Events

Join Global Yacht Racing and cross the finish line in Cherbourg for the Cowes-Cherbourg Fastnet Race 2023!

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 2023 with additional training weekends and race qualifiers during June and July. The Fastnet Race starts on 22nd July 2023 with an expected finish date, in Cherbourg, on approx. July 27th and arrival back in the UK by July 30th.

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:

2023 Dates 

10th & 11th June – Training Weekend 1

16th -18th June – RORC Morgan Cup Race

7th – 9th July – RORC Cowes – Dinard – St Malo Race

15th & 16th July – Training Weekend 2

Friday 21st July – Race Prep. Day

Saturday 22nd July – Rolex Fastnet Race Start (Cowes)

27th July – Expected Finish Date (Cherbourg)

30th July – 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. 

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 for 2023 the race will, only for the second time in its history, finish at 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