Rolex Fastnet Race 2011 

British Keelboat Academy sailors embark on the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race

Eight sailors from the British Keelboat Academy, the RYA and UKSA joint keelboat racing initiative, are on the verge of one of the most challenging races of their sailing careers to date as they embark on the 44th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the great ocean racing challenges.

The world famous 608-mile offshore race will commence from Cowes on Sunday 14 August and will see skipper Henry Smith, 22 from Oxford, and his young BKA crew set sail on board the J/109, Yeoman of Wight, generously on loan from David Aisher.

With an astounding 350 entrants at the ready, the BKA sailors are one of the youngest crews competing in the marathon race with an average age of just 21.

The Rolex Fastnet Race is the pinnacle event of racing season and is one which the crew have been concentrating on for the past six months. With heavy organisation and commitment by all crew members in arranging the campaign from start to finish, and with a comprehensive win in the recent RORC Channel Race, the young enthusiastic sailors are eager to get going.

“We have been training extremely hard on the boat, Yeoman of Wight, while also doing as many of the RORC offshore races as possible. Last week’s RORC Channel Race was a fantastic win for the team and has given a good boost to our prospects and overall confidence as we get set for the Fastnet,” said skipper Smith. “The boat has new sails for the Fastnet and is ready to be pushed hard for the full race.”

21 year-old O’Mahony, who has been involved with BKA for 10 months, added: “Competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race is quite a big step for me. From only sailing keelboats since October to now, competing in the UK’s largest and most challenging offshore yacht race is a great achievement. With access to the BKA coaches and contacts, the year has been full of great sailing sessions, some steep learning curves, new experiences and great opportunities.”

Robin Elsey, BKA sailor and the youngest crew member, said: “It will be a fantastic experience to be able to compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race as it is one of the most important ocean races in the world as well as one of the most difficult. The crew are extremely well prepared which should put us in a great position when it comes to the hard miles where the race is won or lost.

The 18-year-old from Falmouth added: “I have competed in World Championships in Toppers and Lasers before and this is far different to the skills that were needed for those regattas. It is a true marathon event that needs us to trust each other to push the boat equally hard to make sure that we are achieving what we set out to. This is different from anything I have done before as I only used to sail single handed, so it is a big culture change.”  

The race is renowned for being extremely difficult with even the most experienced sailors finding the tricky conditions and long hours testing, however the BKA crew are extremely optimistic and believe that all their hard work and preparation will pay dividends come the end of the race: “Everybody knows the boat very well and knows their positions on board and what they are doing during each manoeuvre. With this accomplished, I think we are well prepared for the race,” explained bowman Neil Payne, 20 from Portsmouth.

“Our primary aim for the Fastnet would firstly be to finish the race, and then secondly we aim to be the first J109 to finish as well as a top three result in IRC Class 3,” concluded Payne.

Luke McCarthy, BKA Head Coach, said: “I expect this group of young sailors to do really well in the Fastnet. They have a great range of skills and experience to bring to the campaign, and have worked hard to ensure that both the boat and the crew are ready for this big race.

“As well as knowing the boat well, they also have a great team spirit on board, which should mean they are able to keep pushing and see them through any challenges. I am sure that they will take forward the experience of this campaign, and especially the opportunity to compete in a great race such as the Fastnet, as they look to take their sailing to the highest level”.

In addition, three further members from the British Keelboat Academy will  also be competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race including Peter Knight and Aaron Cooper who will be crewing J111 ‘Arabella’, while Matt Haslam will be on board Swan 42 ‘Brevity’.  

J/109, Yeoman of Wight crew for the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race:

Skipper/Nav - Henry Smith (Oxford)
Helm - Sam Matson (Exeter)
Main - Steve Aiken (Southampton)
Trim 1/Bow - James Brown (Southampton)
Helm 2 - Robin Elsey (Falmouth, Cornwall)
Main/mast - James O'Mahony (Cork, Ireland)
Trim 2 - Alex Gardner (New Church, IOW)
Bowman - Neil Payne (Portsmouth)  

For further information regarding the Rolex Fastnet Race visit www.fastnet.rorc.org or to follow the daily blogs from the BKA crew visit www.rya.org.uk/programmes/bka  

The BKA’s sponsors include X-Ray at 77 and Group Dental, plus a number of generous supporters and suppliers.  

For more information about the British Keelboat Academy and how you can help with fundraising, please visit the BKA website at www.britishkeelboatacademy.org, or follow the BKA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BritishKeelboatAcademy or on Twitter (@tweetbka).