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| Contributors
to outimage.net |
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| Carlo Borlenghi |
| Stefano Gattini |
| Bruno Cocozza |
| Guido Trombetta |
| Luca Buttò |
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| Michael
McCoy |
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| Kurt Arrigo |
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| Peter
Andrews |
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Recent
yachting and boating events covered by Outimage Publications |
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Rolex Baltic
Week 2011, Flensburg, Germany
Photos by Daniel Forster. |
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Rolex Farr 40
Worlds 2011, Sydney Australia
Photos by Peter Andrews. |
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| The 18 Footers. |
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| Rolex Farr 40
Worlds 2011, Sydney Australia. |
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| Extreme Sailing
Series 2011, Photos by Carlo Borlenghi. |
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| Rolex Sydney
Hobart 2010. |
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| Rolex Trophy
Ratings Series 2010, Sydney Australia. |
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| SOLAS Big Boat
Challenge 2010, Sydney Australia. |
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| Rolex Trophy
One Design Series 2010, Sydney Australia. |
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| Rolex Middle
Sea Race 2010 |
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Le Voiles de
Saint Tropez 2010
St. Tropez, France,
Sept 28 - Oct 3, 2010.
Photos by Carlo Borlenghi. |
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Swan Rolex Cup
2010.
Porto Cervo, Italy,
September 15 - 17, 2010.
Photos by Carlo Borlenghi. |
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Maxi Yacht Rolex
Cup 2010.
Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy.
September 5 - 11, 2010. |
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Italian Youth
Championships
Marsala, Italy, Sept 2, 2010.
Photos by Carlo Borlenghi and Luca Butto. |
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Rolex Ilhabela
Sailing Week
Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil,
July 17-24, 2010. Photos by Carlo Borlenghi. |
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| Audi MedCup Circuit
Marseille Trophy, Marseille, France, June 15-20, 2010. Photos
by Carlo Borlenghi and Guido Trombetta. |
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| Giraglia Rolex
Cup 2010. |
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Giraglia Rolex
Cup 2010
by Studio Borlenghi. |
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| Rolex Capri
Sailing Week 2010 |
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Louis Vuitton
Trophy
La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy.
May 22 -June 6, 2010. |
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| Portofino Rolex
Trophy |
| Photos by Carlo
Borlenghi. |
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| America's Cup
Index |
| Photos by Carlo
Borlenghi. |
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| Rolex Farr 40
Worlds |
| Casa de Campo,
Dominican Republic April 21-24, 2010. |
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| Audi Melges
32 Series |
| Photos by Guido
Trombetta. |
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| Rolex China Sea
Race 2010. |
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| Rolex Sydney
Hobart 2009. |
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SOLAS Big Boat
Challenge 2009. |
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China Cup 2009
by Carlo Borlenghi. |
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| Rolex Fastnet race
lives up to its reputation. |
| 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 20, 2011. |
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| Records tumbled
in the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race with this year’s event
living up to its reputation as the most gruelling and tactically
challenging of the classic offshore races. As usual, the
608 mile long course took the boats from the start line off
Cowes, Isles of Wight towards the Fastnet Rock off southwest
Ireland, back around the outside of the Scilly Isles off
southwest England to the finish line in Plymouth. |
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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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On Sunday August
14 and up from the previous record of 303, the largest ever
Rolex Fastnet Race fleet of 314 boats set sail from Cowes.
This was due to a new initiative from race’s organisers,
the Royal Ocean Racing Club, to invite ‘professional’ offshore
classes who were able to compete under their own class rules,
over and above the IRC fleet which was capped to a maximum
of 300 entries. The result was the most diverse selection
of yachts ever assembled in a single offshore yacht race
with the new initiative attracting many high-profile international
racing teams. Thus in the same race, some of the world’s
fastest multihulls such as the 140-foot long trimaran, Maxi
Banque Populaire, were lining up with Contessa 32s’ and
pilot cutters with the complete pantheon of racing yachts
in between.
Another coup for the event was the participation of three
Volvo Open 70s’, the only occasion where these boats
would race together prior to this autumn’s start
of the fully crewed round the world race. The ‘pro’ classes
also saw the race debut of the two Multi One Design 70
foot trimarans, and attracted six IMOCA 60s’, best
known for competing in the singlehanded non-stop round
the world race the Vendee Globe; plus an impressive fleet
of 20 of their smaller cousins, the Class 40. |
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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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Leading the
charge in the IRC fleet were the two 100 foot maxis Rambler
100 and ICAP Leopard, followed by the Farr
80 Beau Geste and Mini Maxis such as the 2009 Rolex
Fastnet Race winner, Niklas Zennström’s JV72 Rán and
Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre. But the
bulk of the record-sized fleet were the more regular yachts,
with amateur crews from a total of 20 nations. For many,
participation in the Rolex Fastnet Race was the highlight
of their sailing seasons, for others the pinnacle of their
sailing careers.
