Rolex Fastnet Race set to be biggest offshore race ever - here’s who to watch for in the incredible fleet

The Rolex Fastnet Race, which begins tomorrow (Saturday 26 July) could possibly be the most important offshore race ever. Here is who to look out for within the extraordinary fleet:

The Rolex Fastnet Race appears to be like set to have fun its one hundredth birthday (24 years sponsored by Rolex) with a report fleet, making this yr’s working the most important offshore race ever.

The 51st version of the well-known race begins from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, UK, this Saturday, twenty sixth Juy, with a 695-mile course to Cherbourg, France, by way of the eponymous Fastnet Rock off Eire.

The entry record at present stands at 451 yachts, which might smash the earlier report entry of 430 (within the fiftieth version, in 2023) and likewise make it the most important ever yacht race for sheer variety of rivals. Over 3,500 sailors will participate, aged from 14-81 years!

The fleet just isn’t solely huge, however numerous, and spectacular. It consists of three 100-footers: Black Jack, SHK Scallywag and Leopard right down to the 27ft (8.5m) Puffin.

SHK Scallywag returns for the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, one in every of three 100-footers. Photograph Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

Flying Multihulls

First to begin on Saturday would be the multihulls at 1120, which incorporates 4 Ultime large trimarans. Manoeuvring these excessive pace behemoths in a crowded Solent is especially difficult, and 4 large multis will make for a really spectacular sight.   The fleet consists of present course report holder SVR-Lazartigue, who two years in the past was first to complete in Cherbourg in simply 1 day 8 hours 38 minutes 27 seconds. Together with co-skippers Franck Cammas and Tom Laperche, the fighter-jet type foiling trimaran welcomes America’s Cup profitable helmsman Pete Burling onboard.

Burling has been on board coaching within the Ultime, and commented: “It’s a tremendous boat — big, highly effective, but very secure. It’s additionally unbelievable to see how a lot these boats have developed for the reason that final time I sailed an Ultima.”

The four-strong Ultime fleet will make for a spectacular sight on the Cowes startline. Photograph: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

Additionally on the Ultime startline shall be Precise Ultim 4, which is the previous Maxi Edmond de Rothschild/Gitana 18 – one other former Fastnet winner and record-setter; now skippered by Anthony Marchand and joined for the Fastnet by British ocean racer Alan Roberts.

There’s additionally Thomas Coville’s Sodebo; and Armel le Cleac’h and his group on Maxi Banque Populaire XI, whose crew consists of Briton Sam Goodchild.

The Ultimes aren’t the one quick multihulls within the fleet – there are 20 MOCRA entries, together with two MOD70s, Jason Carroll’s Argo and Erik Maris’ Zoulou, with an all-star crew record together with Loick Peyron (Zoulou) and Brian Thompson (Argo). There are additionally 9 Ocean Fifty trimarans – the category Sam Goodchild as soon as described to me as “arguably one of the crucial harmful and sketchy boats to sail offshore!”.

Foiling IMOCAs

9 IMOCAs will line up on their very own begin , many groups utilizing it as a pipe-opener earlier than The Ocean Race Europe, which begins in August. Doubtless favourites embody Vendée Globe runner-up Yoann Richomme with Paprec Arkéa. Richomme was additionally runner-up within the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race – 4 minutes behind winner Charlie Dalin’s Macif – and shall be seeking to go one higher this yr.

One other hotly fancied IMOCA is the model new Affiliation Petits Princes-Queguiner, which solely launched in February and completed 2nd in its debut race, June’s Course des Caps race round Britain.

Designed by foiling genius Guillaume Verdier the brand new IMOCA is an up to date sistership to the Vendée Globe winner Macif, and skippered by Elodie Bonafous, a high Solitaire du Figaro racer. Her crew consists of ocean racing legends Pascal Bidegorry and Yann Eliès.

9 IMOCAs begin the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, together with Sam Davies on Intiatives Couer. Photograph Rick Tomlinson/RORC

The star-studded IMOCA fleet additionally consists of Jérémie Beyou along with his Manuard-designed Charal 2, Britain’s Sam Davies, racing with offshore protege Violette Dorange on Initiatives-Coeur 4, and Justine Mettraux with SNEF Teamwork.

Common Yachting World contributor and British Vendée Globe entrant Pip Hare shall be racing with Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Constructive. The previous Ocean Race profitable and Third-placed Vendée ending boat (Sébastien Simon’s Groupe Dubreuil) is now owned by Canadian Scott Shawyer, who’s constructing as much as a 2028 Vendée Globe marketing campaign.

Admirals’ Cup firepower

The massive boat fleet has been bolstered by the 29 boats competing within the Admiral’s Cup fleet.

Every Admiral’s Cup group has needed to steadiness optimisation between the inshore race collection and triple-points Rolex Fastnet Race offshore. So it’ll be fascinating to see if the lighter constructed inshore designs or extra skilled offshore race groups come to the fore.

Rán is among the Grand Prix fleet becoming a member of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race as a part of the RORC Admiral’s Cup. Photograph: James Tomlinson

For instance, the lead boat within the huge boat class is at present the model new WallyRocket 51, Whereas the Royal Irish YC group is at present mendacity twelfth total, however their group is made up of Dawn IV, a JPK 1180, and the Cookson 50 Privateer – each massively skilled and profitable offshore groups which have beforehand received within the Rolex Fastnet Race. With triple factors weighted to the Fastnet, there might but be a reshuffle within the Admiral’s Cup.

Document Fastnet fleet

However the big fleet measurement has been swelled by giant entries throughout the monohull lessons – with over 380 IRC entries, on high of 24 Class 40s.

There shall be over 45 of the massively profitable JPK line, dozens of J-Boats, 16 SunFast 3600s and the identical of 3200s, and 16 Swans of all vintages.

An unbelievable 81 groups have entered the 695-mile marathon as double-handed crews.

After which there are many iconic boats for true yacht racing aficionados to swoon over. They embody the well-known maxi Kialoa II, 1961 line honours winner Stormvogel, and the Nielsen-designed Hound, in-built 1970 (watch our course preview from Hound’s navigator Conrad Humphreys).