Rolex Fastnet Race Articles
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.
© James Tomlinson
Admiral’s Cup 2027 – Raising the bar for offshore sailing’s greatest prize.
06-11-2025
For offshore sailors, the Admiral’s Cup isn’t just another regatta. It is the World Cup of sailing – a blend of relentless inshore contests and long-haul offshore endurance races, culminating in the Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the sport’s most legendary challenges. The teams that emerge victorious don’t just win a trophy; they etch their names into history.
Key Dates for the Admiral’s Cup 2027 The 2027 Admiral’s Cup will begin on Tuesday 13 July with the opening day of measurement and inspection.
05-11-2025
## 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
The fight to claim the prestigious monohull line honours prize in the centenary edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Rolex Fastnet Race is lining up to be a tough one between the world’s fastest 100ft maxi yachts. The winner of the Erivale Trophy for monohull line honours will follow a long line of the most significant offshore racing yachts of all time, such as Rambler 88, Comanche, ICAP Leopard 3, Alfa Romeo, Stealth, Steinlager 2, Congere, Nirvana, Condor, American Eagle, Gitana IV, Stormvogel, Latifa, among many others.
03-07-2025
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 Admiral’s Cup stands as one of the most storied and prestigious events in the world of offshore yacht racing, a competition that has long been regarded as the unofficial world championship of the sport.
28-05-2025