Off the Royal Yacht Squadron’s platform, the fleet
starts began with the multihulls, culminating with the
canting keel monohulls and VO70s’. And in the best
Rolex Fastnet Race tradition, the fleet endured a stiff
beat out of the Solent into the English Channel. With winds
gusting to 30 knots at the exit to the Solent at Hurst
Narrows, the first dramas of the race came with two collisions;
and the Class 40 Eutourist Serv-System and the
trimaran Strontium Dog (GBR), both dismasting. |
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Karl Kwok's Farr 80 Beau Geste (HKG) co-skippered by American
Jim Swartz, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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As expected, Banque
Populaire skippered by French offshore legend Loick
Peyron; Gitana 11 skippered by Vendee Globe and
Volvo Ocean Race skipper Seb Josse; and the two MOD70 trimarans,
all set off at lightning speed down the race course. While Gitana
11 was constantly nipping at her heels, the world’s
fastest offshore boat, Maxi Banque Populaire proved
to be the pace-setter.
After being on the wind all the way to the Rock, the massive
trimaran took off on a reach for all her way back to the
finish in Plymouth. Crossing the line Monday evening in
a time of just 1 day, 8 hours, and 48 minutes, the world’s
fastest racing trimaran established a new outright record
for the Rolex Fastnet Race; some 7 hours and 39 minutes
quicker than that of the best previous time set by a multihull. |
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Banque Populaire skippered by French offshore
legend Loick Peyron, during the Rolex Fastnet Race
2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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Unfortunately
as this was happening, drama was unfolding close by the Fastnet
Rock. While two-time line honours winner, Mike Slade’s ICAP
Leopard led the monohull fleet down the English Channel
and into the Celtic Sea, George David’s Rambler
100 finally overhauled them on the way to the Rock. Rambler
100 then rounded the Rock at 17:25 BST and turned south
for the Pantaenius offset mark into 25 to 30 knot headwinds
and a sizable short sharp sea. Shortly after this, the fin
for her canting keel snapped just below the hull exit causing
her to capsize almost instantaneously.
Three crew were lucky and climbed straight on to the upturned hull as she
capsized. The rest however ended up in the water, including four who had
been down below at the time. With a massive struggle in the difficult conditions,
the majority of her 21 crew managed to clamber up on top of the upturned
hull; while five, including skipper George David, alarmingly drifted away
from the boat. Fortunately, the latter five tied themselves together and
were eventually recovered after two and a half hours in the water. As for
the remaining the crew marooned on the upturned hull, they were picked
up by the Royal National
Lifeboat Institute’s lifeboat from nearby Baltimore. |
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Rambler 100's crew arriving back on shore
at Baltimore after their rescue from a capsize, during
the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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| Incredibly,
everyone was rescued without a hitch thanks to the combined
heroic efforts of the Valentia MRCC, the Baltimore
Lifeboat, and the dive vessel Wave Chieftain.
The shaken crew were taken to Baltimore while David’s
partner Wendy Touton was airlifted to hospital, suffering
from hypothermia, and later released. Remembering the 1979
Fastnet disaster, many local residents in Baltimore offered
the shaken Rambler crew unparalleled hospitality
upon their arrival. |
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George David's Rambler 100 sailing in rough conditions before
loosing her keel and capsizing, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Daniel Forster.
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| After the terrible Rambler incident,
Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard once again took
the lead in the monohull fleet. But after rounding Fastnet
Rock and cracking off, the 100 foot maxi was rapidly overhauled
on the leg back to the Scilly Isles by the three VO70s’.
After a spectacular race where each of the three boats, Abu
Dhabi, Groupama 4 and Team Sanya held
the lead at some point, Groupama 4 skippered by
French non-stop round the world record holder Franck Cammas,
led the trio back from the Fastnet Rock for most of the return
leg. Then just before the finish, Groupama 4 was
pipped at the post by the Farr-designed Abu Dhabi,
skippered by double Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker;
with just 4 minutes 42 seconds separating the two boats.
In the process, Abu Dhabi also broke ICAP Leopard’s monohull
record for the Rolex Fastnet Race with an elapsed time for
the course of 1 day, 18 hours, 39 minutes. |
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Mike Sanderson's Team Sanya heading to Plymouth, during
the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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Following the
VO70s’ into Plymouth mid-Tuesday morning was a similarly
tight finish between the IMOCA 60s’ with the 2004-05
Vendee Globe winner Vincent Riou, completing the course in
1 day, 23 hours, and 21 minutes; ahead of double Barcelona
World Race winner Jean-Pierre Dick on Virbac Paprec 2 and
double Velux 5 Oceans winner, Bernard Stamm aboard his new Cheminees
Poujoulat, the top three separated by less than five
minutes.
