Fastnet 50th anniversary
Setting sail from Cowes on Saturday 22 July 2023 will be the 50th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Rolex Fastnet Race.
For most of its life the Fastnet Race has been held biennially, however from the first race until 1931 it was held annually and three editions were lost due to WW2. It gained a special standing in the years when it was part of the Admiral’s Cup. The first race, then simply known as the ‘Ocean Race’ and held on a course from Ryde to Plymouth via the Fastnet Rock, took place in 1925 with seven starters. A dinner immediately after the finish resulted in the Ocean Racing Club being established with Lt Cmdr EG Martin, owner of the first race’s winner, Jolie Brise, appointed commodore.
The race was inspired by the Newport-Bermuda oshore race (first held in 1906) and US entries have remained strong. Some notable US winners include yacht designer Rod Stephens Snr with Dorade (1931 and 1933); ; CNN founder Ted Turner’s Tenacious, which won the infamous 1979 race; and, most recently, David and Peter Askew on Wizard (2019).
The race has always attracted a powerful entry from the continent and especially France, with Eric Tabarly winning on board
Pen Duick III in 1967. Four of the last 10 races have also been won by France.
For a second consecutive occasion, the 2023 race will finish in Cherbourg-enCotentin with a 695-nautical mile course via the Fastnet Rock. Entry opens on 11 January 2023, with places expected to sell out in less than five minutes.