Go fast, go safe!

After leaving Lorient on Friday evening, Giancarlo Pedote, Martin Le Pape, Martina Orsini and Rémi Fermin arrived on England’s south coast at daybreak this Sunday. They’re currently making headway across the Solent, the infamous sound spanning fifty kilometres or so, which separates the British mainland from the Isle of Wight, where a succession of seven starts will be given in the 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race from 11:00 UTC. At 11:25 UTC, the IMOCAs will be the second fleet to set sail after the multihulls. “A race start involving 400 boats in all is bound to be tricky, especially in light of the wind and current and the fact that the Solent is not a vast space in which to weave about. We’re hoping that the sailors from the other classes will give us room and that everything will go smoothly”, commented the skipper of Prysmian Group, who is naturally already fully focused on the weather for the course. “The exit from the Solent is forecast to be boisterous with wind on the nose. We’re going to have to put in some tacks to extract ourselves from this zone and remain very vigilant as far as Lizard Point, the most southerly point in England. This first part of the race will be complicated and as there will be heavy seas to contend with too, we’re going to have to make some good strategic choices and also ensure we’re sparing with the boat and be careful not to break everything straight away”, concluded the Italian sailor.