Prior to the start of this Rolex Fastnet Race, the forecast
for brisk winds for the first two days followed by light
conditions mid-week, indicated that the event would favour
the larger and faster boats on handicap. So after ICAP
Leopard, the next IRC arrival was Niklas Zennström’s Rán at
12:53:44 BST on Tuesday. With Rán’s elapsed
time of 2 days 3 minutes and 44 seconds, the silver hulled
Judel Vrolijk 72 was looking strong to take the overall
prize in the Rolex Fastnet for a second consecutive time.
Her race had been made easier with her immediate competition
retiring; the Farr 80 Beau Geste, with a crack
in her deck, and Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre with
a broken rudder tip. |
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Niklas Zennström's Rán (GBR) approaching the
finish line, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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On Wednesday,
the pace in the Rolex Fastnet Race slowed with the onset
of a high pressure system over parts of the course, leaving
many yachts becalmed, particularly around the Scilly Isles
and along the south coast of Cornwall. The light winds continued
into Thursday as the bulk of the fleet approached the finish
at Plymouth. Boats arriving with wind, were only to be stalled
on a foul tide. So there were several virtual restarts approaching
the line and on Thursday night after the tide turned over
a period of just two hours, an armada of 105 boats finally
crossed the finish line, their crews arriving with tales
of prolonged periods where they had to anchor to avoid going
backwards.
Niklas Zennström’s Rán was finally
confirmed overall winner of the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race,
the first time a boat had won consecutive races since Carina
II in the 1950s’. "It’s fantastic;
really, really good," said Zennström of his second
victory. "Everyone on the team is very happy and very
pleased. I think we’ve never sailed better as a team.
We sailed the boat very hard, we were never kind of relaxed,
we were very focused all the time and we pushed the boat
a lot." |
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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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With the exception
of Rán in IRC Z, ICAP Leopard in
the Canting Keel class and Rives Potts’ McCurdy & Rhodes
48 Carina (USA) in IRC 2; French teams won the three
other IRC classes and held the majority of positions on the
podium. IRC 1 went to regular RORC race competitors Nicolas
Loday and Jean Claude Nicoleau on their Grand Soleil 43 Codiam.
Class 3 was won by Noel Racine’s aboard his JPK 10.10 Foggy
Dew, while once again in IRC 4 victory went to Jean
Yves Chateau’s Nicholson 33 and overall winner of the
Rolex Fastnet Race in 2007, Iromiguy.
"It’s been a really interesting race because it offered
everything," said Eddie Warden Owen, CEO of the Royal Ocean
Racing Club. "It’s been a tough race; not just because
of the wind conditions on the first two days, but also tough
getting back for the little boats because they have had very
little wind, they’ve parked up. And we had the Rambler incident
and the first boat arriving after just 32 hours. Then the Volvo
guys finishing within five minutes was amazing and the Class
40s’ had a really close finish. Maybird and Morwenna,
the two pilot cutters are having their own battle out there;
they’ll be in next week. So this Fastnet’s been full
of opportunities for people, an experience for everybody involved
in it." |
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Nicolas Loday and Jean Claude Nicoleau's Grand Soleil 43 Codiam,
racing past the Scilly Isles, during the Rolex Fastnet Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.
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As of 12:00
BST there were six boats still racing and five are expected
to finish today; including Edith Gray, Freebird, Brisbane
Star, Rainbow UK, Morwenna, while Maybird is
due in early Sunday morning.
Further information on the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race may
be found at www.fastnet.rorc.org |
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| Outimage and
Rolex © 2011 |
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| Previous Articles. |
|
| Rolex Fastnet race lives up to its reputation - Cowes - Plymouth, UK, August 14-19, 2011. |
| French
domination - Cowes - Plymouth, UK, August 19, 2011. |
| Rán:
first back to back victory in 50 years - Cowes - Plymouth,
UK, August 18, 2011. |
| Race pace slows - Cowes - Plymouth, UK, August 17, 2011. |
| Monohull record falls - Cowes - Plymouth, UK, August 16, 2011. |
| Records set to tumble - Cowes - Plymouth, UK, August 15, 2011. |
| Maxi multihulls round Fastnet Rock - Cowes - Plymouth, UK, August 15, 2011. |
| Record fleet bound for the Fastnet - Cowes - Plymouth, UK, August 14-19, 2011. |
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| Scuttlebutt Europe Daily News Feed. |
| Produced by boats.com Europe, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinion, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors. |
| To the Scuttlebutt Europe Daily News Feed Page. |
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