Max Klink's Botin 52 Caro has been crowned overall winner of the Rolex Fastnet Race. After being confirmed as winner of IRC Zero yesterday, no other boat still racing on the 695 nautical mile course can catch the Swiss boat for overall honours in the 50th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's offshore classic.
The fact that the opening 12 hours of the race were so bruising, with winds gusting close to 40 knots and boat-breaking seas off the south coast of England, made victory all the sweeter for Klink and his crew of professional sailors as they admired the great names that have gone before them, engraved on the base of the Fastnet Challenge Cup. "This is a legendary group of sailors who I have been fortunate to sail with for a few years now," said the Swiss owner, "but when we set out on this race I never expected that we could win. It's a dream come true, and all the more special that this is the 50th edition of such an iconic race.
The first 12 hours we were just in survival mode, trying not to break anything, trying to keep the boat at 100 per cent. I wasn't thinking about any title or trophy, it was just about getting through the conditions."
At one point we just had everyone in the cockpit, no one was hiking. And keeping the boat speed to no more than six knots and trying to just get through this really bad sea state."
The winning crew on Caro are: William Parker, Wade Morgan, Ryan Godfrey, Justin Ferris, Jono Swain, James Paterson, Harry Hall, Cian Guilfoyle, Andrew McCorquodale, Andy Green, Adrian Stead and owner Max Klink.
For further information, tracking and all the latest news, please go to the Rolex Fastnet Race website, www.rolexfastnetrace.com and race social media channels.
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