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Rolex Fastnet Fast Approaching
Royal Ocean Racing Club @ Wed Jul 1 10:48:00 2009
The fleet is in excellent shape. With participants from 16 different nations on the start-line, it will be an international gathering of the yacht-racing fraternity. The British and French make up the bulk of the fleet, but entries have been received from Hong Kong, Australia and the USA too, proving the lure of the Rolex Fastnet still crosses the oceans as it did in its earliest days.
The Americans are fielding half-dozen entries, including 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart winner, Rosebud, owned and campaigned by Roger Sturgeon. The STP65 is an out-and-out racing machine with a pro-crew onboard, a far cry from Australia’s most famous entry this time around: Alex Whitworth achieved notoriety in the sailing world for undertaking a circumnavigation of the globe with Peter Crozier that coincidentally started with the 2005 Rolex Sydney Hobart and ended at the finish of the 2006 edition of the race, after taking in the 2005 Rolex Fastnet en-route. All this in the tiny, but robust, Brolga 33, Berrimilla, a different proposition to the carbon machine that Sturgeon has at his command, but certainly an indication of the diverse nature of the competing boats.
Hong Kong’s flagship is under the ownership of Karl Kwok. Kwok is one of the region’s top owners and has launched a series of yachts under the name Beau Geste. 2009 sees that latest addition to the fold, an 80-foot (24-metre) Farr designed racer that steps a 38-metre, “5 spreader, cathedral in-line rig, built from high modulus carbon fibre mast, stayed with the same continuous carbon rigging as the Volvo Ocean 70s”. Hong Kong’s second set of representatives will be sailing something quite different to Beau Geste. Frenchman, Denis Lazat who lives and works in Hong Kong will compete in his Pogo 40, Jumpa Lagi, half the size and around a quarter of the crew, since the Class 40s are typically sailing with five. Lazat is a member of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and all his crew are from the territory.
Italy’s challenge also comes in large and small versions. Another yachting dynasty, Luna Rossa, will be part of the battle for mini-maxi supremacy alongside Rosebud and Niklas Zennstrom’s Ran (GBR). The Luna Rossa name is associated most commonly with the America’s Cup. Whilst Patrizio Bertelli’s latest racing yacht is an STP65 and an offshore boat, expect to see many sailors from the Cup world in the pro line-up. Sadly, regular crew and Olympian Robert Scheidt will not be on board. We dip back into the Class 40s for the second Italian representative – solo round the world sailor, Giovanni Soldini, who became a hero in France when he rescued Isabelle Autissier from her upturned hull in the 1998/99 Around Alone Race. Soldini will be racing Telecom Italia.
Britain, too, has its fair share of stark contrasts. ICAP Leopard will be the biggest and fastest boat in the race, aiming to lop more time off the existing course record if conditions suit, as owner Mike Slade remarks, “we are really looking forward to the Rolex Fastnet Race this year. It is always special and we will definitely be out to beat our 2007 record. The improvements to ICAP Leopard that have been made since the ’07 race have put an average of 7% onto the boat’s speed, but we were exceptionally quick coming back from the Rock to Plymouth last time in 24-25 knots of breeze, so it will be very much dependent on the weather.” Slade views the Rolex Fastnet as part one in a two-part offshore classic being attempted this year, as he heads to Australia for a Christmas rendezvous with the Rolex Sydney Hobart.
At the other end of the design spectrum, the 45-foot (or 60-foot if you include the bowsprit) Morwenna, may be brand-spanking new, but she is built from ash and larch rather than carbon-fibre. In fact, she is a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter – just as the 1925 race winner, Jolie Brise. Morwenna is based upon the 1906 design, Mischief, once owned by the boy’s own adventurer Bill Tillman. According to her skipper, Stuart Jenkins, “we want to show that traditionally built boats are strong, reliable and safe and to encourage people to learn traditional way of sailing.”
With other crews and competing boats drawn from Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Chile, Germany, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands it would not be unreasonable to expect a feeling of an international convention when the yachts start finishing in Plymouth.
The main trophy for overall victory in the Rolex Fastnet is the Fastnet Challenge Cup. In addition, there are more than thirty additional trophies that will be awarded at the prizegiving on Friday, 14 August at the historic Royal Citadel, home of the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, overlooking Plymouth Harbour.
The first signal for the start of the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race sounds at 11.50 BST on Sunday, 9 August.
Further information about the RORC and the Rolex Fastnet Race including a provisional entry list may be found at fastnet.rorc.org and competitors are encouraged to keep a close eye on these web pages since all administrative documentation and race notices will be posted there. -
Crew selected for John Merricks II Fastnet bid
RYA @ Wed Jun 24 08:03:00 2009
John Merricks II in action.
Credit Paul Wyeth/RYA.
