Latest news with #FastnetRace
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
COLUMN: New ideas needed to make Cowes Week more relevant
Two weeks ago, Cowes was packed with people of all nationalities crowding into the restaurants and pubs, the bars and the sailing clubs. Next morning, the Solent was crowded with vessels of many sizes as the Centenary Rolex Fastnet Race started. This week, the clubs and bars have been busy again with Cowes Week – the 199th Regatta. Entries are slightly down this year. As the Fastnet Race ends in Cherbourg, many boats are not back yet from the continent. The expense of Cowes Week to the crews is also a factor in play, and perhaps as we approach the bicentenary of the Regatta, it's time for a rethink. To make the event as relevant and fun as we can for the next 100 years. Factors militating against the current format are not only the expense (renting a house for the crew in Cowes now costs thousands for the week), but also the time requirement. Cowes Week really harks back to an age when there were fewer leisure opportunities, much less availability of foreign holidays, and people being in more secure employment. Covid kick-started the introduction of remote working for many office jobs. It's noticeable how much less busy the mainland ferries are with commuters on Mondays and Fridays, as employees now take those days to work from home. So instead of taking a whole week out of your leave allowance, it seems you can now work part of a week with a couple of good excuses. If we had a four-day regatta for the Black Group (bigger boats) starting on Saturday, participants could "work from home" on Monday and take one day off on Tuesday. Then if we have a four-day White Group (small boats) regatta starting on Thursday, their sailors too can take one day paid leave, "work from home" on Friday, and sail over the weekend. The smaller boats are largely local so don't need Sunday to relocate to home ports. This would have two big advantages – a free day on Wednesday to spend in the town, boosting the local economy, and greater availability of younger sailors who can fit the event into their modern working practices. Think what fun we could have in Cowes on Wednesday – a great day for aerial displays and so on. A parade of sail would also be great for spectators. The other factor would be the reduction in costs for participants. Instead of paying the very expensive rate for a week (around £1,000 for most Black Group boats), a four-day regatta is going to come in at a rate competitive with Dartmouth and other events. When you consider that boats competing in Cowes Week usually divide the costs between the crew, reducing the costs of racing, food, and accommodation is going to be a big factor in the number of entries. We forget this at our peril. Like most things in life, times change. Habits and expectations change, and generally, if providers of events don't change with them, the event dies out as participation declines. So maybe it is time for a rethink in Cowes.
Globe and Mail
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Yachting: Monaco Triumphs at the Admiral's Cup, Historic Victory for the Yacht Club
MONACO, Aug. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First participation and first historic victory: Yacht Club de Monaco wins the 2025 Admiral's Cup with a nail-biting finale. Led by the YCM's vice-president, Pierre Casiraghi (Jolt 6), and Peter Harrison (Jolt 3), the two Monegasque teams dominated the Rolex Fastnet Race, the final and decisive event (coefficient 3) of the trophy, surpassing the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. In its very first appearance, YCM claimed victory in a revived edition of the Admiral's Cup after more than twenty years, which saw 15 nations compete across three stages: the Channel Race (160 miles, coeff. 2), six inshore races in the Solent, and finally the Rolex Fastnet Race. It was over the final 695 miles that the overall standings were decided. Pierre Casiraghi, at the helm of Jolt 6, won his class on corrected time. 'Honestly, I still can't believe what we've achieved. Winning the Admiral's Cup in its revival and on Monaco's debut, is indescribable. I'm not a professional helm, and this was the most exhausting race I've ever done.' He went on to praise the entire team: 'We knew the Fastnet would be decisive and our team executed it flawlessly. Will Harris, our navigator, was phenomenal, he didn't miss a beat. From the moment we exited the Solent, everything went to plan. We held the lead, fought off relentless pressure from Callisto (RNZYS) and Beau Ideal (RHKYC), and made every move count. It was truly a collective effort, from the sailors to the shore crew. I hope this inspires the new generation of young sailors at YCM - they followed our every move. Right now, I'm exhausted and can't imagine doing another offshore on a 42-footer anytime soon, but it's been a magical journey.' Jolt 3 also delivered a strong performance with Peter Harrison, finishing third in real time in the AC Class 1: 'This is without a doubt the biggest result I've ever had in sailing and I doubt it will ever be topped. Helping bring Yacht Club de Monaco its first Admiral's Cup victory at the first attempt is simply extraordinary.' He added: 'From the start, Pierre Casiraghi and I believed in this campaign. The Club was fully behind us, and with Matt Adams coordinating and a world-class team around us we built something truly special. It's a huge moment for Monaco and I believe it firmly establishes YCM as a force in offshore sailing. The event was impeccably run and every race completed. Full credit to the RORC team.' With Jolt 3 placing first in AC Class 1 and Jolt 6 second in AC Class 2, Monaco secured the team trophy with a 16-point lead over the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. The award ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, July 31 at 6:00 p.m. at the Rolex Fastnet Race Event Village. Other YCM crews also posted strong results: Black Jack 100, skippered by Remon Vos (with Tristan Le Brun), won the Monohull Line Honours ahead of Leopard 3; Rayon Vert, helmed by Oren Nataf, finished 19th among multihulls. Young sailor Didier Schouten completed his first major Channel crossing aboard Ocean Breeze. Focus now shifts to The Ocean Race Europe (August 10 – September 21): Will Harris and Cole Brauer will return to sea aboard Malizia-Seaexplorer, with stops in Kiel, Portsmouth, Porto, Cartagena, Nice, Genoa, and a final arrival in Montenegro.
