Rock n’ roll

This year’s Rolex Fastnet Race was different to usual in many respects. As well as the longer course, with the finish in Cherbourg, it has been a long time since the race has tested competitors as severely as the first 24 hours of this year’s event. A solid 25 knots, with stronger gusts, greeted competitors at the start and more was to come, with many reporting gusts in the mid 30s in the Needles Channel and through the first night at sea.

At the start there was a predictably wide mix of sail choice, with the optimistic only having one reef, but others sporting storm jibs or trysails. A 300 metre bias at the southern end of the start line meant there was plenty of action here, especially as the strongest favourable stream was relatively close to the Isle of Wight shore. Inevitably there were some collisions, including at least one involving a dismasting, that sadly ended the race early for a few.

Others, however, opted to stay clear of