Rolex Fastnet Race: Planetsail's view of the first 24hrs of the tough offshore race.
by PlanetSail 24 Jul 2023 09:32 BST
24 July 2023
2023 Rolex Fastnet Race - Day 1 © Kurt Arrigo
Join top international yachting commentator, Matthew Sheahan, as he picks up the action a day before the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race.
With a forecast for punchy conditions, crews had been putting on a brave face, yet underneath and with the prospect of 450 boats threading their way out of a narrow gap at the end of the Solent many were very apprehensive... and with good reason. The start of the world's biggest offshore race was as brutal as the weather forecast suggested...and there was more to come.
With winds gusting over 35kts the fleet encountered flatter seas at the start, increasing significantly at The Narrows, accompanied by driving rain.
Top international yachting commentator Matt Sheahan reports on the first 24 hours of this legendary race, and talks to several of the 3,000 sailors competing.
He starts from the centre of the action after the start to see the fleet exit the Solent through Hurst Narrows where conditions were wild as the fleet set out on the 689 mile course.