The fourteen, plus skipper Luke McCarthy, will embark upon the famous 608-mile offshore challenge, which departs from Cowes on Sunday 9 August, and have earned their berths through a combination of training and races, teamwork, how well they cope with the challenges of offshore sailing, as well as their fitness and commitment with the upkeep and maintenance of the boat.
Five of the crew – skipper McCarthy, Nick Cherry, Scott Millar, Ben Pym and Sally Olsen – were involved with the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the toughest in living memory where just 51 of the 300 boats entered were able to complete the race due to rough seas and appalling weather.
This year, the crew of John Merricks II is a mix of youth and experience with the five Fastnet ‘veterans’ joined by five sailors – Chris Noble, Ed Dyer, Becky Scott, Peter Cowell and Phil Miller – who, despite having only joined the RYA Keelboat Programme in 2008, have already shown all the skills and attributes required to be part of a successful offshore campaign.
The selected crew members have all been involved in ISAF Offshore safety training in preparation for the race.
“The crew has been selected by myself and Luke McCarthy as skipper, with input from others closely involved with the boat,” explained RYA Racing Manager John Derbyshire.
“We’ve had some difficult decisions to make, but we’re delighted with the team and confident that the blend of skills and personalities are what’s needed to have an effective team which can compete with distinction at the Rolex Fastnet Race.”
Derbyshire continued: “Those who have unfortunately missed out on selection we are trying to place on other boats and hope that their enthusiasm continues.”
All involved with the campaign, and Phil Miller in particular as boat captain, have invested many hours in preparing and maintaining the boat during the 2009 season, in which John Merricks II has already won the IRC Super Zero Class at the Cervantes Trophy, took line honours and finished third overall in the Myth of Malham, and second in class at the Red Funnel Easter Regatta.
But despite the boat’s early season success, skipper McCarthy is aware that conditions could make it tough going for the crew as they embark on their Rolex Fastnet challenge.
“The event is so condition dependent, overall you never know where you’re going to finish,” he explained.
“There are a number of other TP52s entered so we’ll mostly focus on how we fare against them – we’ve had a good tussle with Cutting Edge this season, plus there’s an American TP called Lucky, and also the Farr 52 Chernikeef 2 to contend with, which is crewed by another group of young sailors.
“We’ve got a hugely talented group, both in terms of their sailing ability but also the other skills they bring to the mix,” McCarthy continued. “For many on the John Merricks II crew this is the culmination of three years of hard work, but also for those newcomers to the Programme it just goes to show how far you can come in six to nine months with the right skills and dedication.”
John Merricks II crew for the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race:
Skipper/navigator – Luke McCarthy (from Brighton; now lives Southampton)
Helm – Tom Smedley (Portsmouth)
Helm – Nick Cherry (Birmingham; now Southampton)
Trim/helm – Scott Millar (N. Ireland)
Trim/helm – Ben Pym (Cardiff)
Trim – Chris Noble (Glasgow)
Trim/helm – Josh Rumbol (Poole)
Trim – Sally Olsen (Devon)
Trim/grind – Ed Dyer (Reading)
Pit/trim – Tim Jestico (London)
Trim/pit – Becky Scott (Helensburgh)
Trim/sewer – Hester Robertson (Edinburgh)
Mast/grind – Rich Graham (Southampton)
Bow/trim – Peter Cowell (Shropshire)
Bow – Phil Miller (Southampton)
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Rolex Fastnet Attracts Diverse Fleet
ISAF @ Fri May 15 08:58:00 2009
Rambler and ICAP Leopard are the first boats to round the Fastnet Rock in the 2007 race
©ROLEX/Daniel Forster
Organizers, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, immediately set up a waiting list, which currently stands at seventy confirming the enduring and considerable interest in this classic offshore race that this year starts at 12:00 on Sunday 9 August from the Royal Yacht Squadron line at Cowes.
As one would expect with so many yachts entered, the fleet is a broad cross-section of the international offshore racing scene, with the smallest yacht (Fore Winds from Poland) at 30ft (9.5m) up to the largest at 100 feet (30.5m). Crews range from the full on professional through the Corinthian racers to those just taking part for the adventure and challenge presented by the 608 nautical miles. Entries have been drawn from near and far. The allure of Rolex Fastnet continues to attract competitors from across Europe, the USA and, even, Hong Kong and Australia.
