A trio of 100-footer monohulls set off for the one hundredth anniversary version of the Rolex Fastnet Race, with line honours contenders BlackJack 100 and SHK-Scallywag match racing their approach to Eire and again.
The monohull line honours winner of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race is BlackJack 100, ending the 695-mile race at 0021 (BST), early on Tuesday 29 July after second 12h 31m of racing.
Three 100-footer monohulls joined a file fleet for the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, including not solely an added component of spectacle to the packed IRC Tremendous Zero startline in Cowes, but additionally bringing some long-standing rivalries which are extra usually fought out on the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race to the biennial British traditional.
IRC Tremendous Zero begin of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race. Picture: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex
Early monohull leaders
It was Hong-Kong based mostly SHK-Scallywag, skippered by David Witt, which took the early lead out of the Solent. The veteran Leopard 3 initially caught carefully to the Hong Kong entry, and passing Portland Invoice this pairing had been facet by facet.
Nevertheless, by the Lizard BlackJack100, owned by Remon Vos, had pulled into a detailed second and arrange a duel which continued proper throughout the Irish Sea, the 2 yachts matching one another tack for tack all the best way to the Rock.
Scallywag 100 dwarves the spectator yachts at the beginning of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race.Picture: Rick Tomlinson/RORC
BlackJack skipper Tristan Le Brun defined on the dock after racing that the 2 boats had been overlaying one another so carefully, they had been utilizing the soiled air generated by the large five-spreader rig to try to stall their opponent as each boats fought for the favoured inside line. The 19-man crew had been additionally sustaining fixed tacking duels and sail modifications.
BlackJack wins line honours
SHK-Scallywag was the primary monohull across the Rock, rounding at 23:00 on Sunday 27 July, with BlackJack simply 7 minutes behind and Leopard in scorching pursuit, simply 9 minutes additional.
On the long term again the lead pair once more matched alongside one another. However after gybing in direction of the Scillies TSS, BlackJack managed to achieve a slight benefit on the attain east, which they prolonged to twenty miles approaching the Channel Isles.
BlackJack 100 gained monohull line honours within the Rolex Fastnet Race. Picture: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex
The pair break up at Alderney, BlackJack going south, and including manoeuvres to their remaining miles however selecting up beneficial tide. Le Brun mentioned they picked up round 6 knots of beneficial tide, which was coming from astern so strongly it affected the dealing with of the yacht.
In the meantime SHK-Scallywag took a straight line north, closing the hole to round 7 miles. However in a repeat of the Ultims’ battle for multihull line honours, it wasn’t fairly sufficient, and BlackJack took the win. We’ll have a full interview with skipper Le Brun tomorrow.
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