Yachts

Fastnet 2025: first Ultimes round the Rock… and light the afterburners

The road honours leaders within the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race have rounded the Fastnet Rock – and are actually flying south to Cherbourg at over 30 knots

The leaders within the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race have rounded the Fastnet Rock after 1 day and 4 hours of racing.

After a comparatively gradual first 24 hours, which noticed even the foiling Ultimes crawling alongside at 8-10 knots for durations this morning, the primary two boats have rounded the Fastnet Rock and are actually reaping the rewards with a quick flight house on flat seas with a following wind.

First to spherical 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’s race begin.

SVR-Lazartigue rounded the Rock at 1622 (BST) right this moment, instantly bearing away to hit speeds of over 35 knots.

Second was Armel Le Cléac’h on the Ultime Banque Populaire XI, who rounded 1hr and eight minutes later.

This duo are actually powering south-east in a 25-knot north-westerly, establishing for a quick and livid last 315 miles within the race for line honours. The chief is predicted to complete in Cherbourg round 0800 BST tomorrow morning.

The chief within the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, the Ultime SVR Lazartigue, rounds the Fastnet Rock. Photograph: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

Monohull leaders

Within the race for monohull line honours the 2 100-footers SHK-Scallywag and BlackJack are matching one another tack for tack, whereas within the constructing breeze Leopard has additionally made positive factors on the pair in third.

Within the IMOCA class the most recent boat within the fleet, Élodie Bonafous’s Affiliation Petit Princes has a slender lead from Jérémie Beyou’s well-campaigned Charal.

Largely benign circumstances for the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race to date – right here the Botin 52 Caro enjoys the corporate of dolphins within the Celtic Sea. Photograph: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

Fastnet 2025 retirements

Sadly, Pip Hare, Scott Shawyer and workforce on Be Water Constructive – Canada Ocean Racing retired from the race this morning after struggling a hydraulics subject.

LIke different fashionable IMOCAs, Be Water Constructive – Canada Ocean Racing (ex-Eleventh Hour Racing) has a complete hydraulics package deal that features key sail fittings that are required to stabilise the mast.

“We’re retiring as a result of a technical subject with one in every of our predominant hydraulic management methods,” stated the workforce in an announcement. “We’re gutted — that is such an iconic race and it’s so disappointing to not end it.

“However we’ve obtained six weeks of racing forward of us in The Ocean Race Europe, and it’s important that we keep targeted on a restore in time for that sequence of races beginning in simply two weeks’ time.”

The crew are all secure and the boat has arrived at Cherbourg.


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Ryan

Ryan O'Neill is a maritime enthusiast and writer who has a passion for studying and writing about ships and the maritime industry in general. With a deep passion for the sea and all things nautical, Ryan has a plan to unite maritime professionals to share their knowledge and truly connect Sea 2 Shore.

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