Advanced sailing course and mythical race
Highlights
- Participation in a legendary competition race
- Price for the Volvo 60, a faster, more extreme racing yacht
- Possibility of boarding a more economical racing cruiser: Challenge 67
- Led by an excellent skipper and renowned tactician
- Discover the Celtic Sea, its coasts and splendid shades of color
Departing from Lorient, we crew aboard either a Challenge 67 (more comfortable) or a Volvo 60 (faster and more extreme) to Cowes on the Isle of Wight to race the Fastnet. Organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, one of the most prestigious sailing clubs on the planet, the Rolex Fastnet Race is a legendary crewed race with some 500 yachts lining up to cover 608 miles. It's a sensational, tactical race along the English coast before crossing the Irish Sea and rounding the impressive Fastnet Rock with its lighthouse. The finish is now in Cherbourg. This is an extraordinary experience for any sailor, whether a beginner or an experienced sailor, who wants to open up his or her horizons to the very latest in sailing. We then take the Challenge 67 or the Volvo 60 back to Lorient.
Overview
The Fastnet Race
The Fastnet Race is a yacht race contested between Cowes and Plymouth, via the Fastnet Rock lighthouse in the Irish Sea, off the tips of the south-west coast of England.
The very first Fastnet Race took place in 1925: a 605-mile regatta that has become legendary. Organised every other year by the RORC, the Fastnet Race was on the agenda of the Admiral's Cup.
It is probably one of the most challenging races in the sailing world: bad weather is frequent with the passage of many low-pressure systems, and the ocean can be extremely rough even in summer.
In the 1979 edition, the race weathered a storm still considered today as one of the most violent ever to take place in the area. On August 11th 1979, 303 yachts embarked at Cowes. The drama unfolded on August 14th when a gale-force storm decimated the fleet: 75 boats capsized, 5 sunk and 18 sailors lost their lives (15 participants and 3 sailors from another ship). In the words of Gérard Janichon in his book Les riches heures de la voile : “never before had a sailing race known such a tragedy. The storm decimated the fleet over a period of eight hours. Of the 303 starters only 86 crossed the finishing line at Plymouth.”
In 2011, the first three boats in the race in the monohull category were VO70s, normally designed to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race. All three beat the 2007 race record. The first of them, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), completed the race in 42 hours and 39 minutes.
In the multihull category, the Multi One Design Veolia Environment was the winner.
Inspired by the Fastnet Race, many races with the “Fastnet” rock as their destination have been organised starting from France. Moreover, the lighthouse is a regular landmark featuring in the “Solitaire du Figaro” and the “Mini-Fastnet” races.
Please find information about the race on Wikipedia by clicking here
And of course directly by clicking on www.fastnet.rorc.org
Courtesy of Royal Ocean Racing Club
Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN LORIENT THE EVENING BEFORE THE DEPARTURE
Day 1
Meeting point in Lorient on the boat.
DAY 2: DEPARTURE FROM LORIENT
Day 2
Setting off from Lorient for a journey of roughly 300 NM. This crossing to Cowes will enable the crew to get to grips with the boat but also to qualify over 300 miles to be approved for the race by the RORC.
DAYS 3 TO 5: CROSSING AND ARRIVAL AT COWES, RACING ATMOSPHERE
Day 3
Compulsory briefing from Race HQ. For the next two days, we will enjoy a full immersion in this incredible experience!
DAY 6: DEPARTURE OF THE FASTNET RACE
Day 6
Nearly 300 yachts from 9 to 30 meters in length line up on the Royal Yacht Squadron's line for a sumptuous sail out of the Solent (Isle of Wight), through the Needles, mostly on a windward-leeward course. The regatta is sensational and tactical along the English coast, before crossing the Irish Sea and rounding the impressive Fastnet Rock with its lighthouse. The finish is in Cherbourg.
DAYS 7 to 11: RACING AND ARRIVAL IN CHERBOURG
Day 7
Depending on the wind and weather, it will take us between 2.5 and 4.5 days to cover the 605 NM of the race. We are all about having fun and discovering new things, but we do not hesitate to “pull each other's legs” (!) with the other boats in our category, especially the other Challengers taking part in the race. At the finish, we do not linger too long in Cherbourg and set off again for Lorient.
DAY 12 & 13 : ARRIVAL IN LORIENT
Day 12
We arrive during the day on D12 or even D13. iT is best to plan a flexible return on the evening of D13. To be confirmed with our teams.
END OF EXPEDITION
For reasons that cannot be foreseen at this stage, such as unpredictable weather, the physical fitness or lack of fitness of participants or other circumstancess (customs formalities, road conditions, traffic, landslides, force majeure, etc.), your expedition leader may have to adapt the program, if necessary, to ensure the smooth running of your trip. He remains the sole judge and the one who guarantees your safety. Activity times are given as an indication and may vary from one participant to another.
The itinerary for all our expedition programs, or the ascent program for our high-mountain expeditions, are given here as a guide only. They are flexible enough to adapt to weather conditions with a few contingency days. In any case, you should follow the recommendations of your guide, who may suggest that you cancel your expedition due to weather, safety or physical conditions.
It is important to remember that this is a truly unsupported expedition, and that anything can happen. Expeditions Unlimited, your expedition leader, your guide or our local teams can in no way be held responsible.
Any costs incurred as a result of a change in the expedition schedule (extra nights' accommodation, extra flights) will be borne by the participants and not by the organizers. "Contingency days" refer to the expedition in the strict sense of the term (base camp/base camp in the mountains, departure point/exit point on a traverse, etc.).
