By 11:00 BST on day four of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the leaders in IRC Three were drawing in to the Fastnet Lighthouse, which was tantalizingly close on the horizon. Virtually the entire fleet was with 100 miles of the famous landmark. Zephyr-like conditions have compressed the fleet with the potential of a re-start at the Fastnet Lighthouse. On the positive side, the boats that have reached the Fastnet have done so in daylight. With boat speed down to just a knot or so, the sailors have plenty of time to admire the 177ft (54m) lighthouse built in 1853.
Gautier Normand’s A35 Locmalo (FRA) has taken the lead on the water from Sun Fast 3200 Cora (GBR) raced doublehanded by Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews. Normand’s team from La Société Nautique de la Trinité and Goodhew’s RORC team are in a slow-mo dog fight around the Fastnet Rock. Locmalo just has the edge on the water, Cora has the class lead after IRC time correction. Romain Gibon's JPK 1010 Les P'tits Doudous en Duo (FRA) is second after IRC time correction. Benoit Rousselin’s JPK 1010 Delnic, also racing doublehanded is third.
IRC Three | SailRaceHQ Sector Analysis: 100 miles from the Fastnet Rock
Using the new time sector data provided by www.SailRaceHQ.com accurate analysis of the IRC standings in different sectors of the race is now available.
The yb tracker shows the IRC Three fleet drifting towards to the Fastnet Rock
After IRC time correction, Cora has been the fastest boat in every sector so far but the honour for the 100-mile sector from Fastnet goes to another Sun Fast 3200, Pascal PY Lemancello (FRA), which took a more northerly route in the sector. Locmalo had the second best corrected time for the sector but only just; Mike Yate’s J/109 Jago racing doublehanded with Will Holland also put in a great sector for the race.
The light conditions for the IRC Three fleet as they try to round the Fastnet Rock are causing the leaderboard to change at every update. However, fresh wind is expected to arrive from the west later today and strengthen to give fast reaching conditions to Cherbourg.
51 teams are still racing in IRC Three with two additional retirements in the last 24 hours.
By Louay Habib
