Rolex Fastnet Race

The 208-boat 2025 fleet — Solent to Cherbourg via the Fastnet Rock.

Cowes, UK Cherbourg, France
208 boats 1 race 695 nm 18 countries International event fleet · as of 2026-06-21
Kinship

The Fastnet course is a century old.

The Solent start, the Channel transit, the Rock, the Cherbourg finish — find the race’s waters.

 Hidden Shape

11 archetypes.
How this fleet clusters before the results arrive.

How the Rolex Fastnet Race fleet races, before the results arrive.
Character

Six hundred and ninety-five miles. The Solent, the Channel, the Rock, Cherbourg.

The Rolex Fastnet Race is the biennial RORC offshore classic that founded modern offshore racing in 1925 and staged its centenary edition in July 2025. Cowes to Cherbourg via the Fastnet Rock — 695 nautical miles around the south coast of England, across the Celtic Sea to the rock off the southwest tip of Ireland, and back across the Channel to Cherbourg. The course rewards no single boat trait: tidal-gate timing at Portland Bill and the Needles, breeze management across the Channel, displacement management around the Rock, and crew endurance back to the French coast.

FleetEdge tracks 208 boats in the Fastnet 2025 fleet — ORC-rated hulls and IRC-rated hulls together, analyzed through the same physics framework. Eighty-seven carry ORC measurement certificates; 121 are IRC entries projected as ORC-mapped IRC entries using the FleetEdge's IRC-to-ORC mapping, matched to their ORC design-family equivalents by hull dimensions and rated with the full ORC physics profile. Every twin is transparently labeled as a class-sibling projection. Both rating populations sit on the same comparative-time, hull-efficiency, and crew-effectiveness axes — one of the deepest cross-rating analytical datasets on the offshore circuit.

The fleet is broad-spectrum by archetype and runs two clear leaders ahead of a deep mid-pack. GRAVITYRUN leads at 25.6% (53 boats), AEROMAX follows close behind at 23.7% (49), and AEROBLADE sits third at 13.0% (27). The top three carry just over 62% of the classified fleet between them, but below the leaders the field fans out across the full archetype range — a breadth that mirrors the Fastnet’s reputation as the offshore race that does not pick a single hull. The geographic backbone is British and French: 71 boats fly GBR sail numbers (34.1%) and 59 fly FRA (28.4%), with Germany (20), the Netherlands (13), and Norway (7) carrying the secondary tier across 18 countries in total. The Fastnet 2025 fleet also overlaps heavily with the Cowes Offshore Series — 66 of the 208 boats double-ran Cowes–Dinard–St Malo, and 51 ran the Myth of Malham, signaling a tightly scheduled UK and French offshore season around the centenary race.

Fleet DNA

How the Fastnet fleet is built.

208 boats in the fleet. 87 ORC-rated and 121 mapped IRC entries attributed across 11 archetypes; 207 classified, 1 unclassified at the platform-boundary.

The Rolex Fastnet Fleet Signature

The Fastnet fleet runs two clear archetype leaders ahead of a deep, broad mid-pack. GRAVITYRUN leads at 25.5% (53 boats) — the heavy-mode momentum family with strong downwind power in sustained breeze, the archetype the Celtic Sea return leg rewards when the breeze fills in. AEROMAX follows close behind at 23.6% (49 boats) — the power-efficiency hybrid with strong upwind drive and moderate displacement, the family that holds the front when the Channel beats stay honest. AEROBLADE sits third at 13.0% (27 boats) — the light, agile platform optimized for quick acceleration and flat-water speed. Together the top three carry 62.3% of the classified fleet. Below them the field fans out: DEEPFRAME and GLIDEFORM each carry 12.6%, and a long tail (STEELCORE, STEELFORM, HEADFORCE, KEELFLEX, STORMLINE, IRONWIND) covers the remaining 12.6% across six more families.

