It’s been less than 24 hours since 1 pm on Saturday, July 22, when – upon a cannon shot fired by the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes – 364 boats set sail for the 50th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race.
Faithful to the Shipping Forecast – the well-known British bulletin, that on Saturday morning had issued an alert for sea conditions – the weather in the Solent Channel welcomed the sailors with winds of up to 40 knots, steep waves and very strong opposing current; so strong that, indeed, it took 8 of the 22 departing Class40s (including IBSA) by surprise, forcing them to make an early start, punished by the organisation with a two-hour penalty, that will be added to the final time.
After the first night, while the forecasts continue to be perfectly met, in the early hours of the morning the Class40 IBSA navigates the last of the three gulfs before Land’s End, one of the most iconic viewpoints in England, where the land ends and the Celtic Sea begins.
Since the start, IBSA has always been among the leading group of 10, rubbing elbows with her direct opponents, but it’s still too early to draw up a ranking. Today Alberto Bona, Francesca Clapcich, Andrea Caracci and Luca Bertacchi will encounter the mythical and legendary lighthouse, the Fastnet Rock, after which the regatta is named and which, for many navigators, represents a dream.
