| Maxi multihulls round
Fastnet Rock. |
| 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 15, 2011. |
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| The two largest trimarans in the record-sized Rolex Fastnet Race rounded the Fastnet Rock off southwest Ireland at around 09:30 this morning. As expected, Loick Peyron’s Maxi Banque Populaire (FRA) was leading, but surprisingly just eight miles ahead of the Seb Josse-skippered Gitana 11 (FRA). The relative short distance between the two is signifficant, considering that Gitana 11 is just 77 feet compared to Maxi Banque Populaire’s monstrous 140-foot long hulls. Once around, the boats have approximately 250 miles (on the rhumb line) to sail to the finish in Plymouth. |
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Three bows of Maxi Banque Populaire, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| Last night both boats along with the two MOD70 trimarans Veolia Environnement (FRA) and Race for Water (SUI), overstood the Scilly Isles in order to lay the Fastnet Rock in one tack. This would have also allowed them to take advantage of a small left hand wind shift while crossing the Celtic Sea between the southwest end of England and the south coast of Ireland. |
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Seb Josse's Gitana 11 rounding Fastnet Rock, during the Rolex Fastnet Race
2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| The reason Gitana 11 is so close is that after leaving the Scillies to starboard, she tacked north for the Rock earlier than her larger rival, sailing a substantially shorter course as a result. At the time the two on the water leaders rounded the Fastnet Rock this morning, the wind had dropped to 10 knots from the west-southwest and the sea state had abated. |
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Maxi Banque Populaire starting the leg from the Fastnet Rock to Plymouth,
during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| Meanwhile in the heavyweight bout between the 100 foot super-maxi monohulls, the crew on Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard (GBR) are doing a fine job fending off the attack of George David’s faster Rambler 100 (USA). The two boats passed between the Scilly Isles and Land’s End at 06:30 BST this morning, but there were a large group of powerful boats shadowing them close behind. |
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Veolia Environnement on her way to the Fastnet Rock, during the Rolex Fastnet
Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| The three Volvo Open 70s passed between Land’s End and the Scilly Isles at around 08:30 BST this morning and Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya (CHN) had pulled off a similar move to Gitana 11. By tacking north earlier than her two rivals; the Ian Walker-skippered Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (UAE) and Franck Cammas’ Groupama 4 (FRA), this was enough to give her an 8-mile lead over the two VO70s. However closest to the two super-maxis as they head out across the Celtic Sea was the Farr 80 Beau Geste (HKG), skippered by American Jim Swartz, just two miles ahead of Team Sanya at the latest update this morning. |
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Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard passing by The Needles, during the Rolex Fastnet
Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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| Meanwhile, looking good on handicap in IRC Z was Niklas Zennström’s J-V 72 Rán (GBR), winner of the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race. Rán was taking a similar westerly track to Abu Dhabi and Groupama 4, just four miles ahead of her. This morning the bulk of IR Z are rounding the Lizard, off the south of Cornwall, while IRC 1 is still mid-way between the Lizard and Start Point with the Swan 62 Uxorious IV (GBR), leading on the water. Behind Rán was the Mills 68 Alegre (GBR). |
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George David's Rambler 100 leaving the Solent, during the Rolex Fastnet
Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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| The IRC 2 fleet is close behind IRC 1 with the trio of RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine’s First 40 La Réponse, the J122 Joopster and the A-40 Vitaris Reponse leading the charge on the water. Like IRC 2, the majority of the IRC 3 fleet were tacking a long tack out into the Channel, with Geronimo 2 leading on the water. The leaders in IRC4 were also mid-way between Start Point and the Lizard with the S&S 41 Winsome ahead on the water. |
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Sunset sailing for Mike Sanderson's VO70 Team Sanya, during the
Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| Overnight there have been a few more retirements. Aboard the Sigma 38 Zanzara in IRC 4, a crewman was lifted off with a broken leg at 07:45 this morning. Meanwhile Richard Palmer’s J109 Jangada Too is retiring into Plymouth with electrical problems. |
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Franck Cammas' VO70 Groupama 4, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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| The weather situation remains complex with a compact depression to the west of Ireland, a substantially larger depression over Iceland, and an area of high pressure over the Bay of Biscay. For those venturing across the Celtic Sea, the movement of these fronts early Tuesday morning is key as they will cause a wind shift from the southwest to the northwest. |
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Karl Kwok's Farr 80 Beau Geste (HKG) skippered by American Jim Swartz,
during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| The Rolex Fastnet Race finish is in Plymouth Harbour and 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. |
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Niklas Zennström’s J-V 72 Rán (GBR), winner of the 2009
Rolex Fastnet Race, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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| For further information about the Rolex Fastnet Race, go to www.fastnet.rorc.org. |
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| Outimage and Rolex © 2011 |
