Prizegiving took place on Friday in Plymouth for the winners of this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race.
Capsizing, becalming and tumbling records all characterized the race, which lived up to its reputation as the most gruelling and tactically challenging of the classic offshore races.
Overall race winner on handicap was the 72ft Rán , the second time that Skype founder Niklas Zennström's British yacht has taken the trophy and the race's first back-to-back winner in more than 50 years.
Second on corrected time was the canting-keeled 100ft Maxi ICAP Leopard, which had been behind the Maxi Rambler 100 until Rambler’s sudden overturn at the beginning of the home leg just around the infamous Fastnet Rock. After the drama, Rambler's hull was towed to Barley Cove, where she was righted and pumped out, then a tug took her to Baltimore Harbour where she waits for the preliminary investigation by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board into the capsize
Back in Plymouth, honours also went to Abu Dhabi, which set a new monohull record for the race of 1 day, 18 hours and 35 minutes, as well as new course multihull record-holder Banque Populaire.
Six boats remain in the race this weekend with the restored 1937 gaff-rigged ketch Maybird expected to be last home early on Sunday.
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