THE BIG MOVE
Moving the finish line of a 96-year-old fixture caused nothing short of an uproar, when it was announced that two editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race would finish in Cherbourg.
The reasons behind it were pragmatic, while the vision was laudable: the new finish venue would deliver an offshore spectacle to capitalise on the French love affair with offshore sailing. Corinthian family crews could moor alongside their idols, while on shore would be a buzzing event village to bring the whole fleet together. Then Covid happened.
“Six months before the event, I was thinking this doesn’t look great,” admits Eddie Wardenowen (above), former RORC CEO and a key driver behind the Cherbourg move. “We could so easily have not been able to run the event, which would obviously be hugely damaging. So, we should be really proud of the fact that we ran a very successful event enjoyed by all that participated.”
Although many boats opted to sail through the finish line and return home this year, there were hints of what a ‘French’ Fastnet finish could become. When Maxi Edmond de Rothschild took line honours spectators streamed down to the breakwater to applaud them in, the night air filled with cordite and champagne as they celebrated on the dock. Some IMOCA skippers – notably Sam Davies and Jérémie Beyou – spent time in the race village being mobbed by fans of all ages. While the logistics of bringing foilers and maxis into harbour are challenging, it was disappointing that few professional teams did the same.
Warden-owen agrees that is something that needs to be encouraged, but adds: “Remember this race is not about the superstar boats, the race is about the guys in Class 2, 3 and 4. The fact that they come from all over the world – that, to me, is the challenge of the Rolex Fastnet Race, about the amateur versus the professional.”
The Cherbourg deal was a two-race package, 2021 and 2023. The following year, 2025, marks the 100th anniversary of the Fastnet Race and the RORC, and the club has never ruled out returning to Plymouth for its centenary. Warden-owen says that option is still open. “In some way we’re too early to say what we’ll do for the 100th,” he says. “Who knows where we’ll be in four years time?”