  • GRAVITYRUN 25.5% · 53 boats
  • AEROMAX 23.6% · 49 boats
  • AEROBLADE 13.0% · 27 boats

Dimension emphasis: Comparative Time · Crew Effectiveness · Sail Drive · Run VMG

Farr Design anchors the drawing-board signature at 28.8% (60 of 208 boats) — the largest single share of any fleet on the platform, well above the 15% dominance threshold. The Beneteau First 36.7 (21 boats), First 34.7 (17), First 40 (9), and First 40.7 (6) carry the heart of the Farr-drawn entry list. Johnstone R (J/Boats) follows at 12.0% (25 boats), Judel-Vrolijk at 6.7% (14), and Jeppesen-Nielsen (X-Yachts) at 5.3% (11). The whole fleet participated in Rolex Fastnet Race 2025; 66 of those boats also ran Cowes–Dinard–St Malo in the same UK offshore season.

Complete data Latest published view

The full 11-archetype distribution.

GRAVITYRUN

Heavy-mode momentum boat with strong downwind power in sustained breeze.

neutral upwind · moderate reaching · strong downwind

Boats 53
Share 25.5%
  • Swan 47
  • C&C 41
  • Sigma 38

AEROMAX

Power-efficiency hybrid with strong upwind drive and moderate displacement.

strong upwind · neutral reaching · neutral downwind

Boats 49
Share 23.6%
  • TP52
  • GP42
  • Melges IC37

AEROBLADE

Light, agile platform optimized for quick acceleration and flat-water speed.

moderate upwind · moderate reaching · neutral downwind

Boats 27
Share 13.0%
  • Class 40
  • IMOCA derivatives
  • Pogo 30

DEEPFRAME

Deep-hull efficiency paired with a stiff platform for drag-optimized flow.

neutral upwind · moderate reaching · VMG downwind

Boats 26
Share 12.5%
  • Swan 60
  • Nautor custom
  • ClubSwan 50

GLIDEFORM

Low-drag hull with efficient upwind flow and moderate displacement.

weak upwind · moderate reaching · strong downwind

Boats 26
Share 12.5%
  • J/109
  • Dehler 38
  • Italia 11

STEELCORE

The rigid-platform core.

neutral upwind · neutral reaching · neutral downwind

Boats 9
Share 4.3%
  • First 40
  • Bavaria C42
  • Hanse 388

STEELFORM

Heavy-displacement hull with strong directional stability.

neutral upwind · neutral reaching · VMG downwind

Boats 7
Share 3.4%
  • J/70
  • Farr 280
  • SB20

HEADFORCE

High righting moment, upwind-biased hull that powers through chop.

strong upwind · weak reaching · VMG downwind

Boats 4
Share 1.9%
  • First 34.7
  • Grand Soleil 37
  • Sun Fast 3300

KEELFLEX

Narrow stability window; fast when perfectly balanced, punishing when not.

neutral upwind · moderate reaching · neutral downwind

Boats 3
Share 1.4%
  • First 30
  • X-35
  • J/35

STORMLINE

Rough-water specialist with a hull shape optimized for steep, short waves.

moderate upwind · strong reaching · moderate downwind

Boats 2
Share 1.0%
  • J/111
  • J/121
  • Fast 40+

IRONWIND

Stiff, stable-drive platform with predictable load behavior.

moderate upwind · moderate reaching · VMG downwind

Boats 1
Share 0.5%
  • J/122
  • XP-44
  • Swan 45

GRAVITYRUN and AEROMAX lead the Fastnet fleet together — the heavy-momentum downwind family and the powered-up upwind hybrid carrying just under half the classified fleet between them — with AEROBLADE third and the remaining eight families fanning out behind. The Fastnet pulls in a wider hull range than any narrower championship venue because the 695-mile point-to-point course mixes tidal-gate strategy, Channel light air, Celtic Sea exposure, and a final cross-Channel sprint. The downwind-leaning families (GRAVITYRUN plus GLIDEFORM) still carry a substantial structural rollup — consistent with a course whose return leg from the Rock typically runs broad to Cherbourg.

