Monaco's Jolt 3 and Jolt 6 have staked an early claim at the top of both Admiral's Cup divisions, but with the Rolex Fastnet Race now underway in earnest, the competition is anything but settled.
Jolt 3, a TP52 skippered by Peter Harrison, imposed herself on the AC1 fleet after clearing the Solent, precise tactics putting her clear of Black Pearl and Zen. In AC2, Jolt 6 under the helm of Pierre Casiraghi set the early pace, with CYCA's Back 2 Black and RHKYC's Beau Ideal pressing hard from close behind.
The 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race got underway at 11:20 BST on Saturday 26 July beneath grey skies, the Red Arrows overhead and a cannon salute from the Royal Yacht Squadron marking the moment as spectators packed the Cowes shoreline. Multihulls led proceedings to the start, followed by the IMOCA fleet and the sprawling IRC divisions.
Winds of 10 to 12 knots greeted the competitors, and by the time the Admiral's Cup starters crossed the line just after 13:00 BST, the western Solent was electric with activity. Beau Geste, owned by Karl Kwok and crewed by New Zealanders Bex Gmuer Hornell and Ryan Houston among others, pulled off a daring port-tack start. In AC2, Kiwi sailor Nick Egnot-Johnson was already deep in the battle aboard Beau Ideal alongside teammates Dave Sweet and Ryan Houston, gathering valuable experience beyond the familiar TP52 circuit.
Once clear of the Solent, boats found double-digit speeds. Black Pearl tacked early near Hurst Castle and surged ahead at over 12 knots, while Jolt 3 and Zen stayed inshore to find favourable shifts near the Needles. The AC2 division was equally combative. Back 2 Black pursued a bold northerly track, making gains before rejoining the main group near Swanage. Callisto, the RNZYS-backed B&C 42 that had impressed throughout the week's inshore racing, was tracking the leaders with intent.
Nine hours into the race, the 444-boat fleet was driving hard along England's south coast in light-to-moderate conditions that kept racing tight across every class. Up front, Jason Carroll's MOD70 Argo and Tom Laperche's SVR-Lazartigue were trading leads ahead of the Ultims, while Swiss skipper Justine Mettraux held an early edge in the IMOCA fleet. Among the IRC boats, the Admiral's Cup contingent was setting a fierce tempo, with Jolt 3 and Jolt 6 leading their respective classes on corrected time. Classic yachts, double-handers, and club racers filled the ranks behind them, each crew navigating shifting breeze and tidal gates in a race that remained wide open.
The Fastnet is far more than another offshore passage for the thirty Admiral's Cup entries. Split across AC1 and AC2, these teams have been accumulating points through inshore and offshore legs all week, and this race carries the most weight of all. A strong result here can reshape the entire standings.
Monaco's pairing of Jolt 3 and Jolt 6 carry the overall lead, but the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Beau Geste and Beau Ideal are only a few points behind. Zen and Back 2 Black from the CYCA are also firmly in contention, with Kiwi sailor Keryn McMaster playing a key role in Back 2 Black's campaign. Then there is Caro, one of the few privately funded campaigns in AC1 and the reigning 2023 Fastnet IRC overall winner. After a middling inshore series, Caro will be eyeing a comeback, and if conditions turn light and tactical on the return leg, she could yet pounce.
Among the wider fleet, one of the more unexpected storylines is Peter Burling making his Rolex Fastnet debut, swapping America's Cup match racing for the demands of offshore foiling aboard one of the most technically complex machines afloat. It is a striking step in his sailing career.
Elsewhere, this Fastnet serves as a farewell for Pyewacket, helmed by Ben Mitchell. With a proven offshore record and a seasoned crew, the boat is currently sitting inside the top ten of the monohull line honours leaderboard, a fitting send-off for a yacht with genuine offshore pedigree.
No account of the Fastnet Race is complete without pausing on the Rock itself. Rising six miles off Ireland's south coast, the Fastnet Rock has been a rite of passage for offshore sailors for more than a century, and its history carries genuine weight. In 1979, the race's most catastrophic storm claimed 19 lives. In 2011, Rambler 100 lost her keel shortly after rounding the Rock, triggering a dramatic rescue operation. The granite tower, cut from Cornish stone, still sweeps its light out across the Atlantic, equal parts beautiful and forbidding.
With the fleet stretching past Land's End, tactical choices are beginning to diverge. A northwesterly wind shift is expected as the leaders close on the Rock, with conditions softening on the return leg to Cherbourg. In the Admiral's Cup contest, triple points are on offer for the Fastnet, meaning a race win here could overturn the standings entirely. For many others in the 444-boat fleet, rounding the Rock and finishing strong is the whole point.
For New Zealand followers, the coming 48 hours will make for compelling watching. The Monaco crews are smooth and well-resourced, the Hong Kong teams are determined, and the Kiwi sailors spread across the fleet are racing with purpose. The Cup and the race remain entirely up for grabs.
