The team are all very busy with their final preparations before the Fastnet. Preparing the boat, ourselves – and our work lives! We will be completely out of reach for maximum one week which is for many something unusual, and requires some special communications to the home front to keep loved ones up to date on what is going on.

Larger preparations for the race – looking at the course, the weather, the current, tracking, sponsorship stickers, charity details … the list goes on.

Some smaller preparation items are also ongoing – filming of our Fastnet race, cameras, hotels before and after the race – when will we finish, so when to book? Luckily Team Heiner will be able to take an extra bag for us to Plymouth where the race finishes so we will be able to have a change of clean clothes and a shower!

For those wishing to track our progress, you can visit the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Fastnet tracking website, where the RORC have a tracking application showing the fleet, once the race starts. You’ll need to look for our boat, “Team Heiner One”.

We’ll be starting at 1350hrs BST on Sunday the 11th of August, following the traditional Fastnet course, which is a 608 nautical mile non-stop race. The race entails a gripping and punishing 608-nautical mile journey from Cowes, Isle of Wight to Plymouth via the Fastnet Rock, off the southern tip of Ireland.

Beginning at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, the Isle of Wight, the race passes noted landmarks in the English Channel including The Needles, Portland Bill, Start Point, The Lizard and Land’s End, ahead of the open water passage across the Celtic Sea.

The legs across the Celtic Sea to and from the Fastnet Rock are long and unpredictable. Openly exposed to fast moving Atlantic weather systems the fleet often encounters the toughest weather of the race on its approach to and return from Ireland.

The symbolic turn around the Fastnet Rock off the southern coast of Ireland; a rounding that heralds the race’s emblematic halfway juncture. The Fastnet Rock has significant standing in the minds of competitors, and is viewed as the halfway mark, even though the actual distance remaining is less.

The sense of achievement felt by crew must be tempered by a need to stay focused on the challenge ahead. The fleet then embark on the long return leg and the finish in Plymouth.

Distances on the course: Total = 608 nautical miles (1,126 km) The start of the Rolex Fastnet Race is from the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) line, Cowes, Isle of Wight. Yachts will race on a course of approx 608 miles via the Fastnet Rock to the finish line at the western end of the breakwater in Plymouth Harbour:

Cowes – Needles 16Nm

Needles – Portland Bill 34Nm

Portland – Start Point 54Nm

Start Point – Lizard 60Nm

Lizard – Lands End 22Nm

Land’s End – Fastnet 170Nm

Fastnet Rock – Scillies 154Nm

Scillies – Lizard 51Nm

Lizard – Finish 46Nm

We’re excited and a little nervous – but we’re sure looking forward to the race, the culmination of our campaign. Wish us fair winds and a successful race!

Author’s note: Route description is from the RORC official history of the Fastnet race guide.

The team competed in the RORC Channel Race on the weekend of 27th – 28th July after training and racing mostly on small boats and training on the Volvo60. The Volvo60 received a new mainsail and the boat and team were fit and ready to have their final test before the actual Fastnet.

 

3 boats participated in the IRC Z class and the third position was the final result. Although last in class, the team was not too far behind the professional sailors in their first race ever. Two learning points which can be tackled in the actual Fastnet: The first one was missing a mark by very swift steering but not 100% aligned boat handling in sail trimming, while arriving in a wind free spot, with current pressing backwards. It was frustrating to see the competition walk away at that time.

 

After the upwind mark was tackled, it became darker, slightly rainy, but on a fast downwind beat with the spinnaker pushing the boat to 12 knots. Some jibing was deliberately chosen to continue to profit as much from the wind and current as possible. We made good gains from this, taking back much of the loss from the mark-rounding mistake, giving hope.

 

The second learning factor was how to reef the new mainsail. On purpose the team wanted this final opportunity to know before the actual Fastnet race itself, to figure out the reefing system under pressure soon before the finish. This took some time, but was not disastrous since we did stay in the same position.

 

Overall we operated very well as one team on the Team Heiner One and were satisfied with the finish time of 13 hours and approximately 25 minutes. All of us were able to be on deck and make sure that the required tasks were taken care of. Team spirit is increasing that extra step with some key individuals being in the right place at the right time.

 

We have done our preparations and should be ready for the Fastnet. We understand that the 3rd and 4th day will have much impact on the result and this is something we will need to experience together!