The highlight within the substantial fleet looks to be the current race record holder – Mike SLADE’s (GBR) Farr 100 ICAP Leopard, which has undergone some surgery since setting a time of 1 day, 20 hours, 18 minutes in 2007; given the right conditions she could well lop more time off the benchmark. Leopard will not be the only 100-footer on the line, Liara the Bill DIXON-designed Performance Yachting 100 will be there too. Whilst Liara is performance oriented, she should be no match for a race-prepared Leopard, which looks likely to be cutting a lonely furrow at the head of the fleet unlike 2007 when it took until near the finish to shake off the smaller Rambler. Just behind the big boys will be a much-anticipated battle in the 65 to 75 foot mini-maxi range with the STP65s Rosebud (USA), winner of 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart, and Luna Rossa (ITA), new this season, set to do battle with Ran (GBR) the 72-foot Judel/Vrolijk design owned by Nicklas ZENNSTROM of Skype fame.
The 2007 Rolex Fastnet overall winner was the Cookson 50, Chieftain. In this entry zone of 45 feet and up to the mini-maxis, there are number of modern and performance-oriented boats, including two Ker 46s – John SHEPHERD’s Fair Do’s VII (GBR) and Piet VROON’s latest Tonnerre de Breskens (NED). VROON is a former overall race winner, in 2001, the first year of Rolex’s partnership with the event. Amongst others, these seasoned campaigners will be up against three Rogers 46s, including past-Commodore David AISHER’s Yeoman XXXII and two German competitors, Chris WUTTKE’s Guts ‘n’ Glory and Jens KELLINGHUSEN’s Varuna.
The 40-45 foot segment looks to be dominated by a two very-different class battles. There are 19 Class 40s on the list, including Giovanni SOLDINI’s Telecom Italia (ITA), along with ten First 40.7s. The Class 40 specifies a minimum weight of 4,500kg and carries 115 square metres of upwind sail area with 120 sq m of asymetric spinnakers flown from a stayed carbon bowsprit, so for their size these boats are very fast. 40.7s are more cruiser/racers with close to 7,000 kg displacement and only around 70 sq m of upwind sail plan.
Sub-40 foot is equally a mixture of the sleek and fast, slow and stable. Perhaps, most surprisingly is that only one Contessa 32, James MOORE’s Katisha, is on the competitor roster this year. However, there are plenty of familiar faces including the overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet in 2005, Frenchman Jean Yves CHARLES and his Nicholson 33 Iromiguy. Iromiguy’s victory was the first time a boat under 40-foot boat had won the race in some thirty-years. Also competing is current RORC Commodore Andrew MCIRVINE on the Corby 36, Quokka.
As is tradition the Rolex Fastnet will start in Cowes and finish in Plymouth. There will be a change, though, once the yachts pass the breakwater in Plymouth Sound, with the majority of yachts being berthed in Sutton Harbour in the Barbican area of Plymouth.
The main trophy for overall victory in the Rolex Fastnet is the Fastnet Challenge Cup. In addition, there are more than thirty additional trophies that will be awarded at the prizegiving on Friday 14 August at the historic Royal Citadel, home of the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, overlooking Plymouth Harbour.
The first signal for the start of the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race sounds at 11:50 BST on Sunday 9 August.
Further information about the RORC and the Rolex Fastnet Race can be found athttp://fastnet.rorc.org/ and competitors are encouraged to keep a close eye on these web pages since all administrative documentation and race notices will be posted there.
Trish Jenkins
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Rolex Fastnet Attracts Diverse Fleet
www.regattanews.com @ Thu May 14 08:42:00 2009
RAMBLER and ICAP LEOPARD, the first boats to round the Fastnet Rock
Photo credit: Rolex / Daniel Forster
As one would expect with so many yachts entered, the fleet is a broad cross-section of the international offshore racing scene, with the smallest yacht (Fore Winds from Poland) at 30ft (9.5m) up to the largest at 100 feet (30.5m). Crews range from the full on professional through the Corinthian racers to those just taking part for the adventure and challenge presented by the 608 nautical miles. Entries have been drawn from near and far. The allure of Rolex Fastnet continues to attract competitors from across Europe, the USA and, even, Hong Kong and Australia.
The highlight within the substantial fleet looks to be the current race record holder – Mike Slade’s Farr 100 ICAP Leopard (GBR), which has undergone some surgery since setting a time of 1 day, 20 hours, 18 minutes in 2007; given the right conditions she could well lop more time off the benchmark. Leopard will not be the only 100-footer on the line, Liara the Bill Dixon designed Performance Yachting 100 will be there too. Whilst Liara is performance oriented, she should be no match for a race-prepared Leopard, which looks likely to be cutting a lonely furrow at the head of the fleet unlike 2007 when it took until near the finish to shake off the smaller Rambler. Just behind the big boys will be a much-anticipated battle in the 65 to 75 foot mini-maxi range with the STP65s Rosebud (USA), winner of 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart, and Luna Rossa (ITA), new this season, set to do battle with Ran (GBR) the 72-foot Judel/Vrolijk design owned by Nicklas Zennstrom of Skype fame.
