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The Star
31-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Sailing-Builder and skipper power Leon to Fastnet triumph in centenary race
(Reuters) -Alexis Loison and Jean-Pierre Kelbert were on Thursday crowned overall winners of the centennial Rolex Fastnet Race aboard JPK 1050 Leon, with boat builder Kelbert helping steer his creation to success in the 100th year of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's offshore classic. The French double-handed duo secured the Fastnet Challenge Cup after beating a record field of 444 boats ranging from 30ft (9.14 metre) keelboats to giant 105ft (32m) Ultim foiling trimarans on the 695 nautical mile course. "We had a very good boat," said Loison. "I was racing with Jean-Pierre, the builder of the JPK boats, which are now very well-known on the international offshore racing scene, and we had a great time. We really fought hard." Loison's victory makes him one of the rare sailors to win the Rolex Fastnet Race twice. He first claimed the prize in 2013 alongside his father Pascal, when they became the first double-handed crew to beat all fully-crewed boats to offshore racing's biggest prize. "It's really the same feeling as 12 years ago. An unexpected victory, but with just as much joy. Arriving in my home city, Cherbourg, the city of my heart," Loison said. French double-handed teams swept the podium, with Lann Ael 3 second and Amarris third. Loison noted the common thread, saying: "It's no coincidence that there are Figaro sailors on board each of the top three ... All of us have been through the best offshore racing school in the world, the Figaro." Often called the 'Tour de France of sailing,' the Figaro circuit is France's premier offshore racing school and a renowned proving ground for elite sailors. Its signature event, the Solitaire du Figaro, is a gruelling solo multi-stage race sailed in identical 32ft(9.75m) boats, demanding precision navigation, stamina, and tactical brilliance. Many of the world's top offshore racers — including Vendee Globe winners and Fastnet champions — cut their teeth in the Figaro. Kelbert, whose JPK boats have dominated offshore competition for over a decade, praised their 34ft(10.36m) vessel's performance, saying: "Its reaching performance is just amazing because with this powerful hull you can sail higher angles with the big kite even in 25 knots of wind. It's so fast, it's like a rocket." Loison has already confirmed his return for 2027, the 40-year-old declaring the Rolex Fastnet Race is in his blood. (Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Princess Royal to visit the Island this weekend for major racing event
HRH The Princess Royal will visit the Isle of Wight this weekend (Saturday, July 26) to officially start the Rolex Fastnet Race. Princess Anne will start the race at the Royal Ocean Racing Club at 12pm, sending hundreds of competitors on the 695 mile route to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. The race marks the club's 100th anniversary, which the Royal Ocean Racing Club has celebrated by reintroducing the Admiral's Cup, an event which was historically the premier offshore race. The Princess Royal visited the Island last May (2024), opening Seaview Yacht Club's training centre and visiting Bembridge National Coastwatch Station in her capacity as royal patron of the National Coastwatch Institution. Read more: Celebrity England Euros striker Aggie Beever-Jones has strong Island links Astronaut Chris Hadfield meets Island reception class's travelling toy frog The Fastnet Race will see hundreds of sailors compete in the cross-Channel feat - including father and daughter Richard and Sophie Palmer from Cowes. The double-handed crew will compete in the IRC4 class, with the race being Richard's 11th Fastnet Race and Sophie's second. The Fastnet Race started in 1925 with just seven entries, carrying a mission to encourage long-distance yacht racing. This year, more than 3,500 crew members will compete in the race, which starts on the Island and finishes in Northern France.
BBC News
28-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
More than 150 yachts to anchor in Guernsey for sailing event
More than 150 yachts are expected to arrive in Guernsey on Saturday as part of an inter-island race and UK Marinas said about 100 competitors were taking part in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's 2025 Morgan Cup Race, which will see sailors start on the Isle of Wight on Friday and end in St Peter Port. An inter-island yacht race is also set to begin at 08:30 BST in Jersey with sailors expected to arrive in Guernsey from the Ports marina manager Steve Lowe said it was "hoping for good weather and fair seas". He said: "Our team will be on hand to support everyone in having a smooth and enjoyable experience. "If you are venturing out on your boat this weekend, please be patient with our visiting yachtsmen and prioritise safety on the water at all times."Mr Lowe added that events like these helped the island's said: "This weekend's regattas are likely to make this one of our busiest weekends this summer."It will be a real spectacle out on the water and more than 100 boats will be staying in Guernsey Marinas overnight."
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
More than 100 boats to take part in major offshore race from Cowes to Guernsey
Over 100 boats will be in full view from Cowes Parade (Image: Paul Wyeth) MORE than 100 boats are expected to line up in Cowes tomorrow (Friday, June 27), to take part in this year's Morgan Cup Race to the Channel Islands. The 110 to 160-nautical mile course, which starts at 1.10pm, will see racers begin at Cowes and finish at Guernsey. Advertisement The RORC fleet will be in the starting area from about midday, with excellent views on Cowes Parade. The course is described as fairly straightforward. However, competitors will have to avoid the Casquets TSS, northwest of Alderney, as well as the rocks and tides around the Channel Islands. How to Follow the Race • Race Tracking — all boats are equipped with YB Trackers. Follow live at: • Results and updates — real-time results via • Social media — use #RORCRacing to follow across Facebook, Instagram and X. The Morgan Cup Race is the tenth race of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's Season's Points Championship, the world's largest offshore racing series. Advertisement It is also the fourth race of the Cowes Offshore Racing Series. The event will see more than 100 boats, with crew from 24 different nations, line up on the Cowes Yacht Squadron Line. St Peter Port in Guernsey provides the finish line, with boats expected to cross the line in sight of Castle Cornet. The Morgan Cup Race is described as one of the more unusual Royal Ocean Racing Club races. This is because while it is run by the RORC, all the trophies, including the Morgan Cup Trophy, donated in 1929 by a member of the JP Morgan banking dynasty, are awarded by the Royal Thames Yacht Club.
Straits Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Inclusion rule stirs fleet as Admiral's Cup set to resume after two decades
When the Admiral's Cup hoists sail next month after a 22-year absence, every competing yacht will feature at least one woman crew member – a requirement that has sparked both applause and unease among the very sailors it aims to promote. "Honestly... my first reaction was a bit of an eye-roll—are we still having to tell teams to include women?" professional sailor Joy Fitzgerald, who will race aboard PAC 52 Final Final, told "But I also recognise that this rule has opened doors." The Royal Ocean Racing Club's resurrection of what was once considered offshore sailing's unofficial world championship coincides with the club's centenary celebrations. The revamped regatta, running July 17 to August 1 in Cowes, will feature two-boat national teams competing in Solent inshore races and offshore challenges, culminating in the iconic Rolex Fastnet Race. Cole Brauer, who made history last year as the first American woman to sail solo nonstop around the world, told the sailing website the mandate feels insufficient: "It felt like the bare minimum. While I respect sailing with the guys, I truly believe crews perform better with more women involved." The gender requirement comes as sailing's demographics shift glacially. Nearly a century after Baroness Andre de Neufville became RORC's first female member in 1929, the sport remains stubbornly male-dominated despite women now holding two senior Flag Officer positions at the club. "If we want to normalise women in professional sailing, we need this kind of visible commitment," veteran racer Abby Ehler, representing the New York Yacht Club aboard Black Pearl, told Sail-World, while acknowledging concerns about being seen as "a quota rather than recognised for ability." Olympic sailor Mariana Lobato summed it up: "This rule is a step forward, but ultimately, we want to be chosen for our skills, not just because of a rule." The Admiral's Cup is steering towards inclusion, but lasting change will depend on whether opportunity grows beyond obligation. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
