Rolex Fastnet Race 2021

After an early stage struggle, Sunrise completes the 695-mile course to take 1st place in this year’s highly anticipated Rolex Fastnet 2021, making Tom Kneen the first British winner of the race since 2003. The new course for 2021 added an additional 90 miles and after a less than successful attempt in 2015, Tom Kneen managed to put together a race-winning team for this year’s event, taking the IRC trophy.

In a grueling competition that is known for rough weather and sometimes life-threatening conditions, the Fastnet race from Cowes to Cherbourg attracts hundreds of sailors. This year’s record fleet notched up more than 450 entries from over 31 countries including the famed ClubSwan125 Skorpios, reputed to be the fastest mono-hull in the world. Owing to complications caused by Brexit and travel restrictions the final number of yachts competing was 337.

Rolex and the RORC are celebrating a 20-year partnership this year and the organization of the Fastnet race remains dedicated to the highest standards of race management. For the first time this year, the race ends in Cherbourg, France, in a departure from the usual destination of Plymouth, where the Fastnet has ended for the past 100 years. In a competition that challenges both physical and mental resilience as much as seamanship, the Fastnet requires strong teamwork combined with painstaking preparation to complete and battle through the rough waters, changing weather conditions, and gusting winds. 

Starting from Cowes on August 8th, the Fastnet course takes yachts west from the Solent, passing recognizable landmarks such as Land’s End and The Needles, off the coast of the Isle of Wight. A long and treacherous crossing over the Celtic Sea to Fastnet Rock, the race’s namesake, off the coast of southern Ireland, precedes a leg to the Isles of Scilly. This is followed by a turn towards the French coast, sailing over challenging waters before reaching the finish line at Cherbourg.

The 2021 Rolex Fastnet began with crews facing strong wind gusts of 30 knots, making the first 12 hours of the race a strenuous and demanding stretch. A number of yachts were forced to retire due to equipment failure, crew fatigue, and injuries. Maxi Edmond de Rothschild was the first to complete in just over 33 hours, setting the benchmark for the new Rolex Fastnet course. Dmitry Rybolovlev’s Skorpios was the first mono-hull to round Fastnet Rock and finished the race 24 hours after Maxi Edmond de Rothschild, crossing the line on August 10th at 9.30 pm and setting the standard for mono-hull racing time. 

Dmitry Rybolovlev confided: “We are very satisfied with the boat, the team was great. We want to thank the whole team for their efforts. We tried to be careful, especially with the strong wind at the start, but we are looking forward to seeing what the boat can do in the next races. Passing Fastnet Rock was magical, it was a really special moment”.

Dramatic rolling starts saw multihulls begin the race ahead of larger yachts and as more were released the stream of vessels streaming relentlessly down the Solent made an awe-inspiring sight. Over the first 24 hours of the race, several more casualties occurred; winch failures, mainsail damage, and rigging failures forced yachts from British, French, and Italian teams out of the race. 

Sunrise, the final winner, looked less than victorious during the early stages between Cowes and Lands End, with progress impeded by unfavorable tidal conditions. The crew’s first big break came at Land’s End with a bold decision to sail Sunrise on the eastern side of the traffic separation. This placed the yacht just in front of an area of high pressure, giving them a unique position to help them outperform the competition.

The Sunrise crew featured Tom Kneen, joined by Suzy Peters and Tom Cheney as co-navigators. Joined by Quentin Bes-Green, Angus Gray-Stephens, George Kennedy, and Victoria Tomlinson. The only pro-sailor on the team was Volvo Ocean Race veteran David Swete.

According to Skipper Tom Kneen “The Scillies were key. We got there just before the ridge of light pressure. We knew we had to give it everything we had to stay in front of the ridge.” 

A broken mast headlock looked set to end Sunrise’s dream of winning, but with some tactical DIY and a bit of ingenuity involving some bits of string, a workable solution was designed. The team’s hard work paid off as pre-race planning indicated that Sunrise would get stuck in this light wind zone. Instead, Sunrise held the weather advantage and benefited from some fast reaching to put distance between them and the rest of the competitors.

Kneen and his crew executed a well-planned Fastnet sailing campaign using confident and intelligent navigation combined with a smart recognition and capitalization on each opportunity that was presented. The extensive planning and insightful decision-making gave Sunrise a 115 mile lead over the rest of Class 2 by the end of the race.

The Rolex Fastnet is regarded as one of the most challenging competitions on the sailing calendar. It is an opportunity for experienced sailors to compete against their peers and a chance for less seasoned sailors to participate in one of the toughest offshore races. So popular is this classic race that registrations for entries are filled within less than an hour of being released.