2025 Fastnet. Foiling and a Dazcat Party!
7 Dazcats in the MOCRA for the 10 Year Edition!
Bare Necessities (Dazcat 1150)
The 2025 edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race is poised to be one of the most significant in its 100-year history.
Scheduled to start on Saturday, 26 July, this year’s race marks the centenary of the first ever Fastnet, which first took place in 1925. The offshore classic will begin off Cowes on the Isle of Wight, tracking a 695-nautical-mile route around Fastnet Rock and finishing in Cherbourg,
France. With over 460 yachts expected on the start line, the 2025 race promises fierce competition across a wide range of classes—including some of the world’s fastest multihulls.
A Century of Racing
The Rolex Fastnet Race was born from a bold idea in 1925: to test skill, seamanship, and endurance offshore.
From that seven-boat debut to today’s global spectacle, the race has become one of the highlights of offshore yacht racing.
Some very tough conditions in previous editions including the infamous 1979 race, reshaped offshore safety standards and reinforced the race’s reputation as a serious test of preparation and resilience.
While monohulls dominated the Fastnet back in the day, multihulls have taken an increasingly prominent role over the past two decades. Their inclusion adds thrilling spectacle and redefines what offshore speed really looks like.
In the MOCRA Multihull class (20 entrants), the line-up is dominated by Dazcats.
Dazcats in the 2025 Fastnet MOCRA Fleet
| Boat Name | Model | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Dazzle | Dazcat 12m (2003) | Dazzle returns with a big rig, a new owner, and a high-performance crew. |
| Easy Tiger | D995R (2007) | The smallest Dazcat in the fleet, her Fastnet debut. |
| Bare Necessities | Dazcat 1150 (2009) | A previous class winner. |
| Sueños | Dazcat 1195 (2010) | Sueños mixes up 25,000+ miles of liveaboard experience with serious offshore racing. |
| Hissy Fit | Dazcat 1495 (2015) | The largest Dazcat in the Fastnet, skippered by Multihull Centre Director Simon Baker. |
| Slinky Malinki | Dazcat 1295 (2017) | This class winner is back on form and racing hard under new ownership in 2025. |
| Minor Swing | Dazcat 1295 (2023) | The newest and one of the latest Dazcats, Minor Swing arrives with a cutting-edge team. |
Slinky Malinky D1295
Also racing from the Multihull Centre
Uno (TR36 Grainger Trimaran)
Morpheus, (Shuttleworth 39 Trimaran)
2025 Fastnet MOCRA Results
| Position | Yacht Name | Sail Number | Status | Finished Time | Elapsed Time | Corrected Time | TCC | Skipper/s | Owner | Boat Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PARADOX3 | SUI63 | Finished | 2025-07-29 06:58:27 | 02d 19:38:27 | 04d 13:59:02 | 1.626 | ADAM DAVIS | ADAM DAVIS | Trimaran |
| 2 | GDD | FRA64 | Finished | 2025-07-29 21:30:48 | 03d 10:10:48 | 04d 14:07:16 | 1.34 | MIRANDA MERRON & HALVARD MABIRE | HALVARD MABIRE | ORC 50 |
| 3 | MINOR SWING | GBR850M | Finished | 2025-07-30 06:02:52 | 03d 18:42:52 | 04d 15:18:24 | 1.227 | DIDIER BOUILLARD | D BOUILLARD | DAZCAT1295 |
| 4 | HISSY FIT | GBR788M | Finished | 2025-07-30 02:53:26 | 03d 15:33:26 | 04d 16:20:09 | 1.283 | SIMON BAKER | SIMON BAKER | Dazcat 1495 |
| 5 | RAYON VERT | FRA17 | Finished | 2025-07-29 21:34:06 | 03d 10:14:06 | 04d 17:53:44 | 1.385 | OREN NATAF | OREN NATAF | PULSAR 50 |
| 6 | ADAMAS | BEL4005 | Finished | 2025-07-30 05:26:05 | 03d 18:06:05 | 04d 20:35:28 | 1.294 | VINCE WILLEMART | VINCE WILLEMART | Rapido 40 |
