Rolex Fastnet 2007

The RORC Race Programme 2007 provides all the information that entries for this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race need to prepare the start on Sunday 12 August.  Areas that need particular attention are the training and the STIX and AVS requirements, and Janet Grosvenor has asked that all those intending to enter start their preparations early, and the race team are ready to answer any questions about eligibility.  The Rolex Fastnet race mini site will be up shortly, accessed via the RORC website www.rorc.org. The Open 60 Class will be racing double handed in the race as well as carrying a media person.  There is the possibility of a Class start for the Class 40, depending upon the number of entries. 

More tracking news

Last year’s Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland race saw the first real test of the tracking system developed by the OC Group and the RORC.  This year the system will be used by  the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein for their 3,600 mile HSH Nordbank Blue Race across the Atlantic starting in Newport in June and finishing in Hamburg.  However, the main impetus behind the development programme has been to ensure that up to 300 stand alone units are available to equip all entries in the Rolex Fastnet Race – the first time that such a large offshore fleet has been fitted with tracking units.  If the massive website following that the 28 entries in the Sevenstar race attracted are a portent of things to come, the major challenge is to make sure that we don’t have a server meltdown!

Stuck on gorgeous

The quote from Gary Jobson describes the stunning sailing conditions for this year’s Key West regatta.   With an IRC fleet of some 28 boats spread across 3 Classes there was some stunning racing and RORC members were well represented.  The event saw the first races for  RORC Commodore David Aisher’s new Rogers 46 Yeoman XXXII. Racing in the 8 strong IRC Class 2, Yeoman was the lowest rating boat in the Class and was up against both 1^st and 3^rd generation TP52s, a new Reichel Pugh 45 Sjambok reyw and Colm Barrington’s Ker 50 Magic Glove.  With constant winds in the 8-12 kts range the weather was perfect for some champagne sailing over the windward/leeward courses, organised by Premier Racing.  However, the tight courses and close racing meant that there was little room for any mistakes.  David Aisher was pleased with Yeoman’s first results which included a couple of 3^rd placings.  Mike Broughton was also at Key West racing on Magic Glove which had the second lowest rating.  With a low rating in a class of such quality, Mike said that a good start was essential and to ensure clear air sometimes Magic Glove adopted the tactic of starting on port and crossing behind the starboard tack boats before tacking into clear air.  As Mike said, this only worked because that starts were so close, and they didn’t have to take into account the late starboard tacker!  All this and sun too!  

One of the features of the Key West regatta were nightly seminars from experts such as Ken Read and Tom Whidden, and the professional manner that crews approached the event was emphasised by the fact that some boats had been practising on the race course fro up to 4 days before the event.   IRC Class 1 included 3 Swan 601s with Russell Coutts and Dee Smith adding some that IRC racing has really matured in the USA.  This is reinforced by the fact that over 50 new boats are being built in the US to the IRC rule.  One aspect of the growth of IRC in the US was the convincing win of Class 3 IRC by the NYYC 42.  With over 30 NYYC 42s being built for US owners this is real commitment.  There is also talk of a US team for the Rolex Commodores’ Cup 2008 which would see a welcome return of an American team to this event.

The Rolex Fastnet will also be the final race for the Super Zero yachts racing for the Seahorse Magazine Trophy.  This is open to any yacht that is between 14 and 30 metres LOA and with an IRC rating of 1.420 and upwards, whether it has a fixed or canting keel.  The Trophy will be raced over 3 days racing based on Cowes, with one race on the Friday before Skandia Cowes Week, a Round the Island race on Wednesday 8 August and a short coastal race on Thursday 9 August.