Downwind to the finish in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025

Rounding the Fastnet Rock

Espresso Martini Too and Challenger 4 rounded the Fastnet Rock in the early hours of Tuesday morning with under an hour between them. Espresso rounded at 02:47 on Tuesday 29 July with Challenger 4 hot on their heels at 03:31. They sat in positions 46^th  and 53^rd in class respectively.

While the Fastnet Rock officially denotes the approximate halfway point of the Race in distance terms the reality is, normally, you are over the hump and ready to stretch the yachts legs downwind with the spinnaker to the finish.

This was the case in this years Rolex Fastnet Race and both boats picked up the pace with their huge spinnakers. Initially Espresso seemed to be pulling out a bit of a lead but when they reached the SW corner of the Scillies TSS there was almost nothing in it! It seems as though the two First Class Sailing entries were fighting tooth and nail for line honours!

Espresso Martini Too & Challenger 4 round the Fastnet Rock

The Sprint home

It was neck and neck between the two most of the way along the English Channel until Challenger 4 started to eek forward on the approach to the Casquets TSS. Espresso had not given up however and opted to route south of Alderney for tidal relief on approach to France. This paid off massively and put them back breathing down the neck of Challenger 4.

Battle at the Scillies

Locking horns until the finish

At the finish there was just 2min 10sec between the two boats, incredibly close racing over the 700nm straight line distance of the Fastnet Race. Line honours between the two First Class Sailing boats went to Challenger 4 however Espresso took the corrected time win. Furthermore, both boats had made up a number of positions since the Fastnet Rock showing good stamina. Esspresso finishing 46^th in class, up for 42^nd. Challenger 4, 47^th, up from 53^rd. In a class of around 80 this was a good showing by both teams.

Close to the end

We’ve no doubt the crews are now regaling the tails of the Race over a well-earned beer or two. Congratulations to the two teams, I wonder if we’ll see either of them back in two years time!;)

Posted by: First Class Sailing