Fleet Stories

Fastnet fleet signature.

Designer Density

Farr Design anchors nearly three in every ten Fastnet hulls.

Farr Design leads the Fastnet drawing-board signature at 28.8% (60 of 208 boats) — the deepest single-designer share of any fleet on the platform. The Farr-drawn Beneteau First family carries the heart of the fleet: First 36.7 (21 boats), First 34.7 (17), First 40 (9), and First 40.7 (6) account for 53 boats together. Johnstone R (J/Boats) follows at 12.0% (25 boats), Judel-Vrolijk at 6.7% (14), and Jeppesen-Nielsen (X-Yachts) at 5.3% (11). The Farr signature — moderate displacement, crew-balanced cruiser-racer hulls — is the structural backbone of the GRAVITYRUN and AEROMAX archetype blocks at this race. Nowhere else on the FleetEdge platform does one drawing board concentrate the French-and-British club-racer base the way Farr Design does on the Fastnet course.

  • Farr Design: 60 boats · 28.8%
  • Beneteau First cluster (34.7 / 36.7 / 40 / 40.7): 53 boats
  • Johnstone R: 25 · Judel-Vrolijk: 14 · Jeppesen-Nielsen: 11
Complete data FleetEdge fleet-wide data
Archetype Density

GRAVITYRUN and AEROMAX lead a broad Fastnet field.

GRAVITYRUN leads the Fastnet fleet at 25.6% (53 of 207 classified boats), with AEROMAX close behind at 23.7% (49) and AEROBLADE third at 13.0% (27). GRAVITYRUN is the heavy-mode momentum family — strong downwind power in sustained breeze, the hull type that converts on the broad return leg from the Rock; AEROMAX pairs strong upwind drive with moderate displacement, the family that holds the front when the Channel beats stay honest. The two leaders carry just under half the classified fleet, but below them the field fans out across the full archetype range: DEEPFRAME and GLIDEFORM each hold 12.6%, and seven more families share the tail. No single hull family commands the 695-mile point-to-point course, and the fleet that lines up at the Royal Yacht Squadron does not look the same from one edition to the next.

  • GRAVITYRUN: 53 boats · 25.6%
  • AEROMAX: 49 boats · 23.7%
  • AEROBLADE: 27 boats · 13.0%
Complete data FleetEdge fleet-wide data
Popular Classes

The boats that define Fastnet racing.

First 36.7 (21)

The Beneteau Farr-drawn one-design racer-cruiser — the largest single class in the Fastnet 2025 fleet and the spine of the GRAVITYRUN archetype block.

First 34.7 (17)

The compact Beneteau Farr-First sister — a perennial sub-12m offshore mainstay with strong French and British shorthanded representation, a staple of the AEROMAX and GRAVITYRUN blocks.

Dufour 34 (10)

The Dufour Yachts performance racer-cruiser — central to the AEROMAX archetype block and a regular French-fleet Fastnet contender.

First 40 (9)

The Beneteau First 40 racer-cruiser — the larger Farr-drawn cousin spanning the AEROBLADE and GRAVITYRUN archetype blocks.

J-105 (8)

The Johnstone-designed J/Boats sportboat — an offshore-rated one-design with strong American and British representation, central to the GLIDEFORM archetype block.

Selected Race Result

Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 — Overall.

All 208 of the 208 fleet boats competed. 695 nautical miles point-to-point, Cowes to Cherbourg via the Fastnet Rock. One race, IRC overall scoring. 26 July 2025. 87 boats carry full ORC measurement; 121 are IRC-rated and projected as ORC-mapped IRC entries on the same comparative-time axis.

Headlines

Dimension leaders — the 208-boat Fastnet fleet.