Straits Times
30-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Monaco masters the waves as Casirighi's crew clinches Admiral's Cup
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco - May 28, 2023 Pierre Casiraghi, son of Caroline, Princess of Hanover is pictured ahead of the race REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw/ File Photo Monaco Yacht Club pulled off a stunning debut victory in the revived Admiral's Cup on Wednesday, becoming the first team from the principality to claim the prize after a gruelling series that culminated in the Fastnet Race. Monaco's triumph came after an intense battle through six inshore races in the Solent, and the decisive Fastnet finale, beating the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club into second place with Italy's Yacht Club Costa Smeralda completing the podium. The victory was spearheaded by Pierre Casiraghi, vice-president of the Monaco Yacht Club and co-skipper of the Carkeek 42 Jolt 6, who could barely contain his disbelief at the achievement. "Honestly, I still can't quite believe what we've achieved. To win the Admiral's Cup in its revival year and with Monaco's first ever participation is beyond words," said Casiraghi. "I'm not a professional helm and this was the most exhausting race I've ever done." The Monaco team executed their strategy perfectly in the crucial Fastnet Race, with Casiraghi crediting navigator Will Harris as "phenomenal" and praising the team's resilience under pressure from rival monohull yachts Callisto and Beau Ideal. "For Monaco, this is historic. We're a small place, but we've just shown we can achieve great things," Casiraghi added, already hinting at a possible title defence despite admitting he's too exhausted to contemplate "another offshore race on a 42-footer any time soon." Monaco fielded a two‑boat team for the Admiral's Cup -- Jolt 3, a TP 52 skippered by Peter Harrison, racing in the AC1 (big boat) division, and Jolt 6, a Carkeek 42 skippered by Casiraghi, competing in the AC2 (smaller boat). Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Water supply issues during Toa Payoh blaze affected firefighting operations; SCDF investigating Singapore 3 taken to hospital after fire in Marsiling flat Singapore School, parents on alert after vape peddlers approach primary school pupil Singapore Tampines, Toa Payoh BTO flats most popular among first-time home buyers in July HDB launch Sport Leon Marchand sets first world record at World Aquatics C'ships in Singapore Singapore Jail, fine for man linked to case involving 3 bank accounts that received over $680m in total Singapore Provision shop owner who raped 11-year-old gets more than 14 years' jail Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made The Admiral's Cup, first held in 1957 and long regarded as the unofficial world championship of offshore racing, returned this after a two-decade hiatus. The event traditionally pits national teams, each made up of two or three top-tier monohull yachts, against each other across a series of demanding offshore and inshore races. Scoring is based on the combined performance of a team's entered boats. Admiral's Cup final results:1. Yacht Club de Monaco – Monaco2. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club – Hong Kong3. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda – Italy4. Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron – New Zealand5. Cruising Yacht Club of Australia – Australia6. Royal Maas Yacht Club – Netherlands7. Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) – Sweden8. Royal Ocean Racing Club - White – United Kingdom9. Yacht Club de France – France10. Royal Ocean Racing Club - Red – United Kingdom11. New York Yacht Club - Black Magic – United States12. Regatta Verein Greifswald – Germany13. Royal Irish Yacht Club – Ireland14. Bayerischer Yacht Club – Germany15. Hamburger Segel Club – Germany REUTERS
CNA
30-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Sailing-Monaco masters the waves as Casirighi's crew clinches Admiral's Cup
