soloFASTNET 2016 announced
by soloFASTNET 7 Dec 2015 14:45 GMT
2 July 2016
Iconic new offshore race for solo sailors by solo sailors
Huge Interest: 46 skippers following soft launch
The Solo Offshore Racing Club (SORC) are pleased to announce the soloFASTNET, a brand new offshore race on one of the world's most demanding ocean race courses. Starting off Cowes on July 2, 2016, the fleet will navigate the 610NM course west along the English south coast, across the Celtic Sea to the Fastnet Rock off Ireland, south around the Scilly Isles and to the finish off Plymouth.
The soloFASTNET is a handicap race under IRC with the option, subject to interest, to include one design classes. The Solo Offshore Racing Club prides itself on an ethos of safety and good seamanship. All boats must meet ISAF Category 2 Regulations, AIS ClassB and Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) and YB trackers are mandatory and all competing skippers will be required to have substantial short handed offshore experience.
In less than a month from the soft launch of the website (www.soloFASTNET.co.uk) provisional race entrants already total an outstanding 46 yachts. A broad range of skipper nationalities sporting a wealth of shorthanded experience have registered, including Australia, UK, France, Belgium and Ireland. The latest list of interested boats and skippers can be viewed on the website.
The soloFASTNET has been certified by the Royal Western Yacht Club of England (RWYC) as an official qualifier for their 2017 OSTAR race. The RWYC will host the soloFASTNET prize giving and post-race party in their excellent clubhouse.
Past RWYC Commodore and OSTAR 2017 Race Chairman John Lewis commented:
"It is the perfect qualifier for the next OSTAR which starts on 29th May 2017 and meets many of the sailing challenges that will be encountered crossing the North Atlantic. We look forward to welcoming all the competitors to Plymouth."
Race Director Rob Craigie explains the inception of the soloFASTNET Race:
"We believe the soloFASTNET will fill a void in the race schedule and firmly establish a long distance UK based iconic solo race. Not only is it tactically and strategically demanding, but can be completed within a week and is complemented with a strong social element, pre and post race. We are very excited by the huge demand so far."
www.soloFASTNET.co.uk