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Phoenix Yachting and partner East Anglian Sea School Took Part At Rolex Fastnet Race
The record-sized Rolex Fastnet Race fleet finishing the legendary race organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, runs for 608 miles along the south coast of the UK, across to the Fastnet Rock off the south-west Irish coast.
The Fastnet Race rightly has the reputation for being one the toughest yacht races in the world, with the tragic record of 15 lifes lost at the severe storm conditions during famous 1979 Fastnet.
The race can the ultimate sailing challenge for those who want to stretch themselves to the limit. The 608 nautical mile course starts at Cowes then off westward to the Fastnet Rock off of southern Ireland before heading back to Plymouth.
This year there were 314 starters, the largest fleet ever to start the Rolex Fastnet Race following the previous record of 303 in 1979.
Among the fleet there were amazing giant multihulls Gitana 11 (FRA), the 23.5m trimaran skippered by Vendee Globe and Volvo Ocean Race skipper Sebastien Josse, Roland Jourdain's MOD70 Veolia Environnement (FRA), round the world yachtswoman Dee Caffari manning her aft grinders, Veolia's sistership, Steve Ravussin's Race For Water (SUI), Volvo 70 class and many other yachts of all classes and sizes.
Berni Blaha of Phoenix and Alexander Zahn, one of Phoenix's yacht owners, joined Phoenix partner East Anglian Sea School Team Strata 3 (Sun Odyssey 36i) in the IRC 3 class, skippered by Mally Stern, who leads school's office in Ipswitch.
2011 Race had also enough drama, with few records of the race beated and famous mega-yacht Rambler 100 capsized shortly after passing Fastnet Rock.
One of the race's records was Volvo 70 Abu Dabi result, skippered by double Olympial Champion Ian Walker, who was our special honorable guest in 2009 at Russian Sailing Week Volvo in Turkey and we congratulate Ian with new victory!
Our team has done the race very well, especially considering much faster boats in her IRC 3 class: Strata 3 finished on 19 August with provisional 24th position out of 71 boats in the class!
We are very proud of our guys and wish them to have a well deserved Final Prize Giving Ceremony held in Royal Ocean Racing Club in Plymouth.