Jerseyman finishes Fastnet in second place

Wednesday 09 August 2017

Jersey-born sailor Phil Sharp and his teammates have finished one of the world’s most prestigious and dangerous offshore yacht races in second place.

The Rolex Fastnet Race is a biennial yacht race where competitors must sail over 600 miles from Cowes, Isle of Wight, around the Fastnet Rock at the southernmost tip of Ireland and back to Plymouth.

Pictured: The route travelled by Team Imerys and their fellow Fastnet racers from Cowes, Isle of Wight, around Fastnet Rock and back to Plymouth.

After three days, four hours and seven minutes of racing, Phil and his crew members, Robin Marais, Pablo Santurde and Pietro Luciani, crossed the finish line of the Fastnet's Class 40 race in second place aboard Phil's yacht 'Imerys'

Pictured: Team Imerys before setting sail from Cowes, Isle of Wight (Picture: Phil Sharp Racing).

The 92-year-old race is notoriously difficult and dangerous. In 1979, in what became known as the 'Fastnet Tragedy', a freak storm caused the deaths of nineteen people, including yachtsmen and rescuers.

Having maintained their lead at the front of the Class 40 fleet for the first two days of the race, Team Imerys slipped into second position yesterday after battling it out with fellow Briton Miranda Merron and French skipper Maxime Sorel aboard the ‘V and B’.

After clinching the lead again last night, Team Imerys were subsequently overtaken by the V and B in the early hours of this morning.

Earlier today, Phil said he was “completely exhausted after a really intense and wet night."

Speaking about competing in the race, Phil said: “It was brilliant to be part of such a great race, every Rolex Fastnet is a unique experience. It really is an incredible experience that tends to mix pleasure with pain. The conditions make strategy and tactics quite challenging and there is usually a fast ride back from the Rock, which is why I love this race. Work hard, play hard!”

Phil isn’t the only island representative enjoying success in the Fastnet with Alex Thomson, son of a Jerseyman, finishing in eighth place in his IMOCA 60 category.