THE 2023 ROLEX FASTNET RACE WAS THE BIGGEST OFFSHORE RACE OFF ALL TIME – AND THIS YEAR’S 50TH EDITION WAS A TRUE TEST OF EVERY COMPETITOR. HELEN FRETTER REPORTS
The pagers started bleeping soon after lunch for the volunteer crews of the Solent lifeboat stations on Saturday 22 August. The team at Yarmouth RNLI barely had time to peel off their oilskins and yellow wellies between ‘shouts’ that afternoon, as call after call came in for Fastnet competitors requesting assistance.
An incredible 430 yachts had taken the start from the Royal Yacht Squadron line just an hour or two earlier, making the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race the largest offshore race in history. Even more had entered, but several dozen skippers considered the forecast and chose not to take part. They included the Maxi 72 Notorious, with Volvo Ocean Race-winning skipper Ian Walker among the experienced crew, so challenging were conditions.
‘Gnarly’ was how RORC race director Steve Cole had described the forecast at the preceding day’s skipper’s briefing, with weather models showing up to 30-35 knots, gusting 40. While windspeeds at the start were closer to 20-25 knots, barring a few gusty squalls that swept through the fleet, those winds built as the fleet headed west. Meanwhile, by the time the bulk of the fleet were passing Hurst Narrows the Solent was in full ebb, which kicked up a vicious wind against tide sea state.
Reports of damage swiftly began to pour in, the coastguard responding to 28 incidents involving yachts in the race. Lifeboats and coastal rescue teams from Yarmouth, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage, Portland and Wyke were all deployed repeatedly, with the Yarmouth RNLI crews in the western Solent being called out six times alone.
Among the most dramatic was the sinking of the Sunfast 3600 Vari, a French double-handed entry. A search and rescue helicopter and two lifeboats were deployed after reports that Vari was taking on water in her engine compartment, but the yacht went down within 20 minutes. By the time rescue services arrived at the yacht’s position south-west of the Needles, crewmembers Yann Jestin and Romain Baggio were already in the liferaft. Both were safely recovered and taken ashore to Yarmouth.
The Swanage all-weather lifeboat was tasked to assist a yacht where a crewmember had been knocked on the head and fallen overboard. Thanks to their tether the crewmember was recovered by his team mates, but remained semi-unconscious. With the coastguard helicopter unable to lower a paramedic, the yacht headed inshore for calmer waters where the casualty was transferred via lifeboat.
Other incidents included yachts that suffe