| 7 | ARGO | USA128 | Finished | 2025-07-28 16:29:36 | 02d 05:09:36 | 04d 21:38:35 | 2.213 | JASON CARROLL | JASON CARROLL | MOD 70 |
| 8 | BARE NECESSITIES | GBR725M | Finished | 2025-07-30 13:55:51 | 04d 02:35:51 | 04d 21:55:21 | 1.196 | BRUCE SUTHERLAND | BRUCE SUTHERLAND | Dazcat 1150 |
| 9 | ZOULOU | FRA007 | Finished | 2025-07-28 16:49:49 | 02d 05:29:49 | 04d 23:27:31 | 2.233 | ERIK MARIS | SCHUMAN INVEST | MOD 70 |
| 10 | SLINKY MALINKI | GBR815M | Finished | 2025-07-30 12:17:29 | 04d 00:57:29 | 05d 00:19:30 | 1.241 | PETER COOTE | PETER COOTE | Dazcat 1295 |
| 11 | UNO | GBR01M | Finished | 2025-07-30 02:58:35 | 03d 15:38:35 | 05d 02:20:59 | 1.396 | JAMES HOLDER | JAMES HOLDER | Grainger TR36 |
| 12 | DAZZLE | GBR666M | Finished | 2025-07-30 11:14:55 | 03d 23:54:55 | 05d 03:15:04 | 1.285 | DOMINIC GOODING | DOMINIC GOODING | Dazcat 1195 |
| 13 | SUERTE | FR1 | Finished | 2025-07-29 15:26:35 | 03d 04:06:35 | 05d 04:17:14 | 1.633 | FREDERIC JAOUEN | JAOUEN FREDERIC | Prototype |
| 14 | MORPHEUS | 2199 | Finished | 2025-07-29 21:47:35 | 03d 10:27:35 | 05d 05:10:26 | 1.518 | ANDREW FENNELL | ANDYF | Shuttleworth 39 |
| 15 | Suenos | GBR741M | Finished | 2025-07-30 21:19:53 | 04d 09:59:53 | 05d 06:01:54 | 1.285 | Rupert Kidd | Rupert Kidd | Dazcat 1195 |
| – | AILE BLEUE | FRA168 | Retired | – | – | – | 1.365 | LAURENT ETHEIMER | LAURENT ETHEIMER | Créative |
The 2023 Fastnet Race
Fastnet Race Course Distances
| Leg | Distance (nm) |
| Cowes – Needles | 16 |
| Needles – Portland Bill | 34 |
| Portland – Start Point | 54 |
| Start Point – Lizard | 60 |
| Lizard – Land’s End | 22 |
| Land’s End – Fastnet | 170 |
| Fastnet – Scillies | 150 |
| Sillies – Cherbourg | 189 |
Understanding the Fleet: A Breakdown of Race Classes
The 2025 Fastnet Race brings together a highly diverse fleet, which can be grouped into the following categories:
1. IRC Monohulls
The majority of the fleet will race under the IRC handicap system, with yachts ranging from cruiser-racers to fully optimised grand prix designs. These boats will compete for the Fastnet Challenge Cup, the race’s most prestigious prize.
2. One-Design and Specialist Classes
Beyond IRC, several high-performance offshore classes will race under their own rules:
- IMOCA 60s – The same foiling monohulls used in the Vendée Globe, sailed by solo and double-handed crews.
- Class40s – Competitive and more affordable offshore monohulls; around 20–25 entries are expected.
- Ultim Trimarans – The fastest offshore sailing yachts in the world, capable of approaching 50 knots.
- Ocean Fifty Trimarans – 15-metre one-design trimarans designed for high-speed tactical racing.
- MOCRA Multihulls – A diverse group of racing multihulls, rated under the Multihull Offshore Cruising and Racing Association rule. These include both performance cruisers and ex-race boats.
Spotlight on the 2025 Multihulls
MOCRA Multihulls
The MOCRA division offers a broad and exciting cross-section of multihulls—ranging from custom racing designs to high-speed cruisers. This year, 21 multihulls are set to compete under the MOCRA rule.
D1495 Hissy Fit
Key entries include:
- Dazcats and a Shuttleworth Trimaran – Seven boats from the Multihull Centre in Cornwall including Dazcat 1495 Hissy Fit make up nearly one-third of the MOCRA fleet. This includes lightweight performance cruisers designed for both speed and offshore comfort.
