{"id":146509,"date":"2025-07-17T06:43:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T05:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/?p=146509"},"modified":"2025-07-25T16:28:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T15:28:21","slug":"how-to-follow-the-rolex-fastnet-race-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/fastnet-race\/how-to-follow-the-rolex-fastnet-race-2025-146509","title":{"rendered":"How to follow the 100th anniversary Rolex Fastnet Race 2025"},"content":"When it was announced that three-times Kiwi America\u2019s Cup<\/a> helmsman Peter Burling<\/a> had not re-signed<\/a> with Emirates Team New Zealand<\/a>, a lot of people wondered what he was going to do instead.\r\n\r\nNews last month that he was joining Italian Challengers<\/a> Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli<\/a> certainly made sense. Between that and his Black Foils New Zealand SailGP team \u2013 and a young family \u2013 he seemed to have enough on his plate.\r\n\r\nBut Burling is evidently enjoying the freedom that not being locked into an ETNZ contract or Olympic cycle brings, with the news that he is going to join the Ultim<\/a> SVR-Lazartigue<\/em><\/a> for this month\u2019s Rolex Fastnet Race<\/a>.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_158827\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The Ultim SVR-Lazartigue being relaunched for its 2025 programme[\/caption]\r\n\r\nSVR-Lazartigue<\/em> will race with skipper Tom Laperche (who took over from Francois Gabart last year \u2013 Gabart is taking some time out for a cruising circumnavigation with his family)\u00a0and a crew of six, including new co-skipper Frank Cammas. Cammas has moved from the Gitana<\/a> stable, where he was long-time skipper and co-skipper of the Ultim Maxi Edmond de Rothschild<\/em><\/a> with Charles Caudrelier.\r\n

Recruiting Burling<\/h2>\r\nTom Laperche explains: \u201cFran\u00e7ois (Gabart) encouraged me to reach out to the Anglo-Saxon sailing scene, where some of the best in the business are pushing the limits of these flying boats.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe had a shortlist of sailors we were keen to sail with. The New Zealanders have long been leaders in this area. Peter is an exceptional sailor \u2014 Olympic medals, America\u2019s Cups\u2026 and from our first conversations, he was totally on board. His flight expertise is top-level, he\u2019s an outstanding inshore racer, and I know he\u2019ll bring a lot to the team.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_158830\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" SVR-Lazartigue skipper Tom Laperche[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\u201cWhen they contacted me, it was an easy decision to say yes to the Rolex Fastnet Race,\u201d adds Burling.\r\n\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve always loved offshore racing \u2014 that\u2019s what led me to The Ocean Race. The Ultim class is the pinnacle of high-performance offshore sailing. These boats are incredibly innovative and versatile. I\u2019m really excited to get back offshore and to learn more about how this class is evolving.\r\n\r\n\u201cJoining a team with such deep experience on these boats is a fantastic opportunity. I\u2019ve followed Fran\u00e7ois Gabart\u2019s journey and everything the team has achieved, and seeing Tom take over the project is great. He\u2019s an exceptional sailor. For me, this is a chance to push myself, learn, and work with an outstanding crew. I can\u2019t wait to get started.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_115062\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"600\"]\"\" Leg 9 of the 2018 Volvo Ocean Race from Newport, US to Cardiff, UK \u2013 on board Brunel. Peter Burling thinks Vestas 11th Hour has tacked and fever sets in[\/caption]\r\n\r\nBurling is no stranger to offshore racing: he raced with Brunel<\/em> in the 2017\/18 Volvo Ocean Race. He was helmsman and watch leader on the Dutch boat, and widely rumoured to be something of a secret weapon when it came to Brunel\u2019s impressive boat speed<\/a> improvements over the race.\r\n\r\nBouwe Bekking\u2019s Team Brunel<\/em> finished third overall, in the closest finish<\/a> in the race\u2019s history. Burling sandwiched the ocean marathon in between winning Gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and Silver at the 2020\/21 Games in Tokyo, and winning back the America\u2019s Cup for New Zealand in Bermuda in 2017 and defending it in Auckland in 2021.\r\n

Cammas switches teams<\/h2>\r\nFor Laperche and the SVR-Lazartigue team, having Franck Cammas join after six years with Gitana is a significant appointment. The Gitana stable is currently building a top-secret - and rumoured to be radical \u2013 new Ultim, designed by Guillaume Verdier and due to be launched this autumn.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1Akg0bituFQ\r\n\r\nCammas will be Laperche\u2019s co-skipper for this autumn\u2019s Transat Cafe L\u2019or (formerly the Transat Jacques Vabre<\/a>), but also performance director.\u2028\u2028\u201cWhen I called Franck, I wasn\u2019t just looking for a co-skipper,\u201d explains Laperche. \u201cI wanted someone who could also contribute to the sporting and technical vision \u2014 someone to challenge and build on the work from our design team.