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 starts tomorrow (Saturday 26 July) could be the biggest offshore race ever. Here's who to look out for in the extraordinary fleet:

The Rolex Fastnet Race looks set to celebrate its 100th birthday (24 years sponsored by Rolex) with a record fleet, making this year’s running the biggest offshore race ever.

The 51st edition of the famous race starts from Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, UK, this Saturday, 26th Juy, with a 695-mile course to Cherbourg, France, via the eponymous Fastnet Rock off Ireland.

The entry list currently stands at 451 yachts, which would smash the previous record entry of 430 (in the 50th edition, in 2023) and also make it the biggest ever yacht race for sheer number of competitors. Over 3,500 sailors will take part, aged from 14-81 years!

The fleet is not only massive, but diverse, and spectacular. It includes three 100-footers: Black Jack, SHK Scallywag and Leopard down to the 27ft (8.5m) Puffin.

Flying Multihulls

First to start on Saturday will be the multihulls at 1120, which includes four Ultime giant trimarans. Manoeuvring these high speed behemoths in a crowded Solent is particularly challenging, and four giant multis will make for a truly impressive sight. 

The fleet includes current course record holder SVR-Lazartigue, who two years ago was first to finish in Cherbourg in just 1 day 8 hours 38 minutes 27 seconds. Along with co-skippers Franck Cammas and Tom Laperche, the fighter-jet style foiling trimaran welcomes America’s Cup winning helmsman Pete Burling onboard.

Burling has been on board training in the Ultime, and commented: “It’s an amazing boat — huge, powerful, yet very stable. It’s also incredible to see how much these boats have evolved since the last time I sailed an Ultima.”

Also on the Ultime startline will be Actual Ultim 4, which is the former Maxi Edmond de Rothschild/Gitana 18 – another former Fastnet winner and record-setter; now skippered by Anthony Marchand and joined for the Fastnet by British ocean racer Alan Roberts.

There’s also Thomas Coville’s Sodebo; and Armel le Cleac’h and his team on Maxi Banque Populaire XI, whose crew includes Briton Sam Goodchild.

The Ultimes aren’t the only fast multihulls in the fleet – there are 20 MOCRA entries, including two MOD70s, Jason Carroll’s Argo and Erik Maris’ Zoulou, with an all-star crew list including Loick Peyron (Zoulou) and Brian Thompson (Argo). There are also nine Ocean Fifty trimarans – the class Sam Goodchild once described to me as “arguably one of the most dangerous and sketchy boats to sail offshore!”.

Foiling IMOCAs

Nine IMOCAs will line up on their own start , many teams using it as a pipe-opener before The Ocean Race Europe, which starts in August. Likely favourites include Vendée Globe runner-up Yoann Richomme with Paprec Arkéa. Richomme was also runner-up in the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race – four minutes behind winner Charlie Dalin’s Macif – and will be looking to go one better this year.

Another hotly fancied IMOCA is the brand new Association Petits Princes-Queguiner, which only launched in February and finished 2nd in its debut race, June’s Course des Caps race around Britain.

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

The star-studded IMOCA fleet also includes Jérémie Beyou 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.

Regular Yachting World contributor and British Vendée Globe entrant Pip Hare will be racing with Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive. The former Ocean Race winning and 3rd-placed Vendée finishing boat (Sébastien Simon’s Groupe Dubreuil) is now owned by Canadian Scott Shawyer, who is building up to a 2028 Vendée Globe campaign.

Admirals’ Cup firepower

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

Each Admiral’s Cup team has had to balance optimisation between the inshore race series and triple-points Rolex Fastnet Race offshore. So it’ll be fascinating to see if the lighter built inshore designs or more experienced offshore race teams come to the fore.

For example, the lead boat in the big boat class is currently the brand new WallyRocket 51, Whereas the Royal Irish YC team is currently lying 12th overall, but their team is made up of Sunrise IV, a JPK 1180, and the Cookson 50 Privateer – both hugely experienced and successful offshore teams that have previously won in the Rolex Fastnet Race. With triple points weighted to the Fastnet, there could yet be a reshuffle in the Admiral’s Cup.

Record Fastnet fleet

But the huge fleet size has been swelled by large entries across the monohull classes – with over 380 IRC entries, on top of 24 Class 40s.

There will be over 45 of the hugely successful JPK line, dozens of J-Boats, 16 SunFast 3600s and the same of 3200s, and 16 Swans of all vintages.

An incredible 81 teams have entered the 695-mile marathon as double-handed crews.

And then there are plenty of iconic boats for true yacht racing aficionados to swoon over. They include the famous maxi Kialoa II, 1961 line honours winner Stormvogel, and the Nielsen-designed Hound, built in 1970 (watch our course preview from Hound’s navigator Conrad Humphreys).

Check out our full Rolex Fastnet Race coverage on Yachtingworld.com, social channels and YouTube as we follow the Fastnet fleet to Cherbourg.

 

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