The Rolex Fastnet Race 2025: Everything you need to know

The Rolext Fastnet Race fleet make their way out of the Solent. Photo: Kurt Arrigo / Rolex

The Rolex Fastnet Race is one of the most famous ocean yacht races in the world, and completing it is widely regarded as one of sailing’s crowning achievements. It takes place every other year.

The Fastnet Race started out as a challenge between a handful of competing yachts in 1925 and is run every two years by the Royal Ocean Racing Club.

The 600+ nautical mile course traditionally ran from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, west to the Fastnet Rock lighthouse off the south-west corner of Ireland before returning to finish off Plymouth.

However, in early 2020 the Rolex Fastnet Race would finish moved to Cherbourg, France instead of Plymouth where it has remained since.

The Fastnet Race features many challenges for the yachtsmen taking part including negotiating infamous headlands and tidal gates such as St Albans Head, Portland Bill, The Lizard and Land’s End, and facing prevailing south-westerlies and gales in the Celtic Sea.

Though by no means the longest offshore race today, it is the least predictable and arguably still the toughest.

When is the Fastnet Race 2025?

2025 will be a special edition of the Fastnet Race, taking place 100 years after the first ever Fastnet.

The Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 start will be 26th July 2025 with the fleet leaving Cowes, Isle of Wight. For the third consecutive edition, the finish will be in Cherbourg, France.

How long does the Fastnet Race take?

Typically the fastest boats in the fleet are back inside a couple of days. And the Fastnet Race record stands at 1 day, 8 hours, 38 minutes, and 27 seconds, which was set in 2023 by the foiling Ultime monster trimaran SVR Lazartigue.

For the slower boats in the fleet it is definitely a case of the race being a marathon and not a sprint. These slower boats usually finish anywhere between 5 and 7 days in total depending on conditions.

The Admirals Cup 2025

There are many celebrations planned for the special Fastnet Race centenary edition in 2025 . But perhaps the biggest development is the return of the Admirals Cup by the event organiser RORC.

The Admiral’s Cup was recognised in its day as the premier event in offshore racing.

Originally this event was for three boat national teams sailing a variety of courses but participation in the 2025 Admiral’s Cup is for teams of two boats entered by yacht clubs or countries.

The Admirals Cup programme will start with a short offshore Race (19th July) followed by three days of inshore racing (22nd – 24th July), culminating in the Rolex Fastnet Race.

For those wishing to follow the action from the start, there will be a livestream show on the RORC Youtube channel.