The world’s biggest offshore yacht race, the Rolex Fastnet Race, started today. Competitors can expect a tough first night after setting off from Cowes in demanding conditions which saw some big names forced out of the race early on.The classic 74ft 1961 ketch Stormvogel, skippered by Graeme Henry, smashes to windward after the start \u00a9 Kurt Arrigo\/Rolex
\nWhite-capped waves, a building swell, and gusty breezes saw the world\u2019s biggest offshore yacht race, the Rolex Fastnet Race, start this morning from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, in demanding conditions.
\nWinds across the Solent were steady 25 knot south-westerlies, gusting into the mid 30s, as the\u00a0337-boat fleet started from the Royal Yacht Squadron line.
\nThe large racing fleet and spectator flotilla churned up an already confused sea state off Cowes, and as the fleet powered west towards the tidal overfalls off Hurst Narrows that sea state only increased to 1m plus waves.
\nThe tricky early stages saw a number of incidents, including collisions and retirements. Yannick Bestaven\u2019s winning Vend\u00e9e Globe IMOCA, Maitre Coq IV, had to retire very early following a collision with another vessel that caused damage to the IMOCA 60 bow.
\nThe Maserati Multi 70 skippered by Giovanni Soldini was also forced to retire due to damage at around 1830 pm.
\nSoldini said: \u201cWe were sailing at 20-25 knots when the winch drum exploded. We had just replaced it, it was new, it probably had some structural damage.\u201d
\nGiovanni Soldini\u2019s Multi70 Maserati and Jason Carroll\u2019s MOD 70 Argo exit the Solent after the Fastnet Race start \u00a9 Carlo Borlenghi\/Rolex
\nOther race favourites to get knocked out early in the race were two serious MOCRA contenders: Christian Guyader, the 2019 winner, on his highly fancied TS5 catamaran Guyader Mext, and Yann Marilley\u2019s Outremer 5x Racing catamaran No Limit, racing with ocean sailing legend Loick Peyron, which had to retire after dismasting.
\nGiven the boisterous forecast, the race officers had decided to reorder the classes for the Fastnet Race start, sending the two multihull divisions \u2013 MOCRA and Open, which includes the four giant Ultims \u2013 off first, followed by the IMOCA 60s and Class 40s together, then IRC Zero, IRC 1 and Figaro 2, then IRC 4, IRC 3 and IRC 2.\u00a0
\nThis was a reschedule from the previous plan of starting the IRC Zero fleet last, creating the famous Fastnet Race start spectacle of fleets mixing it up, amateurs and family crews racing alongside the largest, professional teams.\u00a0
\nOrganisers decided that with today\u2019s conditions it was prudent to allow the less manoeuvrable maxi yachts, which includes the biggest yacht ever to compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race, the 140ft ClubSwan 125 Skorpios, through the Narrows first.<\/p>\n
Tough Fastnet Race start
\nAlmost all fleets initially started without incident. With tide taking the fleet down to the line, and a lumpen sea state, most fleets were conservative and started cleanly.
\nFirst to cross the line were Thomas Coville\u2019s Sodebo and Charles Caudrelier\u2019s Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, which both hit the line at pace and powered away. The dark blue Gitana branded Maxi Edmond de Rothschild took the early advantage, and was first out of the Solent to take the early race lead.
\nDmitry Rybolovlev\u2019s ClubSwan 125 Skorpios and George David\u2019s Maxi Rambler 88 beating into the English Channel \u00a9 Carlo Borlenghi\/Rolex
\nHowever, with such challenging conditions and a crowded racing area off the start there were numerous incidents as the fleet tacked out to the western Solent, including collisions, torn sails, forestay failures and three dismastings in the very early stages.\u00a0
\nBy early evening Cowes Yacht Haven was dotted with boats flying Rolex race flags who had opted to return, and 39 boats and retired from racing.
\nIn IRC 2 Gilles Fournier \u00a0and Corinne Migraine\u2019s J\/133 Pintia was among the retirees, while Ed Bell\u2019s JPK 11.80 Dawn Treader was forced out with a broken mast.<\/p>\n
In IRC 1, one of the Rolex Fastnet Race\u2019s most regular competitors, the Goubau family from Belgium, were also forced to pull out on their First 47.7 Moana.<\/p>\n
The competitive IRC Two Handed fleet has also seen some experienced competitors retire early, including 2015 winners Kelvin Rawlings and Stuart Childerley on the Sun Fast 3300 Aries, and British favourites Rob Craigie and Deb Fish on board the Sun Fast 3600 Bellino.
\nWindy start to the 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race \u00a9 Martin Allen\/pwpictures.com
\nThe forecast for the first 24 hours of this year\u2019s Rolex Fastnet Race is going to continue to make for a tough first night for competitors.
\nFor Sunday night competitors can expect strong winds of 23-28 knots in the English Channel, with acceleration zones around the headlands are likely to increase that to 30 knots. With wind against tide this evening, a short and steep sea state is expected around St Alban\u2019s Ledge and Portland Race.
\nWinds are forecast to ease by Monday morning as competitors make miles to the west, but only expected to initially abate to 18-23 knots, dropping off further by Tuesday.<\/p>\n
As competitors enter the Irish Sea, the wind is expected to back, then veer to the west around the Fastnet Rock. However, by Wednesday there will be a slow moving area of low pressure system west of Ireland, which is creating some uncertainty about where, and how quickly, the fronts will move and which portion of the fleet can anticipate southerly or westerly breezes after rounding the Rock.
\nThe leaders heading to Cherbourg can expect light winds off Brittany, but by Thursday south-westerly winds are expected to blanket the race course, building into Friday.\u00a0
\nSo far, it is too early to call whether the 49th\u00a0 Rolex Fastnet Race will be a big boats\u2019 race, or if the small boats will have a later advantage.
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\nThe post Tough first night for Rolex Fastnet Race with favourites among early retirements appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The world’s biggest offshore yacht race, the Rolex Fastnet Race, started today. Competitors can expect a tough first night after setting off from Cowes in demanding conditions which saw some big names forced out of the race early on.The classic … <\/p>\n