Soleil 46. |
|
Amanda Hartley's Swan 56 La
Floresta Del Mar, approaching Scilly Island during the Rolex
Fastnet Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
|
 |
|
|
In addition to the boat’s past race credentials, La Floresta Del Mar has undertaken an extensive refit, to make her more suitable for offshore, rather than inshore racing. But what is most notable about Hartley and Olazabel’s Rolex Fastnet Race campaign was that they had also put together a crack crew, including many of the very best Spanish sailors.
Their team included Jordi Calafat, the 470 Gold medallist from the 1992 Olympics, most recently with the America’s Cup defenders Alinghi and on Telefonica Blue for the recent Volvo Ocean Race. Also onboard is America’s Cup bowman Jaime Arbones, multiple round the world racer Guillermo Altadill and race veteran Pachi Rivero. |
|
Marc de Saint Denis' First 40 Coup
de Coeur, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
|
 |
|
|
"It started a year ago after the Rolex Swan Cup that we decided to go for the Rolex Fastnet Race, but we wanted to do it properly," says Olazabel of their campaign.
"Thanks to the help and willingness of all the crew members, we were able to put together an amazing team and an extremely competitive one. They were the reason for our success, because people were willing to make the effort." |
|
Neil Martin's J 133 Jammy
Dodger,
approaching Scilly Island during the Rolex Fastnet
Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
|
 |
|
|
As to the Rolex
Fastnet Race itself, Olazabel says the conditions weren’t
the best for them and they particularly struggled in the light
conditions.
"Our competitors were more efficient downwind and it took us such a long
time to get to the rock! It was three times longer to go up than to get down."
However with their elite afterguard, their tactics were good and on Tuesday afternoon
on their return from the Fastnet rock, they took over the Class Z lead from Bill
Blain’s J/133 Batfish III. "Tactically I think our crew has done a fabulous job, even though the conditions
haven’t been the best for us," says Olzabel.
According to Amanda Hartley, there weren’t too many squabbles onboard between the ‘rock stars’ who were placated by a well-stocked larder of Spanish food. They hope to now compete in the Rolex Middle Sea, an event they almost won last year. |
|
Andrew McIrvine's Corby 36 and IRC
1B class winner, Quokka, during the Rolex Fastnet Race
2009.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
|
 |
|
|
The French yacht Codiam is looking equally comfortable for a win in IRC Class 1. Codiam is a familiar feature of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s top events. This is the team’s third Rolex Fastnet Race and they have twice been part of French teams competing in the Rolex Commodores’ Cup.
Most of Codiam’s crew are from La Baule, mid-way up France’s Atlantic coast, and some hands have changed for this winter. But the other and somewhat big change has been their boat, with their trusty IMX45 now replaced with a new Grand Soleil 43.
Like La Floresta Del Mar, Codiam took a long tack, out into the English Channel from Portland Bill. They then headed back into the Lizard to endure a tricky first night, where they had to anchor for about 40 minutes to hold their position against the flood tide.
Overnight on Monday, they took the handicap lead in IRC Class 1 from their French team mates in the last Rolex Commodores’ Cup, Cyrille Legloahec’s A40RC Batistyl. At present and although only one third of the boats have finished in IRC Class 1, Codiam is the handicap leader by almost two hours. |
|
Nicolas Loday and Jean-Claude Nicoleau’s
Grand Soleil 43, IRC 1 class winner, Codiam,
during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
|
 |
|
|
"I think our strength was good analysis of the weather, all the way up to the Fastnet Rock," said skipper, Nicolas Loday. En route up, they sailed between the Scilly Isles and Land’s End, but took a long tack out to the west to get to the rock. "But we had some trouble with the Scilly Isles. We went a bit too close to where there was less wind. We are happy for the owner who, unfortunately, was not on board," added Loday.
Nicolas says the chances are good for them returning to the UK next year in one of the four French teams due to take part in the Rolex Commodores’ Cup. |
|
Ian Laing's Swan 53 Sassenach approaching
Fastnet Rock in fog, during the Rolex Fastnet Race
2009.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
|
 |
|
|
At present there are a considerable number of boats still trying to round Bishop Rock before tackling the final leg of the race, back past the Lizard and into Plymouth. However with an area of high pressure creeping over this part of the race course, these final miles are likely to be long and tortuous.
The back marker, Richard Rastrick’s Warrior 35 The Fox had rounded Fastnet Rock at 10:00 GMT, and is now with the Bristol Channel pilot cutter Morwenna. From the rock, The Fox now has another 286 miles still to sail to Plymouth. |
|
Yves Grosjean's J 133 and
IRC 0 class
winner, Jivaro, approaching Scilly Island during
the Rolex Fastnet Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
|
 |
|
|
As of Friday at 11:00 GMT, 120 yachts had finished, 171 yachts are racing, and eight yachts have retired from the race. The Rolex Fastnet Race prize giving will be held this evening at 17:00, at the Royal Citadel in Plymouth.
Further information about the RORC and the Rolex Fastnet Race including the entry
list and final results may be found at: fastnet.rorc.org. |
|
| Outimage and Rolex © 2009 |
