Severe Weather Warning Delays Start of Rolex Fastnet race

Severe Weather Warning Delays Start of Rolex Fastnet race
August 11, 2007

Rolex Fastnet Race Briefing , Photo by: Rolex / Daniel Forster The RORC Race Office announced at this afternoon's Race & Weather briefing that the Rolex Fastnet Race start will be postponed for 25 hours due to the continued severe weather warning issued by the UK Met office. The first start for the 300 boat fleet will be Monday 13 August at 1100 BST.

The postponement is a first in the 83-year history of the race. The decision was made after consideration of the severe weather warnings issued by the UK Met Office, in order to ensure that the fleet is not in the exposed waters of the Western Channel and the Celtic Sea at the time that the predicted weather is expected.

Crews getting ready at the Cowes Yacht Haven , Photo by: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi RORC Racing Manager, Janet Grosvenor said "it remains the RORC policy to start the race when it is safe to do so and the responsibility for a boat's decision to participate in the race or to continue racing is hers alone."

With the forecast boding a fast race, plans for the finish in Plymouth remain in place with the prizegiving scheduled for Friday17th August at the historic Royal Citadel.

Starting times for the classes are as follow:

IMOCA 60 1100
IRC 3 1120
IRC 2 1140
IRC 1 1200
IRC Z 1220
IRC SZ & CK 1240
Multi-hulls 1300

Further information about the RORC and the Rolex Fastnet Race may be found at http://fastnet.rorc.org.

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