A total entry of 388 yachts – another record turnout – started in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race today, Saturday 3 August from Cowes on the Isle of Wight. The…
2019 Rolex Fastnet Race: Light winds and low pressure promise a super challenge
One of the most challenging and tactical Fastnet Races of recent years lies ahead for the 394 yachts and 3,000-plus crew beginning the race this Saturday, 3 August. A complex…
5 tips: How to prepare your boat for offshore racing
Every serious offshore sailor has more than one story to tell about when it all went spectacularly wrong. Sam Goodchild has experienced multiple breakages in the past year, firstly with…
How to run the bow offshore – 5 tips from a pro sailor
British-Aussie pro sailor Jack Bouttell believes that success in his job as bowman comes down to preparation more than anything else. This applies especially to inshore bowmen about to go…
Fastnet Race 2019: Bumper IMOCA 60 fleet set to assemble in Cowes
One of the largest – and most intriguing – fleets of IMOCA 60s ever gathered is due to set off from Cowes for this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race (August 3).…
Iconic Fastnet headlands that can make or break your race – and how to round them
There are three major headlands on the Rolex Fastnet Race route that are key to the success or otherwise of your race. Navigator Ian Moore looks at how to tackle these vital…
Fastnet 2019: The pro navigator’s guide to preparing for the race
The interesting thing about the Rolex Fastnet Race is that for an offshore race there are a lot of inshore tactics to consider. Coupled with the start of the race…
How to fly a drone like a pro and land it safely back onboard your yacht
With the advent of small, affordable and user-friendly drones, many cruising sailors have adopted them as a way of achieving really impressive and professional-looking photographs and video. I speak from…
Fastnet Race 1979: Why was the storm so devastating?
There was nothing in the forecast at the start of the 1979 Fastnet Race to indicate a storm, but a storm came with devastating effect. How and why did it…
Fastnet 2019: The entries that prove this is more than just a yacht race
Among the 300-plus boats in next month’s record-sized Rolex Fastnet Race fleet, many of the 3,000 crew members are competing to fulfil a personal challenge or to tick the world’s…
Charal: On board the radical IMOCA 60 that takes foiling to the next level
In St Malo for the start of the Route du Rhum in early November, every inch of the IMOCA 60 pontoons was packed with fans trying to get a close…
What does it take to win the Rolex Fastnet Race? We find out from four former winners
As the world’s largest and most notorious offshore, the Rolex Fastnet Race, has gained in popularity, so the competitiveness of the 300+ boat fleet has increased. Some crews may be ticking another…
How to win at double-handed racing – 5 top tips from a Fastnet champion
The popularity of double-handed sailing is on the rise. The Rolex Fastnet Race is the perfect case in point – this year there are due to be 63 doublehanded entries,…
Destination inspiration: Epic summer adventures right on your doorstep
You don’t have to sail to the most distant parts of the world to have a cruising adventure. If you have only a week or two of summer holidays to…
What’s the optimum Fastnet route? Navigator Ian Moore crunches the weather data to find out
With tricky tides, imposing headlands and the vagaries of the British summer weather to contend with, the Rolex Fastnet Race is as much about tactics as it is about boat…
5 tips: How to manage fatigue when sailing offshore
It’s all very well refining every detail of your boat – re-cutting sails, longboarding your hull – but what is the point of any of that attention to detail if…
Top female skippers to watch in the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race
The entry list for the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race is shaping up to be just over 10% women sailors. While this is a long way from the level of equality…
Fastnet Race 1979: Life and death decision – Matthew Sheahan’s story
At 0830 Tuesday 14 August 1979, aged 17, five minutes changed my life. Five minutes that, despite the stress of the previous six hours, would encapsulate the most extreme emotional…
Andrew Bishop profile: Meeting the man behind the ARC rallies
Do you know this man? Some will barely recognise Andrew Bishop, though his name may ring a bell. Yet others know not only who he is, but clamour to stop…
Navigation briefing: How to anchor your yacht mid-race
There are two factors to consider when it comes to racing and anchors. One is whether you might find yourself kedging to avoid getting swept back against a foul tide,…