Patches skipper, Ian Walker, was delighted to be racing in amongst the Open 60 fleet and other larger and more powerful yachts. The eighth boat round, Patches passed the Rock at 1437 hours this afternoon. The sleek lines of the TP52 are proving very slippery in the unrelentingly light and glassy Celtic Sea. “We had a very good night,” commented the double Olympic medallist. “Upwind in the light airs I think we're quicker than the Open 60s. “We can see 16 boats around us. We're no more than five boat-lengths away from Ecover. We rounded inside them at the Rock.”

Walker believes their strategy of approaching the Rock from the south was the key to their big gains. But while he is pleased with progress to date, he is certainly not feeling comfortable. “There have been some massive gains and losses, and there will be plenty more. The race hasn't even started yet.”

The other threat to Patches handicap lead is the current leader across the water, ICAP Maximus. Although the bigger boat was two hours behind Patches on IRC handicap at the Rock, the wind has been working in the Maxi's favour. Having rounded the Rock at 0333 hours this morning, she has managed to sail in a straight - albeit not very fast - line back towards the Scillies. The boats behind, on the other hand, have had to contend with a wind that has since shifted round to the south-east, forcing them to tack upwind on the 150 miles back to the Scillies. Speaking at 1540 hours this afternoon, the Kiwi Maxi was 92 miles from the Scillies, but in less than 2 knots of wind. “The Celtic Sea is covered in high pressure, so we won't be reaching Plymouth for a long time yet.”

The Maxi's owner, Charles St Clair Brown, said the conditions were extremely frustrating. “We parked up a fair while. Everyone's working pretty hard to keep the boat going.” He has allowed himself the possibility of winning that rare double of line honours and handicap victory. “It's a big ask, but it's possible,” he said.

Veteran Fastnet navigator Mike Broughton, who is sitting out this race but still watching the weather closely on the internet, believes the light winds work in favour of the big Maxis. “Their rigs are higher, and that makes all the difference. There is a lot of surface friction at sea level. So if the wind was blowing, say, 4 knots at sea level, it could be 25 to 30 per cent stronger at the top of a Maxi rig. Also, with a canting keel you can drop it to leeward to help heel the boat over.” He also thinks the breeze might give ICAP Maximus a reasonable passage back to the finish, although there is scant likelihood of stronger winds arriving until Friday night at the earliest.

In the closely-fought Open 60 fleet, Pindar led around the Fastnet Rock, passing the waypoint at 1348 hours, just 13 minutes behind the Volvo Open 70 Movistar. Pindar skipper Mike Sanderson commented: “We are pushing very hard. The reason we are here is that we wanted some intense racing and that is what we are getting. It's fantastic. If we can get out cleanly from what looks like a transition zone in the wind, we should have a better run. But we'll be fighting all the way to the finish. It could be down to the last headland coming into Plymouth. There are plenty of fun and games out here yet.”

Further back, many yachts still have a long, slow battle to reach the Fastnet Rock. Simon Le Bon and his crew on Arnold Clark Drum continue to enjoy life at sea, but are hoping for things to speed up. Alex Whitworth, the skipper of doublehanded Australian entry Berrimilla, commented at 1530 hours today: “We're 40 miles north-west of Lands End. The breeze is very soft and gentle. We've had three hours of glassy calm. We're hard on the wind, but we're more or less pointing at the Rock. We've got a lot of boats around us, ranging from a Sigma 33 to a 45-footer.”

The Rolex Fastnet Race entails 608 miles of racing from Cowes to Plymouth, via the Fastnet Rock off the southern tip of Ireland. In addition to the two main prizes - the Fastnet Challenge Cup and the Fastnet Rock Trophy, there are more than 30 trophies to be awarded at the conclusion of this year's race. The prizegiving will take place at the Royal Citadel, home of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, in Plymouth on Friday 12th August.

Further information about the RORC and the Rolex Fastnet Race, including position news from competitors and Rock rounding times may be found at: www.rorc.org

Copyright free high resolution photography, for editorial usage only, may be found at: www.regattanews.com

FASTNET ROCK ROUNDINGS (@1700 9/8/05)

Pos./ Name / Type / Time / Date
1. ICAP Maximus / Elliott 30 / 03.33 / 9/8
2. Skandia Wild Thing / IRC Maxi 98 / 09.18 / 9/8
3. Movistar / Volvo 70 / 13.35 / 9/8
4. Pindar Alphagraphics/ Open 60 / 13.48 / 9/8
5. Leopard of London / R/P / 13.51 / 9/8
6. UCA / Judel/Vrolijk86/ 13.55 / 9/8
7. Virbac-Paprec / Open 60 / 14.09 / 9/8
8. Patches / TP52 / 14.37 / 9/8
9. Ecover / Open 60 / 14.39 / 9/8
10. Sill & Veolia / Open 60 / 14.41 / 9/8
11. Cheminees Poujoulat/ Open 60 / 14.56 / 9/8
12. Team Heiner One / Volvo 60 / 15.14 / 9/8
13. Venom / Volvo 60 / 16.00 / 9/8
14. Formidable 3 / Lutra 56 / 16.04 / 9/8
15. Skandia / Open 60 / 16.07 / 9/8
16. Aera / Ker 55 / 16.12 / 9/8
17. Hellomoto / Open 60 / 16.22 / 9/8
18. Hugo Boss / Open 60 / 16.28 / 9/8

CURRENT IRC STANDINGS (PROVISIONAL EXTRAPOLATIONS @ 1700 9/8/05)

Pos. /Sail No./ Name / Owner
1. IRL5200/ PATCHES / EAMON CONNEELY
2. GRE55 / AERA / NIK LYKIARDOPULO
3. NZL99999/ ICAPMAXIMUS / EBS YACHTING
4. NED56 / FORMIDABLE 3 / PIET VROON
5. BER2000/ VENOM / WINDWARD SAILING
6. NED7550/ TEAM HEINER ONE / TEAM HEINER BV
7. GER5000/ UCA / KLAUS MURMANN
8. GBR1R / LEOPARD OF LONDON/ MIKE SLADE
9. ESP1 / MOVISTAR / DESAFIO VUELTA AL MUNDO
10. M10 / SKANDIA WILD THING/ GRANT WHARINGTON

Source: Event Media