Explosive Start to the Rolex Fastnet Race for Admiral’s Cup Fleet
As they thundered toward Hurst Narrows, the breeze began to build. Ten knots of boat speed upwind — not bad for a Saturday. Then Black Pearl hit the afterburners. One last tack off Hurst Castle and she was up to 12 knots, punching out of the Solent like a boat on a mission. Jolt 3 clung on in second, and Zen (CYCA), under Gordon Ketelby, snuck through the tide lines to hold third, having threaded the shoreline needle just right. Teasing Machine (YCdF) looked sweet too, sitting just behind, sails drawing perfectly.
Out past Hurst, the battle got spicy. Black Pearl powered up toward the Needles while Jolt 3 and the pack cracked off early, trading angles. Most of the fleet turned toward the Dorset coast, bar Edelweiss, who went lone wolf. Off the Isle of Purbeck, the play changed — breeze on, bows down. The leaders broke offshore for a bit before flopping back toward Portland Bill. Both Black Pearl and Jolt 3 were still trucking — 11 knots of boat speed, spray flying, crews on the rail and fully locked in.
Upstart Moves in AC2 – Island Hustle vs. Outsider’s Gamble
In AC2, most of the fleet played it safe, hugging the island shore out of the start. But not Back 2 Black (CYCA). Sean Langman and crew rolled the dice, pushing north of the rhumb line — and found gold. That early gain gave them the jump, but Abracadabra (NYYC), Donald Thinschmidt’s sleek Ker 43, was already putting on a masterclass out front. That was until Back 2 Black caught a beauty of a shift and rolled ahead.
Further back, Jolt 6 (YCM) — with Pierre Casiraghi on the tiller — and Beau Ideal (RHKYC), skippered by Karl Kwok, were making solid ground down the inside track. At Hurst, it was Back 2 Black just ahead of Jolt 6, with Callisto (RNZYS) and Beau Ideal piling on the pressure.
Once past Hurst Narrows, it was time to pick sides. The bulk of the fleet stayed tight, tacking west inshore toward Swanage. But Sunrise IV (RIYC), Albator (YCdF), and Edelweiss (HSC) peeled off offshore, looking for pressure and freedom. A few solid cover tacks from Sunrise IV and Albator paid modest dividends, clawing back inches in a game of yards.
By the time the fleet had cleared the Isle of Purbeck, Jolt 6 was leading on the water, Beau Ideal was second, and AMP-lifi (RORC White) — the big Carkeek 40+ skippered by Chris Frost — had hauled her way up to third.
But on IRC corrected time? A different picture. Four hours into the Rolex Fastnet and it was a JPK 1180 triple stack: Django (YCCS), Sunrise IV, and Garm (RORC Red) sitting pretty. Long way to go, but the game’s afoot and it’s as tight as a drum.