Tracing the first part of the Rolex Fastnet Race course west out of the Solent and down the coast as far as the Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth, it is no surprise why this is one of the most popular races in the programme. Competitors can take advantage of the opportunity to brush up their knowledge of the area and tactics, weighing up pivotal decisions such as whether to stay inshore with reduced adverse tide but contrasting rougher seas and tidal races at each headland, or to choose an offshore course with clear air and a less confused sea state. In prevailing southwesterlies, there is the reward of a great downwind ride back to the finish.