On the Fastnet fast lane

235 boats set sail yesterday on the Rolex Fastnet Race

The moment impressive sight was the effortless speed of the two 60ft trimarans. They started 10 minutes after the Volvo Ocean 60s, but the lead boat overtook Team News Corpat 1645, making the Volvo Ocean 60s look as if they were standing still. The upwind pace of the two boats was simply incredible, easily holding 15 knots as their centre hulls kissed the top of the waves.

Tenez Bon Les Enfantsearlier this year was called Eure et Loir and was in these waters breaking the round the island record. Her French skipper Francis Joyon is back again and had the advantage over Emma Richard's new Pindar in knowing his boat much, much better. This proved to be the case as Joyon lead the fleet out of the Solent and on to the tidal conveyor belt towards Lands End and on to 'The Rock'.

Starting 60 minutes behind the Volvo Ocean 60s it was the turn of the Maxis to battle their way up the western Solent. Iain Percy, at the helm of the Farr 52 Loco, with a number of GBR Challenge crew on board such as Adrian Stead, was first across the line with a port flyer ahead of boats averaging an extra 30 feet in length.

However, it wasn’t long before the might of Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli's Stealth was powering away to lead the Super Zero class along the mainland coast. Last across the line was the 83 foot Sydney-Hobart winner Nicorette, sailing with only the jib while two broken mainsail battens were repaired. Sailing with Shirley Robertson, it took the team 30 minutes before there up to full power again with sail repaired and a reef in (all the other big boats were under full main). Also lagging on the beat out of the Solent was Mike Slade’s Skandia Life Leopard, which was suffering with a damaged jib strop.

There were only a couple of collisions and retirements from the smaller divisions. With the majority of the fleet getting under way with few incidents, seemingly unaware of the slog they face for the next 18 hours in to increasing winds along the southern England coastline on the 608 mile passage around the Fastnet Rock and back to Plymouth..

Chasing up the rear were the four Open 60s, and an Open 50. These boats primarily downwind racing machines, were struggling in the decidedly upwind conditions. It won't be until the boats crack off towards the Fastnet rock that their true potential will be realised.