Any early return of the expedition or of certain members only (early success, abandonment, etc.), generating costs for accommodation, meals, changes to air tickets or other activities not provided for in this program, will be charged in full to the participants.
Trip notes
Guiding
To take you on this adventure, we will be calling on a good second-in-command tactician, a professional ocean racer with a Figaro circuit background. The boat will be skippered by an experienced Capitaine 200 skipper.
For unpredictable reasons at this stage, like adverse weather conditions, insufficient physical condition of participants, insufficient competencies of participants related to the intended activities, your guide may decide to adjust the intended program and/or activities. At all times, his decision will be final on all matters likely to affect the safety and well-being of the trip.
Difficulty level
Level rated: challenging
This program is designed for participants who take part in a regular sports activity several times a week, including endurance activity.
This program is considered to be “moderate”, mainly to take weather-related hazards into account. Bad weather is always a possibility. The pace of this navigation journey also requires participants to be in good physical shape. While not requiring an excellent standard of sailing, you need a competitive spirit (and a sense of fun). Watches will be determined according to the weather and the pace of the race, between 2 and 4 hours. Everyone will take part.
A “World Sailing” 1 certificate (former French ISAF) or equivalent, obtained less than 5 years ago, is required for safety reasons. This is a 3-day course comprising:
- PSMer : first aid at sea, one day
- Survival at sea for a period of 2 days, including training exercises at sea (survival suit, raft capsizing, etc.)
We can provide you with addresses of approved centers in France in Lorient (CEPS) and the Glénans. The training course costs between 500 and 600 euros.
Last but not least, the French Sailing Federation (FFV) license is compulsory. We can issue you with it at a cost of 55 euros + 10 euros handling fees. You will need to provide a “fitness for regatta” medical certificate.
Meeting point
Those departing from France meet at the port of Lorient on the first day.
For those already in England, meet at the port of Cowes on the third day.
Given the diverse origins of the participants on this trip, international outward and return flights are not included in this package. In most cases, we book flights on your behalf to ensure that the whole group arrives at the destination at the same time. We do not charge any fees for these air bookings. Please do not hesitate to contact us. If you book your own tickets, we will advise you on the ideal flight schedule to enable all participants to arrive within a reduced time frame. At the very least, you need tickets that can be modified.
Accommodations
The Challenge 67 has 4 double and triple cabins, as well as bunks, for a sleeping capacity of 10/12 people excluding crew. There are two bathrooms, two showers and two toilets on board (remember, you are on a sailboat, so use water sparingly). The Volvo 60 is a large 64-foot monohull built for the open sea. Skippered by four professional sailors, it carries 10 ocean-racing crew. You will be welcomed aboard on the evening of Day 1, the day before you set sail, and can stay on board until your departure day (Day 13 at the latest).
THE BOAT
We take part in this legendary race either on a Challenge 67 racing monohull, a 21meter sloop with a professional crew, like Albatros and Whirlwind, who have both taken part in the BT Global Challenge, the crewed round-the-world race against the prevailing winds, three times, or on a Volvo 60, a 19.50 meter (64 feet) racing yacht. This large monohull is a high-performance, extreme boat, a Formula 1 of the seas with very spartan comfort. Designed to be solid and safe, these large sailboats are cut out for the open sea. Their large size is an asset for training and anticipating all situations at sea.
Meals
Meals in port / during stopovers are not included, to allow flexibility and pleasure in the choice of restaurants.
Meals on board are supplied when we arrive on the boat. Classic sailor's food during convoying! Meals are prepared by everyone.
During the race, we will probably be eating individual freeze-dried meals to avoid having to get out the pots and pans! It also means we can eat at our own pace, depending on the watches we are on.
Transfers / Transport
Transfers are not included for organizational reasons, as participants usually arrive in Lorient in dispersed order.
Group size
The group is composed of 5 to 10 participants maximum. The number of participants is deliberately limited to allow for greater immersion, to avoid embarrassing our hosts, and to develop freedom and flexibility. However, the maximum number may be exceeded if the last person to register wishes to travel with one or more other people. The services will not be modified, and the conditions of the trip will remain the same.
Equipment
Personal equipment is not provided. However, a complete list is provided to allow you to check that you are taking what is necessary.
The only specific equipment required is :
- Jacket and pants
- Boots / deck shoes
Departures and pricing
Please find below all dates and prices for this expedition. Prices are quoted "from" and may be adjusted notably according to the number of participants (see trip notes for details). Please note that dates and prices for years beyond 2024, when given, are for guidance only and are subject to change and readjustment to take account of current economic realities.
No date works for me!
I initiate a new datePrice includes
Accommodations tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Guiding tel qu’indiqués dans le programme. Travel folder tel qu’indiqués dans le programme.
Price does not include
International flights. All accompaniments, accommodations or meals mentioned “not included” in the program. Drinks and personal “extras”. The “single” supplement or a different hotel category. Other supplements linked to a lower number of participants registered, your desire to customize or privatize the expedition. The mandatory expedition complementary insurance.
Your custom expedition
We put our expertise, our knowledge of the terrain, our creativity, our experience, the quality of our guides and the reliability of our partners at your service to build your custom expedition. We can also personalize an expedition to your wishes as soon as you form a "closed" group, whatever the number of participants.
This means that, unless you authorize us to do otherwise, no outside participants join you, and we can personalize your expedition by adapting it to your own pace, with the program extensions you desire, a higher level of comfort, certain activities, other encounters, etc.
Every expedition of this type is subject to a specific quotation. To get in touch with us now, please fill in the short questionnaire below. One of our experts will get back to you to refine your request and make you a proposal.
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