EAORA boats in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025
by Paul Wood 6 Aug 2025 20:02 BST
Crew of Sunstone - EAORA boats in the Rolex Fastnet Race © RORC
Most EAORA entrants finished within the top half of the 450-strong fleet taking part in the Rolex Fastnet Centenary race.
The feedback from them all was that it was an enjoyable few days with the wind not exceeding 25 knots - and all finished safely, with no retirements.
Asked what is the attraction of sailing in the murky waters of the Thames Estuary, my reply is: "If you can embrace the sandbanks, find the back eddies, keep out of the tide, or keep in the tide, avoid the windfarms and keep clear of the ships, you can generally sail safely and competitively anywhere in the world."
EAORA yachts have shown yet again that East Coast sailors fight as hard as everyone else to reach the Fastnet podium.
Congratulations to Richard Matthews, taking part in his 26th Fastnet with Carkeek CF 520 Oystercatcher XXXV. He was presented with the Dennis Doyle Salver for the skipper who has done the greatest number of Fastnet races - and was also first UK monohull to finish.
Well done too to Will and Jenny Taylor Jones who won Class 4B with a very different boat - the wooden-hulled classic S and S 40 custom Sunstone.
Congratulations to all who represented the East Coast.
www.eaora.org.uk
Overall positions of EAORA entries:
110 - Warrior, A 40, Simon Farren - 11th IRC 2B
136 - Sunstone, S and S 40 custom, Will & Jenny Taylor-Jones - 1st IRC 4B
152 - 40 Love, First 40, East Anglian Sailing School - 28th IRC 2
170 - Oystercatcher XXXV, Carkeek CF 520, Richard Matthews - 9th IRC 0
180 - Ragazza (IV), Mills 37, Jan Gabriel & Bert De Bie from Belgium - 33rd IRC 2
198 - Mercury, Clubswan 42, Ross Eldred - 16th IRC 1A
208 - Anne Bonny, Swan 46, Sigrid Huyghe from Belgium - 18th IRC 2B
215 - Sweet Caroline, Grand Soleil 46.3, William Sunnucks - 20th IRC 2B
304 - Spirit, Sigma 38, Paul Scott - 13th IRC 4B
312 - Magic Moments, Sigma 33, Andrew Etherington & Alex Thomas -16th IRC 4B
336 - Arcadia of Harwich, Arcona 400, Mark & Penny Gillet - 39th IRC 3B
337 - Tramp of Airlie, S and S 44, Chris & Karen Hames - 20th IRC 4B