Rounding the Fastnet Rock
in a go - kart of the sea
The Mini - Fastnet race has been held annually for over 19 years. 5 days and 4 nights to safely circumnavigate Fastnet Rock. 600 nautical miles of challenges. An unforgettable race for every Classe Mini sailor.
The Fastnet race that ended in tragedy in 1979.
Both then and now, Fastnet Rock continues to hold a special allure for sailors. Undeterred by the 1979 disaster, the international offshore sector in particular and Classe Mini sailors still set out to circumnavigate the famously challenging rock.
What Happened?
A worse than expected storm moved in bringing winds of over 100 km/h to the fleet of 300 boats competing in the Fastnet Race. It was suddenly a life or death situation. Among the competitors were 57 boats from the Admiral's Cup team, for whom this was the final race of the unofficial world championship of offshore racing.
An avoidable tragedy!
Many sailors took refuge in their life rafts, but these were nowhere near as safe back then as they are today. Of the capsized boats, only 5 sank, the crews drowned in their life rafts.
Learning from the mistakes
Since the accident there have been significant changes and improvements in yacht design and construction. Boats are not only faster, they are also much safer. A great deal of progress has also been made in terms of sea rescue. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the number of participants was limited and a fixed proportion of each crew must provide proof of offshore safety training.
Facts and figures
0
boats sank
0
boats capsized
0
abandoned boats
0
dead
0
people were involved in the rescue
The mini version of the race
"Nevertheless, we will be sailing through a very treacherous area. ...
You have to stay
focused despite everything, whenever the weather changes,
this can happen very quickly,",
says Hugo Picard
Hugo Picard in
race mode
3 regattas are now done. What went well, where is there still room for improvement? Conclusion: Hugo is satisfied. So far, he has achieved all his goals. Of course, there are still things he wants to do better, like getting a better start, for example, but overall things are looking promising and he is eagerly awaiting his next challenge: the Mini Fastnet.
Hugo's personal review
Hugo tells us about his last 3 races and looks ahead to the Mini Fastnet
It's the first real offshore race of the season, which is potentially where I can have a competitive advantage. I've more miles offshore than most of the mini skippers.
Hugo Picard