Rolex Fastnet Articles
For a club long admired for its Mediterranean elegance and offshore pedigree, this was more than just a victory. It was a statement. And Jolt was the point of the spear.
Jolt 3 & Jolt 6 Jolt 3, a refined TP52-class race yacht, helmed by Britain’s Peter Harrison, served as Monaco’s weapon of choice in the AC1 division—the big boat class. This is a yacht designed for one thing only: winning.
© Michael Hodges
Jolt to Glory: Monaco’s Twin-Turbo Triumph at the 2025 Admiral’s Cup
27-11-2025
The Admiral’s Cup had lain dormant for more than two decades before returning to the water this summer. Its rebirth was no muted affair: it was a cannon broadside of international talent, national pride, and hard-fought racing that reminded everyone why the event was once dubbed the “unofficial world championship of offshore sailing.” For two weeks, Cherbourg and Cowes were alive with flags, fanfare, and fierce rivalries, as national teams once again went toe-to-toe for one of the sport’s most coveted trophies.
27-11-2025
The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has confirmed that the Admiral’s Cup – long regarded as the pinnacle of international offshore team racing – will officially return in 2027. The announcement follows the spectacular 2025 comeback, which ended a 22-year absence and reignited one of sailing’s most prestigious competitions.
26-11-2025
## A Principality Crowned: Monaco Wins the 2025 Admiral’s Cup
The revived Admiral’s Cup, long considered the unofficial world championship of offshore sailing, returned in 2025 after a 22‑year absence. And in a watershed moment, the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM)—making its very first appearance—secretly emerged as the 2025 Admiral’s Cup champions. Monaco’s debut was nothing short of sensational, combining precision sailing with strategic mastery across inshore Solent races, a demanding Channel leg, and a nail‑biting Rolex Fastnet Race finale. Runner‑up on the podium was the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, with Italy’s Yacht Club Costa Smeralda claiming third
05-08-2025
The Rolex Admiral’s Cup fleet spent a wild second night offshore, taking on the long, punishing beat through the Celtic Sea. The wind wasn’t ferocious, but the sea state was—big Atlantic swell, relentless chop, and a hard-earned haul towards one of offshore racing’s most iconic landmarks: the Fastnet Rock. Standing 54 metres tall, forged from Cornish granite, the lighthouse marks more than just a turning point in the Rolex Fastnet Race. In its 100th edition, it’s a century-old beacon of salt, grit, and glory.
01-08-2025
Rolex Fastnet Race | Admiral’s Cup Dispatch – July 2025
There’s a new name at the top—and it’s flying the Dutch tricolour. The young guns aboard ROST Van Uden (RMYC) have clawed their way into the AC1 lead on corrected time, and they’ve done it with nerve, timing, and a whole lot of boat speed. With 150nm to go, they’re three hours ahead after IRC correction and showing no sign of blinking.
01-08-2025
Its started on Saturday 26 July 2025
Veterans of the last two Rolex Fastnet Races are checking the weather with cautious optimism. After two editions that opened with 30-knot headwinds and a battering Channel slog, the long-range forecast for this centenary running looks — dare we say it — gentle.
31-07-2025
After the cannon roared, the fleet scattered like gulls in a gale. Black Pearl (YCCS), skippered by Stefan Jentzch, wasted no time — tacking straight toward the mainland shore. She sniffed out a lift and took it like a thief in the night, gaining ground fast. But out near the island side, Jolt 3 (YCM) helmed by Peter Harrison, was all business — early leader on the water and staying sticky to the fleet like barnacles on a buoy.
30-07-2025
The 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race marks 100 years of hard offshore truth — and the multihull fleet has shown up in force. A record 20 boats are racing in the MOCRA class, all gunning for the coveted Crystal Trophy, a prize that’s older than some of the hulls — and certainly a few of the crews.
25-07-2025
Its starts on Saturday 26 July 2025
Veterans of the last two Rolex Fastnet Races are checking the weather with cautious optimism. After two editions that opened with 30-knot headwinds and a battering Channel slog, the long-range forecast for this centenary running looks — dare we say it — gentle.
24-07-2025
Wouldn’t be the first time a Jean-Pierre Kelbert design came in sideways and stole the silverware. His initials are stamped on the transom — literally — and his boats have a reputation for upsetting the pecking order in offshore racing. The 34-foot JPK 1050 might just be the sharpest new weapon in a fleet of 73, and it’s already shown a flash of brilliance.
20-07-2025
Revived by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) for its centenary year and to be held biennially thereafter, the 2025 edition promises high-performance racing, intense offshore challenges, and a celebration of sailing heritage.
18-07-2025
IRC Zero has a rich seam of ocean-going history running through it. While French round the world race legend Jean-Luc Van Den Heede (aka VDH) isn’t competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race, two of his former steeds will be on the IRC Zero start line.
10-07-2025
Now 20+ years old, the Class40 has proved itself one of the most successful genre of offshore race boat ever. Since Géry Trentesaux and class co-founder, round the world sailor and journalist Patrice Carpentier entered their first Pogo 40 in the 2005 edition, the Rolex Fastnet Race has included a strong entry from this French box rule class, providing it with its own class since 2009. Today the Rolex Fastnet Race features in the Class40’s main championship.
25-06-2025
Less than two months now remain until the start of the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, this year coinciding with the Royal Ocean Racing Club's centenary. Another huge fleet has entered. While 2023’s 50th edition of the event, that back in 1925 caused the RORC to be founded, saw a record 430 boats set sail, the 2025 entry list indicates that even this figure may be exceeded when the race starts from Cowes on 26 July, bound for Cherbourg-en-Cotentin via the famous Fastnet Rock off southwest Ireland.
03-06-2025
The Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the most prestigious offshore yacht races, is set to celebrate its centenary on Saturday, 26 July 2025. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), this 695-nautical mile race will commence from Cowes on the Isle of Wight and conclude in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.
25-05-2025