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cMy goal is to bring a fresh perspective to a team that already knows the boat inside out,\u201d says Cammas. \u201cWe\u2019ll need to keep the dialogue open, challenge ourselves, and remain receptive to new ideas.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s all about working the details, staying rigorous, curious and open-minded. That mindset is something Tom and I share. We\u2019re always looking for new ways to push technology further \u2014 but we know that innovation comes with risk.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_158829\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Franck Cammas has joined the SVR-Lazartigue team for 2025 as co-skipper and performance director[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\"Humility is essential because the competition is fierce. Everyone is stepping up. Each time we go to sea, we aim to perform better than the time before. With this team \u2014 both on land and at sea \u2014 and one of the most advanced boats in the fleet, we have everything in place. Now we just need to deliver. Sometimes you have to be patient for results, but that\u2019s the nature of the game.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe Rolex Fastnet Race starts from Cowes on Saturday, 26 July. The Transat Caf\u00e9 L\u2019Or from Le Havre on 26 October.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/a>If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/h2>\r\n
\r\n
Yachting World is the world's leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.<\/em><\/div>\r\n
<\/div>\r\n
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers<\/a> and save at least 30% off the cover price.<\/em><\/div><\/blockquote>\r\nNote: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
","excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Fastnet Race in 2025 will be the a special 100th anniversary of the event and is set to be the largest offshore yacht race in the world, with over 450 entries. The Rolex Fastnet Race is one of the most famous ocean yacht races in the world, and completing it widely regarded as one of sailing\u2019s crowning achievements. Begun as a challenge between a handful of competing yachts in 1925, the Fastnet Race is run every two years by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). The original 605-nautical mile course traditionally ran from Ryde on the Isle of Wight, east out of the Solent, before heading west to the Fastnet Rock lighthouse off the south-west corner of Ireland and returning to finish off Plymouth. Apart from moving the start to Cowes and a west-bound exit from the Solent for the second running of the Fastnet, the race course remained largely unchanged until 2021 when the finish line moved to Cherbourg, France instead of Plymouth. This new course added a further 90 miles to the race – much of it a tricky tidal section – making it an even bigger challenge. The race is well known as a challenge just to complete and the 1979 Fastnet Race disaster remains at the forefront of the minds of many of those who compete.\u00a0The Fastnet disaster led to huge improvements in yacht and safety gear design, and the race now has stringent entry requirements and fulsome preparation guidelines. When is the Fastnet Race 2025? The 100th anniversary edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race starts on Saturday 26 July 2025 with the first start at 1120 BST. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will officially start the race for the 1200 gun. The Red Arrows will also flypast at noon. Steve Cole Race Director reminded everyone in the competitor’s briefing, “When they do fly over, please make sure at least one person in the boat is looking forward and not up!” What time does the Fastnet Race 2025 start? For those wishing to follow the action from the start, there will be a livestream shown on the various RORC channels. The live broadcast will begin at 1100, hosted by presenter Holly Hamilton with commentators Dee Caffari, Hannah Diamond, Nikki Henderson and Lisa McDonald joining the RORC’s Louay Habib, Andy Rice, James Boyd. Live coverage of the start begins at 1100 with the first class start following 20 minutes later. The first start will be for the multihull fleet (including the four giant Ultimes) and is followed by the IMOCA 60s starting just 10 minutes later. Start sequence continues with the IRC Zero and Super Zero heading off at 1150, the Admiral’s Cup fleet at 1200, and so on in decreasing yacht size until the IRC 4 class start at 1320 BST. Article continues below… Watch the Rolex Fastnet Race start Race website: https:\/\/www.rolexfastnetrace.com\/en RORC YouTube: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/rorcracing RORC Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RoyalOceanRacingClub Where to watch the Fastnet Race 2025 The best vantage points of the start on …Continue reading »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3349,"featured_media":159144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[710],"tags":[1397,1674,3010,1633],"review_manufacturer":[],"acf":[],"introduction":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146509"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146509"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159287,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146509\/revisions\/159287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146509"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=146509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}