Thanks to Suzanne and Alan Whitewood for this update from Royal Ocean Racing Club. Ed
Following on from Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2013, the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race will leave from Cowes on Sunday 11th August. This race is considered one of the great ocean races and the 2013 edition will see the 45th running of the event.
Started in 1925, with an entry of just seven boats, the Fastnet Race takes place from Cowes via the English Channel to the Fastnet Rock off Southern Ireland and then back to Plymouth with the finish in Plymouth Sound and covers a distance of 608 nautical miles.
For the 2011 Race ‘Ran’ was the winner with an elapsed time of just over two days. This was a second win in a row for ‘Ran’, this yacht having won in2009.
Entry reached capacity within 24 hours
Entries for this year’s race, which has a limit of 300 entries, opened on-line recently and by midday the next day the Royal Ocean Racing Club confirmed online entries for the race had reached capacity.
Less than 24 hours after the online entry system opened, the full number of 300 boats had registered for this classic race. This sets a new record previously held by the last race in 2011, when the limit was reached after ten days.
Seven seconds
Henny Abbenhues’ First 42s7 ’Blondie’ was the first boat to enter, only seven seconds after entries opened.
Nick Elliott, RORC Racing Manager confirmed: “It’s been an astonishing 24 hours with the 300 boat entry limit for the Rolex Fastnet Race being reached in record time. We are delighted that the race is so popular and that the places have once again been taken up faster than ever before.”
However, all is not necessarily lost for boats which have not been so quick to enter, as a waiting list can be joined.
Image: © RORC/Tim Wright/www.photoaction.com
