The line honours leaders in the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race have rounded the Fastnet Rock – and are now flying south to Cherbourg at over 30 knotsSVR LAZARTIGUE, Sail no: 1, Design: ULTIM, Class: Ultim 32\/23 – Ultim 32\/23, Skippers: Tom LapercheThe leaders in the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race have rounded the Fastnet Rock after 1 day and 4 hours of racing.
\nAfter a relatively slow first 24 hours, which saw even the foiling Ultimes crawling along at 8-10 knots for periods this morning, the first two boats have rounded the Fastnet Rock and are now reaping the rewards with a fast flight home on flat seas with a following wind.
\nFirst to round was the 2023 race winner, the Ultime SVR-Lazartigue, skippered by Tom Laperche and Franck Cammas, who has not been challenged for the lead since yesterday\u2019s race start.
\nSVR-Lazartigue rounded the Rock at 1622 (BST) today, immediately bearing away to hit speeds of over 35 knots.
\nSecond was Armel Le Cl\u00e9ac\u2019h on the Ultime Banque Populaire XI, who rounded 1hr and 8 minutes later.
\nThis duo are now powering south-east in a 25-knot north-westerly, setting up for a fast and furious final 315 miles in the race for line honours. The leader is expected to finish in Cherbourg around 0800 BST tomorrow morning.
\nThe leader in the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, the Ultime SVR Lazartigue, rounds the Fastnet Rock. Photo: Kurt Arrigo\/Rolex
\nMonohull leaders
\nIn the race for monohull line honours the two 100-footers SHK-Scallywag and BlackJack are matching each other tack for tack, while in the building breeze Leopard\u00a0has also made gains on the pair in 3rd.
\nIn the IMOCA class the newest boat in the fleet, \u00c9lodie Bonafous\u2019s Association Petit Princes has a narrow lead from J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Beyou\u2019s well-campaigned Charal.
\nLargely benign conditions for the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race so far \u2013 here the Botin 52 Caro enjoys the company of dolphins in the Celtic Sea. Photo: Carlo Borlenghi\/Rolex
\nFastnet 2025 retirements
\nUnfortunately, Pip Hare, Scott Shawyer and team on Be Water Positive \u2013 Canada Ocean Racing retired from the race this morning after suffering a hydraulics issue.
\nLIke other modern IMOCAs, Be Water Positive \u2013 Canada Ocean Racing (ex-11th Hour Racing) has a comprehensive hydraulics package that includes key sail fittings which are required to stabilise the mast.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re retiring due to a technical issue with one of our main hydraulic control systems,\u201d said the team in a statement. \u201cWe\u2019re gutted \u2014 this is such an iconic race and it\u2019s so disappointing not to finish it.
\n\u201cBut we\u2019ve got six weeks of racing ahead of us in The Ocean Race Europe, and it\u2019s critical that we stay focused on a repair in time for that series of races starting in just two weeks\u2019 time.\u201d
\nThe crew are all safe and the boat has arrived at Cherbourg.
\nThe post Fastnet 2025: first Ultimes round the Rock\u2026 and light the afterburners appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The line honours leaders in the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race have rounded the Fastnet Rock – and are now flying south to Cherbourg at over 30 knotsSVR LAZARTIGUE, Sail no: 1, Design: ULTIM, Class: Ultim 32\/23 – Ultim 32\/23, Skippers: … <\/p>\n