Monaco Yacht Club pulled off a stunning debut victory in the revived Admiral's Cup on Wednesday, becoming the first team from the principality to claim the prize after a gruelling series that culminated in the Fastnet Race. Monaco's triumph came after an intense battle through six inshore races in the Solent, and the decisive Fastnet finale, beating the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club into second place with Italy's Yacht Club Costa Smeralda completing the podium. The victory was spearheaded by Pierre Casiraghi, vice-president of the Monaco Yacht Club and co-skipper of the Carkeek 42 Jolt 6, who could barely contain his disbelief at the achievement. "Honestly, I still can't quite believe what we've achieved. To win the Admiral's Cup in its revival year and with Monaco's first ever participation is beyond words," said Casiraghi. "I'm not a professional helm and this was the most exhausting race I've ever done." The Monaco team executed their strategy perfectly in the crucial Fastnet Race, with Casiraghi crediting navigator Will Harris as "phenomenal" and praising the team's resilience under pressure from rival monohull yachts Callisto and Beau Ideal. "For Monaco, this is historic. We're a small place, but we've just shown we can achieve great things," Casiraghi added, already hinting at a possible title defence despite admitting he's too exhausted to contemplate "another offshore race on a 42-footer any time soon." Monaco fielded a two‑boat team for the Admiral's Cup - Jolt 3, a TP 52 skippered by Peter Harrison, racing in the AC1 (big boat) division, and Jolt 6, a Carkeek 42 skippered by Casiraghi, competing in the AC2 (smaller boat). The Admiral's Cup, first held in 1957 and long regarded as the unofficial world championship of offshore racing, returned this after a two-decade hiatus. The event traditionally pits national teams, each made up of two or three top-tier monohull yachts, against each other across a series of demanding offshore and inshore races. Scoring is based on the combined performance of a team's entered boats. Admiral's Cup final results:1. Yacht Club de Monaco – Monaco2. Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club – Hong Kong3. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda – Italy4. Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron – New Zealand5. Cruising Yacht Club of Australia – Australia6. Royal Maas Yacht Club – Netherlands7. Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) – Sweden8. Royal Ocean Racing Club - White – United Kingdom9. Yacht Club de France – France10. Royal Ocean Racing Club - Red – United Kingdom11. New York Yacht Club - Black Magic – United States12. Regatta Verein Greifswald – Germany13. Royal Irish Yacht Club – Ireland14. Bayerischer Yacht Club – Germany15. Hamburger Segel Club – Germany
The Star
28-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Sailing-French trimaran takes line honours in 100th anniversary Fastnet Race
(Reuters) -SVR Lazartigue surged to line honours in the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race on Monday, the sleek blue trimaran slicing through the darkness to become the first of a record-breaking 444-strong fleet to reach Cherbourg, France. Skippered by 28-year-old Tom Laperche and packed with ocean-racing royalty — Franck Cammas, Peter Burling and Amelie Grassi among them — the 32-metre foiling Ultim completed the 695-nautical mile course in one day, 17 hours and 18 minutes. That was short of her own record of one day, 8 hours, 38 minutes from 2023, but still more than enough to comfortably seal victory. In offshore racing, line honours go to the first boat to finish the course — typically the fastest, most technologically advanced yacht in the fleet. But the overall winner of the Fastnet Race is awarded the Fastnet Challenge Cup, based on corrected time under the International Rating Certificate (IRC) handicap system. The IRC system levels the playing field across different boat sizes and designs, meaning a well-sailed 12-metre yacht can beat a 30-metre racing machine once handicaps are applied. SVR Lazartigue crossed the line just before 0538 CET (0338 GMT) on Monday, more than 50 minutes ahead of Banque Populaire. Actual Ultim 4 came home third among the Ultim class, nearly three and a half hours behind the winner. With two Ultims still racing and the bulk of the monohull fleet spread across the Channel, the battle again showcased the blistering speed and cutting-edge design of offshore trimarans. Monohull line honours, awarded to the first monohull to finish regardless of rating, are still to be decided. The Rolex Fastnet Race has tested sailors' skill and endurance for a century. First held in 1925 with seven boats, the biennial contest now draws hundreds of yachts from around the globe, setting off from Cowes on England's Isle of Wight and tracing a 695-nautical mile course around the famous Fastnet Rock off Ireland's south coast before finishing in Cherbourg. (Reporting by Ossian Shine, editing by Ed Osmond)