The 2007 Rolex Fastnet overall winner was the Cookson 50, Chieftain. In this entry zone of 45 feet and up to the mini-maxis, there are number of modern and performance-oriented boats, including two Ker 46s – John Shepherd’s Fair Do’s VII (GBR) and Piet Vroon’s latest Tonnerre de Breskens (NED). Vroon is a former overall race winner, in 2001, the first year of Rolex’s partnership with the event. Amongst others, these seasoned campaigners will be up against three Rogers 46s, including past-Commodore David Aisher’s Yeoman XXXII and two German competitors, Chris Wuttke’s Guts ‘n’ Glory and Jens Kellinghusen’s Varuna.
The 40-45 foot segment looks to be dominated by a two very-different class battles. There are nineteen Class 40s on the list, including Giovanni Soldini’s Telecom Italia (ITA), along with ten First 40.7s. The Class 40 specifies a minimum weight of 4,500kg and carries 115 square metres of upwind sail area with 120 sq m of asymetric spinnakers flown from a stayed carbon bowsprit, so for their size these boats are very fast. 40.7s are more cruiser/racers with close to 7,000 kg displacement and only around 70 sq m of upwind sail plan.
Sub-40 foot is equally a mixture of the sleek and fast, slow and stable. Perhaps, most surprisingly is that only one Contessa 32, James Moore’s Katisha, is on the competitor roster this year. However, there are plenty of familiar faces including the overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet in 2005, Frenchman Jean Yves Charles and his Nicholson 33 Iromiguy. Iromiguy’s victory was the first time a boat under 40-foot boat had won the race in some thirty-years. Also competing is current RORC Commodore Andrew McIrvine on the Corby 36, Quokka.
As is tradition the Rolex Fastnet will start in Cowes and finish in Plymouth. There will be a change, though, once the yachts pass the breakwater in Plymouth Sound, with the majority of yachts being berthed in Sutton Harbour in the Barbican area of Plymouth.
The main trophy for overall victory in the Rolex Fastnet is the Fastnet Challenge Cup. In addition, there are more than thirty additional trophies that will be awarded at the prizegiving on Friday, 14 August at the historic Royal Citadel, home of the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, overlooking Plymouth Harbour.
The first signal for the start of the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race sounds at 1150 BST on Sunday, 9 August.
Further information about the RORC and the Rolex Fastnet Race can be found at fastnet.rorc.org and competitors are encouraged to keep a close eye on these web pages since all administrative documentation and race notices will be posted there.
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Preview RORC Red Funnel Easter Challenge – The Season Starter Coaching Classic
RORC @ Mon Mar 16 09:22:00 2009
Once again RORC have relaxed the rules on outside assistance to allow on-the-water coaching which will be organised by Jim Saltonstall and his coaching team, including Cathy Foster, Barry Dunning and RORC Chief Executive Eddie Warden Owen.
“It is an initiative RORC introduced some years ago to give competitors the opportunity to brush off the winter rust and get some useful coaching input whilst racing.” commented Eddie.
The event has always attracted a highly diverse fleet of yachts and competitors and this year is no exception. An international fleet of custom and production yachts will be racing on tight Solent Courses designed to emphasise crew work and boat handling. Entries are still coming in but already there is a fleet boasting over 20 different designs.
Rolex Commodores’ Cup competitors, Nick and Annie Haigh will be competing in their sixth Red Funnel Easter Challenge with their DK46, Dark and Steamy: “It is the premier regatta to start off the season and shake off the cobwebs.” Commented Nick. “We have a big squad this year and the Red Funnel Easter Challenge is a great way to get everybody together and start our Rolex Fastnet campaign.”
The Royal Engineer Yacht Club is entering three boats with a mixture of serving officers, retired officers and civilians. Bridget Forster is sailing on X-332, Ilex of Upnor, this will be her third Red Funnel Easter Challenge: “It’s a fantastic introduction to racing for people who have expressed an interest. It’s a very sociable regatta for sailors who enjoy yachting for the fun of it and there’s always something to learn from the coaches, no matter how experienced you are.”
All competitors will be welcome at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club; the Island Sailing Club’ the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club and the Royal London Yacht Club. For details of accommodation and dining facilities please contact the individual Club.
"The Red Funnel Easter Challenge is not restricted to RORC yachts. Any yacht which meets the requirements of the Notice of Race (seehttp://www.rorc.org/content/view/398/343/ ) is most welcome and the owners and their crew will benefit from the superb coaching and the friendly atmosphere. It is an ideal opportunity at the start of the season, to have a really good look at how to improve your sailing and ultimately get the most out of your sport.” Commented RORC Racing Manager, Ian Loffhagen.
Enter for the Red Funnel Easter Challenge online via the RORC website: www.rorc.org
