With the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race delayed due to bad weather, a fleet of Rolex Fastnet hopefuls have already begun assembling in and around the Isle of Wight.

The RORC Race Office announced at this afternoon’s Race and Weather briefing that the Rolex Fastnet Race start was postponed for 25 hours due to the continued severe weather warning issued by the UK Met office. The first start for the 300 boat fleet will now be Monday 13th August at 11am.

The postponement is a first in the 83-year history of the race. The decision was made after consideration of the severe weather warnings issued by the UK Met Office, in order to ensure that the fleet is not in the exposed waters of the Western Channel and the Celtic Sea at the time that the predicted weather is expected.

RORC Racing Manager, Janet Grosvenor said:

“It remains the RORC policy to start the race when it is safe to do so and the responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in the race or to continue racing is hers alone.”

With the forecast boding a fast race, plans for the finish in Plymouth remain in place with the prizegiving scheduled for Friday 17th August at the historic Royal Citadel.

Many of the Fastnet entrants have already raced in Skandia Cowes Week, using it as a tune-up for the 608-nautical mile Rolex Fastnet Race.  With the largest fleet since 1979, 300 boats will now take to the start line off the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes on Monday, with the first signal due at 0950 BST.

Starting times for the classes are as follow:

IMOCA 60 1100
IRC 3 1120
IRC 2 1140
IRC 1 1200
IRC Z 1220
IRC SZ & CK 1240
Multi-hulls 1300

Island Pulse