Entrylist for IRC rated boats

Entrylist for Non-IRC rated (e.g. Class40, IMOCA 60, Multihull) boats

RORC Increase Entries to Rolex Fastnet Race

Extra Capacity for Rolex Fastnet Race as Plymouth Yacht Haven selected as host port

RORC Increases number of entries to satisfy demand

With the entry limit of 300 filled within 24 hours, over 100 boats on the waiting list and entries from multihulls, IMOCA 60s and Class 40s still coming in, demand for places in this year's Rolex Fastnet Race have been greater than ever. To answer this unprecedented demand the RORC has decided to increase the number of places available for IRC rated boats by an extra 40 places, to 340. The addition of multihulls, IMOCAs, Class 40s and Mini Transats could easily bring the total fleet to 380 boats and to cope with this the club has decided to move the event to Plymouth Yacht Haven which has the capacity to supply the extra berthing that is needed.

In an astonishing 24 hours, the 300 boat entry limit for the Rolex Fastnet Race has been reached.

We are delighted that the race is so popular, the places have once again being taken up faster than ever before.

If you haven't entered the race yet, then all is not necessarily lost. You can join the Waiting List at http://remus.rorc.org. Past experience shows that approximately 10 to 15% of the boats entered do not go on to compete in the race, so it is very likely that places will become available.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the RORC manage entrants in the race?

Those who entered in time receive an automatic email confirming that they have entered the race. However, this is only the start of the entry procedure and all of the entry requirements, Special Regulations, Experience qualification, training qualification and other elements must be satisfied before a yacht becomes eligible to start the race. Please see the Guide for Entrants for details.

Never have the words 'highly anticipated' applied so accurately as to the Rolex Fastnet Race. Today, at midday, the REMUS entry system went online with the 2013 RORC race season. What happened next is an astounding tribute to the status of the race, the passion of competitors and the efficiency of REMUS (RORC Entry Management System).

Between 12:00 and 12:01, 20 boats had entered with Blondie, Henny Abbenhues' First 42s7, the first to enter only 7 seconds after entries opened.

Within 10 minutes there were a total of 121 Rolex Fastnet Race entrants.

Now, at 16:30, this has crept steadily higher to the current list of 235 boats.

To place these numbers in context one must look back to 2011 when the limit of 300 boats was reached after 10 days of the entry system opening. This year it looks like the limit will be reached much earlier than in previous editions and the Royal Ocean Racing Club would encourage anybody considering a Fastnet campaign to get their entries in soon!

For more information about the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Rolex Fastnet Race, please visit the websites.

At exactly 1200 GMT you will be able to enter all RORC races, including the eagerly awaited Rolex Fastnet Race, through the RORC Entry Management System.

If you have not yet read the 2013 RORC Notice of Race then it is available to view or download here.

The RORC Race Team will be there for you should you have difficulties or questions with your entries but please appreciate that we anticipate busy phone lines and inboxes. We recommend you check the Rolex Fastnet Race Guide for Entrants before you contact us.

We are looking forward to seeing who is the first to enter and will be updating the RORC Facebook page where we'd be delighted to receive your feedback and comments.

'Fastnet Veterans' are invited to share their experiences and provide helpful advice to the newcomers on our Facebook page.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club's blue riband event, the biennial 608-nautical mile Fastnet Race, will be supported by Swiss watchmaker Rolex for a further five editions, until 2021. The highly successful partnership stretches back to 2001.

"We are delighted with the continuation of our association with Rolex," said RORC Commodore Mike Greville. "Our relationship with Rolex is a true partnership and in the past 11 years, we have seen the Rolex Fastnet grow in international stature, strength and popularity. Together with Rolex, we look forward to further developing one of the toughest challenges in offshore yacht-racing for the benefit of the participants and spectators alike."

Purpose and Scope of this guide

Welcome to the new Rolex Fastnet Race guide. This guide is intended to de-mystify the entry process and to help make your entry into the Rolex Fastnet Race as easy as possible. It is not to be treated as a replacement for the Rolex Fastnet Race Notice of Race which will be available on the RORC website.

