Nokia Overall IRC Winner of Rolex Fastnet Race

by Trish Jenkins on 16 Aug 2003 All day Friday the Rolex Fastnet Race fleet continued to stream over the finish line off Plymouth, with 111 boats finishing in one 12 hour period. The first Class 2 boat was Jeronimo, Jonathan and Lisa Goring’s J-109, that managed to stay in one weather system, with a good North Easterly 10 – 12 kt breeze, for most of the trip across the Celtic Sea, finishing eight hours ahead of the next boat in their class.

Most of the Class 3 boats were still racing as of Friday afternoon, with five boats finished by midday and the rest of the fleet expected to arrive in Plymouth throughout Saturday. Only eleven boats in the fleet have retired to date, out of the original 245 starters.

The prizegiving is at 17:00 today at the Royal Citadel in Plymouth where prizes for class and overall winners will be awarded. Charles Dunstone’s Nokia Connecting People, was Best Overall under IRC for the Fastnet Challenge Cup, while Mike Slade on Leopard won Best Overall under IRM for the Fastnet Rock Trophy. Both winners will be awarded a Rolex Yachtmaster Rolesium for their efforts.

Provisional Results:

Class Super 0 (Yacht Name, Owner)
1. Nokia Connecting People, Charles Dunstone
2. Alfa Romeo, Neville Crichton
3. Zephyrus V, Bob McNeil

Class 0
1. Jazz, Chris Bull
2. Roxy 9, Robert Davies
3. Fever, Grant Gordon & Klaus Diederichs

Class 1
1. Holmatro, Holmatro NV
2. Axelle, Hubert Wargny
3. Fastwave II, ACP Sailing

Class 2
1. Jeronimo, Jonathan & Lisa Goring
2. Winsome, Harry Heijst
3. Abitrator, Peter Hopps

Class 3Not yet finished

Large Multihull Class
1. Team Pulmic, Tony Bullimore

Multihull Class
1. Triohe, Richard Roscoe
2. Dazzle, Mike Butterfield
3. Mollymawk, Ross Hobson

Open 60 Class
1. VMI, Sebastien Josse
2. PRB, Vincent Riou
3. Chaman 3, Dominique Wavre


IRC – First yacht home: Alfa Romeo, Neville Crichton
IRM – First yacht home: Leopard, Mike Slade


Final results in full can be found online at www.rorc.org/fastnet/index.php

Copyright-free photos, for editorial purposes, are available online at: www.regattanews.com


Forecast is for East to NorthEasterly winds 10 – 15 knots late on Friday, increasing to 20 -25 knots locally before diminishing on Saturday to 10-15 kts.



Rolex Fastnet Race – Day Six

Quotes:

Best Overall, IRC:

‘It was a great team effort from start to finish. Everyone worked incredibly hard to ensure we didn’t park up once in the light and variable conditions, changing gear through the sail plan relentlessly.’- Charles Dunstone, owner of the Reichel/Pugh 76, Nokia Connecting People, overall winner under IRC, collects the Fastnet Challenge Cup.



‘We made an unbelievable number of sail changes and the crew work was phenomenal’ – Dave Bedford, skipper, Nokia Connecting People

‘We seem to have sailed a very different route to the other big boats, bit it seems to have worked for us’ – James Salter, navigator, Nokia Connecting People


Class 2 winner’It’s a small boat in a fleet of 72 in class and we won, so we are very pleased with that success. The race is bloody challenging to be honest. Stop, start, and frustrating at times and the terrible feeling that although you know you are doing well at the Rock, somebody is going to come right up behind you at the next zephyr and take it all away again.’ – Jonathan Goring, owner/skipper of J-109, Jeronimo, Class 2 winner, collects the Foxhound Cup.