Class 40s in the Rolex Fastnet Race

Impressive line-up of 21 boats to take Sunday's start line

21 boats from 9 different countries including several brand new boats and generation ones, newcomers and regulars are due to be on the the Class40 start line for Sunday's Rolex Fastnet Race.

The skippers competing are a good reflection of the Class40, including old favourites such as:
- Norwegian Rune Aasberg (Solo), winner of the doublehanded Round Britain and Ireland Race
- Benoit Daval (Techneau)
- Tanguy de Lamotte (Initiatives – Alex Olivier), winner of the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race and the Solidaire du Chocolat
- Marc Lepesqueux (Marie Toit - Caen la mer) the Pogo S² owned by Jean Galfione
- American Michael Hennessy (Dragon), having recently sailed to Europe in the Transatlantic Race 2011
- Ned Collier-Wakefield (Concise 2), the youngest skipper at 23 years old
- London-based Italian Marco Nannini (Eutourist Serv-System)
- Paraolympic sailor Damien Seguin (Des Pieds Et Des Mains),
- Swiss-German Axel Strauss (Tzu Hang)
- plus the return of Vendee Globe skipper Benoit Parnaudeau, one of the pioneers of the class, on his Nacira design.

Among the newcomers, are Catherine Pourre (Eärwen) who won the Grand Prix de Douarnenez 2011 - her first race on the Class40 circuit.

Richard Crossley comes from Bermuda, will be competing for the first time in the Class 40, aboard the Jumbo Conquérants de Normandie owned by Marc Lepesqueux

There will be some new boats, too including the two new Farr-designed Kiwi40 FCs: #102 owned by Italian Francesco Piva and
#107 of Belgium sailor Michel Kleinjans (who had to retire from the Normandy Channel Race earlier this year). It will be their first test on the Class40 circuit.

Then there are the three Rogers designs - #30 Initiatives–Alex Olivier of Tanguy de Lamotte, #52 Des pieds et des mains (Damien Seguin) and #59 Red sailed by her new owner, German Mathias Mueller von Blumencron. The previous owner of #59, Bruno Jourdren, is his having a new Class40 built in the yard of François Robert, FR Nautisme.

Entry list for the Rolex Fastnet Race

GBR 93 Concise 2 Ned Collier-Wakefield
FRA 52 Des Pieds Et Des Mains Damien Seguin
USA 54 Dragon Michael Hennessy
FRA 88 Eärwen Catherine Pourre
GBR 41 Eutourist Serv-System Marco Nannini
USA 106 Gryphonsolo2 Joseph Harris
NZL 76 Hupane Ross Field
GBR 30 Initiatives - Alex Olivier Tanguy de Lamotte
FRA 26 Les Conquerants de Normandie Richard Crossley
GBR 48 Livewire Stuart Dodd
FRA 95 Marie Toit - Caen La Mer Marc Lepesqueux
GBR 97 MAXVMG Mark Denton
NED 75 Moonpalace Roeland Franssens
FRA 17 Nacira Benoit Parnaudeau
ITA 102 Peraspera Francesco Piva
FRA 59 Red Mathias Mueller von Blumencron
BEL 107 Roaring Forty 2 Michel Kleinjans
NOR 36 Solo Rune Aasberg
GBR 67 Spliff Andrew Dawson
FRA 50 Techneau Benoit Daval
GER 53 Tzu Hang Axel Strauss