- MOD70 Zoulou – A proven offshore contender, optimised for speed and reliability.
- GDD – An ORC50 skippered by veteran duo Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron.
The MOCRA class celebrates variety, and many of its entrants are dual-purpose boats—at home on a transatlantic rally as they are racing to Cherbourg.
The MOCRA Fleet
Former MOD70s (Maxi thrillers primed for line honours)
- Argo – Jason Carroll (USA) with Brian Thompson
- Zoulou – Erik Maris (FRA) with Loick Peyron
Shuttleworth Trimarans & Dazcats
- Morpheus – Shuttleworth 39 ft trimaran (Andy Fennell)
- Seven Dazcat performance cats from the Multihull Centre in Cornwall
ORC50 Catamaran
- GDD – Skippers Halvard Mabire & Miranda Merron
Other High-Performance Cats/Trimarans
Aile Bleue
- Suerte – high performance trimaran
- Perros Guirec – Dick Newick-designed trimaran
- Rayon Vert – Pulsar 50 trimaran designed by Eric Lerouge
- Adamas: Rapido 40 raced by Vincent Willemart.
- Aile Bleue – classic racing trimaran
- Tan 3: Dragonfly 40 trimaran.
- Uno – 36′ Grainger trimaran
- Dogzhouse – Excess 14
Ultim Class
The Ultim 32/23 class represents the pinnacle of offshore multihull performance. These 32-metre long, 23-metre wide trimarans are engineered for speed and endurance, built to fly above the water on foils.
Expected entrants include:
- SVR Lazartigue – Skipper Tom Laperche will set off with one of the most technologically advanced trimarans ever built. The Ultim’s 2023 winner and outright race record holder.
- Banque Populaire XI – Armel Le Cléac’h will be aiming to challenge for line honours.
- Actual Ultim 4: formerly Maxi Edmond de Rothschild – Gitana 17
- Sodebo Ultim 3 – Thomas Coville’s well-tested machine is a regular in the offshore circuit.
These boats are expected to complete the course in under two days—weather permitting—making them favourites for line honours.
Ocean Fifty Trimaran Fleet
For fans of close racing, the Ocean Fifty class is where much of the action is expected to unfold. These 15-metre trimarans, though smaller than the Ultims, offer a balance of speed and tactical parity due to their strict one-design rules.
A record nine Ocean Fifty trimarans have entered into this year’s race, including:
- Koesio – Erwan Le Roux’s well-honed machine is one of the fastest in the class. The favourite?
- Le Rire Médecin–Lamotte – Skippered by Luke Berry, winner of the 2023 Fastnet in this class.
- Inter Invest – Formerly known as Primonial, now campaigned by Matthieu Perraut and Jean-Baptiste Gellée.
- Lazare – Co-skippered by Tanguy Le Turquais and Erwan Le Draoulec, sailing in support of housing charities.
- Viabilis Oceans, WeWise, Mon Bonnet Rose, and two more French teams complete the line-up.
With teams closely matched, and boats capable of speeds over 30 knots, the Ocean Fifty race is set to be one of the most tightly contested across the fleet.
Other Notable Entrants
While multihulls provide much of the high-speed spectacle, other divisions also promise drama:
- The IMOCA 60 fleet features many of the world’s top solo sailors, using the Fastnet as preparation for the Vendée Globe.
- Class40 is expected to field a large international fleet.
- Admiral’s Cup teams will also take part in this revived offshore series, bringing additional prestige and national rivalry to the event.
- IRC divisions will be stacked with top-tier talent from across Europe and beyond, including supermaxis and custom race yachts.
Conclusion
The 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race is set to be another spectacular celebration of offshore racing—past, present, and future. As the centenary edition prepares to get underway, all eyes will be on the multihulls: the towering Ultims, tightly matched Ocean Fifties, versatile MOCRA fleet and of course the Dazcats!
These boats will not only challenge the course but could also challenge existing speed records, assuming conditions favour the foilers.
Whatever the outcome, the multihulls of the 2025 Fastnet will no doubt provide some of the most thrilling moments of the race.