By Isle of Wight Observer
by A & S Whitewood
Tomorrow (Saturday) sees the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race from the RYS Line, Cowes, with the first start at noon.
Marking 100 years since the first Fastnet Race, and the formation of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, HRH The Princess Royal will start the race, and she will also press the button for the start of the Admiral’s Cup Class (as these boats and crews compete in the last race of this year’s Admiral’s Cup series), organised by the RORC.
Saturday saw the first race of the series with an almost 24-hour race from Cowes across the English Channel and back. There were light winds at the start but conditions changed and day and night sailing proved a good test for boats and crews. First boat back, and across the line in Cowes, just after 6am, was ‘Ran’.
The launch of the event on July 18 saw a press conference hosted by Olympic Gold medallist, Shirley Robertson, with a panel consisting of 12 of the world’s top sailors, each representing top international teams.
More than 400 other boats will join the ‘cuppers’ for the Rolex Fastnet Race with a series of starts for the various classes. It is a spectacular event to watch from Cowes Parade, or Island shores between Cowes and the Needles.