Anticipation rises in centenary Rolex Fastnet Race
by Quinag 30 Jul 08:42 PDT
30 July 2025
Of the 444 yachts competing in the centenary edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, some 380 are eligible for overall victory under IRC Time Correction.
Ever since Black Jack 100 crossed the line, podium places in the different classes have begun to take shape. Naturally, all eyes have been on the top of the overall leaderboard. While several yachts have held pole position, with so many taking part, the hold has proved tenuous for many.
First held in 1925, the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race is organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Rolex has partnered the event and club since 2001. The historic contest marked by tales of human achievement, is one of the foundations of the Swiss Watchmaker's near 70-year association with the sport of yachting.
Tschuss from the United States had looked secure for several hours, until a group of smaller entries began to match-race their way to the finish driving each other to go faster and faster, to find every tenth of a knot of advantage from the wind or tide. The professionally stacked crews on Callisto from New Zealand, Beau Ideal from Hong Kong and Jolt 6 representing Monaco, gave a masterclass in offshore resilience and determination, all finishing within a three minute period of extraordinary intensity and nerves. Jolt proved to have the all-important edge.
Italian Django JPK, also featuring many elite professionals, threatened briefly but to no avail. Then, 12 hours later, in a boost to the Corinthian entries that make up the bulk of the fleet, the family led crew on the Australian Swan 53 Bedouin took the lead by 16 minutes. Three subsequent finishers with far more pedigree were potentially undone by rules infringements at the start or the Rock, demonstrating the margins between success and failure include rigorous attention to detail.
Then, a few hours after Bedouin's impressive accomplishment, came a group of Double Handed entries. Sailing the course with just two crew members, the quality of this category is such that, even with a deficit in human resources, they can give fully crewed yachts a real fight. Leon was the first of three French pairs to finish, and bettering Bedouin by a solid two hours on corrected time. Lann Ael 3, featuring a former race winner, came in 20 minutes later moving into second overall. Amarris was unable to match Leon to the finish and currently sits in third.
For Leon the wait is well and truly on to see if any of the 280 or so participants left on the course have the skill, tenacity and persistence to secure one of the greatest achievements in yachting.