The guide is based around you, the competitor, and we will be updating it frequently to reflect your feedback so as to improve the experience for everyone. If you have further questions or suggestions then please email the Race Team at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (please put the Sail Number and Boat Name in the subject field).

To help you access the information you need please choose below which description suits you best.

Choose your level of experience

This is my first Rolex Fastnet and/or RORC Race - I'd like to read the complete guide

I competed in the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race - what's new for 2013?

The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) are delighted to announce a new partnership for the club in the form of the appointment of Henri-Lloyd as Official Clothing Supplier on a long term basis.

Henri Lloyd is widely regarded as a world leader in technical sailing and lifestyle apparel and have pioneered the development of fabrics, garment design and product development for nearly 50 years.

This partnership covers the production of RORC & event merchandise and branded sailing clothing for the 2012 Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup and the 2013 Rolex Fastnet Race.

"We are delighted to have the backing of the world's best producer of sailing clothing," said RORC Chief Executive, Eddie Warden Owen. "Henri Lloyd's no compromise approach to the production of foul weather gear is perfectly aligned to the requirements of our members who are all offshore sailors. The relationship will also benefit the large number of volunteers that support the RORC's racing programme."

RORC members will receive a range of privilege benefits on Henri Lloyd products and a specialist service in the production of branded team clothing for their crew.

Henri Lloyd's Joint CEO Paul Strzelecki comments: "We are very excited and proud to have the Henri Lloyd brand associated with one of the world's foremost clubs. The RORC reflects some of the same heritage qualities as Henri Lloyd and with its large membership of experienced offshore racers and calendar of events, is a great club to be associated with. We are especially excited to be the merchandise provider for the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup and the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2013 and look forward to a long relationship with RORC, their members and events.

The next edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race will start on Sunday 11th August 2013.

Entries for the race will open in January 2013, if you have any queries about the race please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Records tumbled in the 2011 Rolex Fastnet Race, this year's event living up to its reputation as the most gruelling and tactically challenging of the classic offshore races. As usual the 608 mile long course took the boats from the start line off Cowes, Isles of Wight towards the Fastnet Rock off southwest Ireland, back around the outside of the Scilly Isles off southwest England to the finish line in Plymouth.

On Sunday 14 August, 314 boats set sail - the largest ever Rolex Fastnet Race fleet - up from the previous record of 303. This was due to a new initiative from race's organisers, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, to invite 'professional' offshore classes, able to compete under their own class rules, over and above the IRC fleet, that was capped at a maximum of 300 entries. The result was the most diverse selection of yachts ever assembled in a single offshore yacht race with the new initiative attracting many high-profile international racing teams. Thus in the same race some of the world's fastest multihulls such as the 140-foot long trimaran, Maxi Banque Populaire were lining up with Contessa 32s and pilot cutters with the complete pantheon of racing yachts in between.

A coup for the event was the participation of three Volvo Open 70s, the only occasion these boats would race together prior to this autumn's start of the fully crewed round the world race. The 'pro' classes also saw the race debut of the two Multi One Design 70 foot trimarans, and attracted six IMOCA 60s, best known for competing in the singlehanded non-stop round the world race, the Vendee Globe, plus an impressive fleet of 20 of their smaller cousins, the Class 40.

Leading the charge in the IRC fleet were the two 100 foot maxis Rambler 100 and ICAP Leopard, followed by the Farr 80 Beau Geste and Mini Maxis such as the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race winner, Niklas Zennstrom's JV72, Rán, and Andres Soriano's Mills 68, Alegre, but the bulk of the record-sized fleet were more regular yachts with amateur crews from a total of 20 nations. For many, participation in the Rolex Fastnet Race was the highlight of their sailing seasons, for others the pinnacle of their sailing careers.

Off the Royal Yacht Squadron platform, the fleet starts began with the multihulls and culminating with the canting keel monohulls and VO70s, the boats enduring a stiff beat out of the Solent and into the English Channel in the best Rolex Fastnet Race tradition. With winds gusting to 30 knots at the exit to the Solent at Hurst Narrows, there were the first dramas of the race with the Class 40, Eutourist Serv-System and the trimaran, Strontium Dog (GBR) dismasting, plus two collisions.