Cohort-relative leaders from the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 publication. Finish order comes from the IRC overall standings; Comparative Time is the corrected sec/nm delta against the fleet’s ORC-median allowance (negative = faster than the median expectation); the Crew Effect residual is the sec/nm gap between the boat’s actual pace and its physics expectation. 86 of the 208 boats carry full comparison data; both rating populations sit on the same axis via the IRC-to-ORC mapping process.

IRC Overall Finish

1. LEON · 1st
2. LANN AEL 3 · 2nd
3. JOLT 6 · 4th
Cohort 208 boats

Comparative Time

1. FREYA · −99.5 s/nm
2. LEON · −77.8 s/nm
3. Panther · −49.7 s/nm
Cohort 86 with data

Crew Effect Residual

1. FREYA · −99.6 s/nm
2. LEON · −81.5 s/nm
3. SOLENN · −53.3 s/nm
Cohort 87 with data

Archetype Lead

1. AEROBLADE · 41
2. GRAVITYRUN · 40
3. DEEPFRAME · 35
Cohort 205 classified

Nation Concentration

1. GBR · 71
2. FRA · 59
3. GER · 20
Cohort 18 countries

Designer Concentration

1. Farr Design · 60
2. Johnstone R · 25
3. Judel-Vrolijk · 14
Cohort 208 boats
Stories

What the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 told us.

Championship Citation

LEON — Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 Winner, IRC Overall

LEON GLIDEFORM, the French JPK-1050 (FRA 53524), won the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025 overall under IRC — first across the published IRC overall standings at the centenary running of the race. The win is backed by the physics: LEON’s corrected pace came in 77.8 sec/nm faster than the fleet’s ORC-median allowance expectation over the 695-mile course — the second-largest comparative-time delta in the 86-boat comparison group — and the crew-effect residual accounts for the bulk of that gap. A GLIDEFORM hull — the low-drag, efficient-flow family — sailed by a crew that out-sailed the platform’s expectation from the Solent to Cherbourg.

  • IRC Overall finish: 1st · 208-boat FleetEdge cohort
  • Comparative-time delta: −77.8 sec/nm vs ORC-median expectation
  • Archetype: GLIDEFORM · JPK-1050 · FRA
Complete data Published event standings
Nationality / Class Cluster

A French one-two at the front of the IRC standings.

France took the top two steps of the Fastnet 2025 IRC overall standings. LEON GLIDEFORM (JPK-1050) finished first and LANN AEL 3 STEELCORE (First 35, FRA 346) second — two French production cruiser-racers ahead of every grand-prix program in the 208-boat FleetEdge fleet. The cluster runs deeper than the podium: France fields 59 boats (28.4% of the fleet), and the French shorthanded-offshore lineage — JPK 10.30s and 10.50s, Sun Fasts, and the First family — is concentrated in the front half of the standings. The Fastnet is the RORC’s home race, but at this edition the French offshore school owned the top of the corrected-time table.

  • IRC Overall 1st: LEON · FRA · JPK-1050
  • IRC Overall 2nd: LANN AEL 3 · FRA · First 35
  • French cohort share: 59 boats · 28.4%
Complete data Published event standings
Archetype-Conditions Dominance

AEROBLADE crowded the front at this running of the race.

At this running of the Fastnet, AEROBLADE hulls took 8 of the fleet’s top 20 IRC overall places — 40% of the leading group from a family that carries 20.0% of the classified fleet at this vintage. JOLT 6 and AMP-LIFI (GP-42s), CALLISTO (Pac-52), NOLA (Carkeek 40), and Back 2 Black led the light-platform charge in the conditions that prevailed on the 2025 course. The over-representation is conditional, not structural: AEROBLADE’s quick-acceleration, flat-water profile converts when the Channel legs stay moderate — a different pressure pattern across the Celtic Sea would reward a different hull family, and the race’s own history says no archetype owns the Rock.

  • AEROBLADE in cohort top 20: 8 of 20 · 40%
  • AEROBLADE fleet share: 41 boats · 20.0%
  • Leading AEROBLADE finishers: JOLT 6 (4th), CALLISTO (7th), NOLA (9th)
Complete data Published event standings
Magnitude Gap

BEAU IDEAL: 39 sec/nm clear of the ORC median from 12th overall.

