Events

Join Global Yacht Racing and cross the finish line in Cherbourg for the Cowes-Cherbourg Fastnet Race 2025!

We offer a full race campaign or you can tailor a condensed programme to suit you.

Since it began in 1925, the Rolex Fastnet Race has grown to become one of ocean racing’s greatest events and along with the Rolex Sydney to Hobart and the Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of the top three offshore races in the world.

The Rolex Fastnet Race takes competitors across 600+ miles and up to five days battling the wind and tricky tidal conditions to round the Fastnet Rock on the Southern tip of Ireland.

Our full Fastnet race campaign starts in June 2025 with additional training weekends and race qualifiers during June and July. The Fastnet Race starts on 26th July 2025 with an expected finish date, in Cherbourg, approx. 5 days later. After a short stop-over at the race village we head back to Blighty and our home base here at Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.

Please note that it is possible to tailor a condensed programme – contact us to discuss your requirements.

Our training events and Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) qualifying races take place in the Channel and waters off the south coast and around the Isle of Wight. 

The race itself takes Fastnet competitors across the famous Royal Yacht Squadron start line off Cowes and then head west down the Solent and out through the iconic Needles. They past the major south coast headlands, Anvil Point, Portland Bill, Start Point, and Lands End before rounding the famous Fastnet rock and returning via the Scilly Isles.

In 2021, for the first time in the Fastnet race’s history, the finish changed to be in Cherbourg, France.

Global Yacht Racing’s full Fastnet campaign includes:

2025 Dates 

Early June – Training Weekend 1

Mid June – RORC Morgan Cup Race

Early July – RORC Cowes – Dinard – St Malo Race

Mid July – Training Weekend 2

Friday 25th July – Race Prep. Day

Saturday 26th July – Rolex Fastnet Race Start (Cowes)

30th July – Expected Finish Date (Cherbourg)

1st August – Estimated return date to UK

Please note that we do offer a condensed campaign and can tailor a programme to suit from the above dates. This may be of particular interest to overseas clients.

Call us to discuss your tailored race programme in more detail and obtain a quote.

Professional Skipper & Mate

Global Yacht Racing branded crew kit – T-shirt and jacket

All safety gear including lifejackets

Food & drinks whilst training and racing

All yacht/race costs costs

Delivery sail Cherbourg to Cowes

Training and racing with a crew over three months really creates bonds and forges a super team. Our full campaign package will provide the opportunity to experience a wide range of weather conditions and a variety of race courses. It will also allow the team to rotate roles on the boat in order to establish their strengths and create a competitive team.

In 2021 our skipper, Neil Maher, was joined aboard our First 47.7, ‘EH01’, by a charter group of RORC members from the USA. ‘EH01’ finished 8th in class out of 56 finishers and a class of 86 entries – not a bad result given the challenging conditions. 

In 2023, Neil Maher skippered ‘EH01’ once again and this time was joined by individuals including a seven strong group of Heart Of England Offshore Cruising Association members. ‘EH01’ finished 24th in IRC 1 out of 98 starters and was 2nd charter boat. Also 22nd in IRC 1B and first charter boat – again not a bad result given the extremely challenging conditions. 

The Fastnet is often an aspirational race for many people who want to tick the box, but we ensure that it’s also a competitive experience. The Fastnet is incredibly challenging both tactically and physically and the Great British weather can often turn up some surprises; in short you never know what you’re gonna get!

As an added bonus with the race finish now in Cherbourg in France! We can’t wait to sample the French cheese and wine!

Email: [email protected] for more info
Phone: +44 7841 590 714

Or contact us here