BEAU IDEAL AEROBLADE, the Botin 41 flying the British Virgin Islands flag (IVB 2047), converted a 39.4 sec/nm comparative-time advantage over the fleet’s ORC-median expectation into 12th in the IRC overall standings. Over 695 miles that delta compounds to better than seven and a half hours against a median-pace boat — a DEEPFRAME platform running near the top of its conversion envelope. Among the fleet’s comparison boats, only the front-running French pair and a handful of outliers posted larger corrected gaps; BEAU IDEAL’s sits on a single-race comparison basis, but it is the cleanest big-boat magnitude signal in the 2025 publication.

  • Comparative-time delta: −39.4 sec/nm vs ORC-median expectation
  • IRC Overall finish: 12th · 208-boat FleetEdge cohort
  • Archetype: DEEPFRAME · Botin 41 · IVB
Complete data FleetEdge Comparative Time
Race Archetypes

205 boats classified in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2025.

Archetypes as published 2026-06-08 — the FleetEdge view nearest this event.

Of the 208-boat fleet, 205 carry a FleetEdge archetype assignment at this vintage. Fastnet is a broad offshore field with its leaders grouped close at the front — AEROBLADE, GRAVITYRUN, and DEEPFRAME sit within a boat or two of each other, STORMLINE follows just behind, and no single family takes a commanding share. The distribution below is the FleetEdge view published nearest the 2025 race; what the result table added was a light-and-efficient leading group, the families that live at the front when the Channel goes light.

AEROBLADE

Light, agile platform optimized for quick acceleration and flat-water speed.

Boats 41
Share 20.0%

GRAVITYRUN

Heavy-mode momentum boat with strong downwind power in sustained breeze.

Boats 40
Share 19.5%

DEEPFRAME

Deep-hull efficiency paired with a stiff platform for drag-optimized flow.

Boats 35
Share 17.1%

STORMLINE

Rough-water specialist with a hull shape optimized for steep, short waves.

Boats 33
Share 16.1%

GLIDEFORM

Low-drag hull with efficient upwind flow and moderate displacement.

Boats 15
Share 7.3%

AEROMAX

Power-efficiency hybrid with strong upwind drive and moderate displacement.

Boats 14
Share 6.8%

STEELFORM

Heavy-displacement hull with strong directional stability.

Boats 11
Share 5.4%

HEADFORCE

High righting moment, upwind-biased hull that powers through chop.

Boats 6
Share 2.9%

BALANCECORE

Heel-sensitive platform with a wider, more forgiving performance envelope.

Boats 4
Share 2.0%

IRONWIND

Stiff, stable-drive platform with predictable load behavior.

Boats 4
Share 2.0%

KEELFLEX

Narrow stability window; fast when perfectly balanced, punishing when not.

Boats 2
Share 1.0%
Continue

Go deeper.

ORC World Fleet

The 363-boat international championship-circuit fleet — the parent context for FleetEdge’s cross-fleet comparative analytics.

Cowes Offshore Series

The RORC summer feeder series — 66 Fastnet 2025 boats also ran Cowes–Dinard–St Malo in the same season.

Rolex Middle Sea Race

The Mediterranean RORC classic — the peer 600-nm offshore race that shares 13 boats with the Fastnet 2025 fleet.

United Kingdom Racing

The largest national contingent — 71 of 208 Fastnet boats fly GBR sail numbers.

France Racing

The second-largest national contingent — 59 Fastnet boats fly FRA sail numbers, the deepest French offshore concentration on the page.

Fleet Archetypes

The FleetEdge archetype framework — the 11 performance archetypes.

Analyze the Fastnet.

695 nautical miles from the Solent to the Rock and back to Cherbourg. The 208-boat 2025 fleet, dissected on the same comparative axis.

Explore FleetEdge Explore UK Racing