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Crew Space on Farr 65 – Celeste of Solent for Rolex Fastnet Race 2027

Cost

€5.900

Event dates

24th Jul 2027 - 30th Jul 2027

What's included

The prices includes all boat and race costs, 4 professional crew and meals when racing. Additional costs include flight, transfers, accommodation and meals ashore and personal insurance.

What to expect

Crew will meet on 18th July and have a welcome dinner ashore. There will then be 6 days of training and boat preparation, including an overnight offshore passage. The race departs from Cowes, Isle of Wight and finishes in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France. Crew are welcome to depart in Cherbourg or stay onboard for the return passage to Cowes.

Crew will need to arrange accommodation ashore in Cowes, for the days ahead of the race. Celeste will be berthed in Cowes Yacht Haven which is located in West Cowes. There is a variety of accommodation available in the locality from AirB&B, rooms in pubs, hotels and at RORC accommodation for members. However, due to the limited number of rooms available in Cowes for an event such as this we would advise booking accommodation ashore as early as you can. You can request a list of accommodation suggestions when you make your booking.
Crew will also require accommodation in Cherbourg.

There is also potentially an opportunity to join Celeste for a cruising passage from Lagos, Portugal to Cowes ahead of the Fastnet to get to know the crew and boat. Contact us for more details on this passage option.

Itinerary

18th July – Crew Arrive
19th July – Boat introduction and safety briefing
20th July – Training Day 1
21st July – Offshore event
22nd July – Offshore event
23rd July – Boat preparation day
24th July – Race start in Cowes
28th July – Estimated finish in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
31st July – Prize-giving, Crew depart in Cherbourg or return leg to Cowes
1st August – Return sail to Cowes, UK – ETA Before lunch on Sunday

Crew information

Final crew to be confirmed but expected to be the same as 2025 Fastnet crew.
Svante Jacobsson – Skipper
Svante has been sailing his whole life and has a strong background in racing on everything from dinghies to 65ft offshore racers. He has sailed National, European and World Championships more than 15 times and held all positions onboard. In the last 20 years he has been more focused on Skipper, Helm and Tactician. Svante has sailed on Celeste for the last 4 years, logging over 25,000 nm onboard including 3 Atlantic crossings, incl ARC 2023 (placing 2nd in large cruising division) and 2 West to East crossings as First Mate. He has also skippered cruising tours of the Caribbean, the Azore and the North Sea. Svante is currently studying to become a Master Mariner.

Johan Billström – First Mate
Having been on the water since a young age, Johan has developed a deep connection to the sport and honed a wide range of skills. His experience spans across a variety of dinghies, including the 470, e-dinghy, Laser, and Tornado, demonstrating versatility and adaptability on different types of vessels.

Johan has been part of the crew on Celeste of Solent since 2017, crossing the Atlantic 3 times and the Baltic Sea, as either Skipper or First Mate. John has accumulated invaluable experience in both inshore and offshore sailing, with approximately 20,000 nautical miles logged.

With a wealth of experience, from competitive racing to long-haul deliveries and bluewater cruising, he is thrilled to push the boundaries of sailing, always striving to improve and take on new challenges both inshore and offshore.

Johan is a Master of Yachts unlimited.

Prerequisite experience

Some previous experience of offshore racing is required. 30% of crew need to have completed the ISAF Offshore safety and sea survival course and we would strongly encourage all crew to complete the course.

Where

The race starts off the Royal Yacht Squadron start line of Cowes on the Isle of Wight on the south coast of England. Leaving The Solent through The Needles Channel, the race follows the southern coastline of England westward down the English Channel, before rounding Land’s End. After crossing the Celtic Sea, the race rounds the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland. Returning on a largely reciprocal course, the race rounds the Isles of Scilly before finishing at Cherbourg.

Accommodation

Crew will need to arrange accommodation ashore, in Cowes, for the days ahead of the race and in Cherbourg; at the end of the race.

Crew Space on Farr 65 – Celeste of Solent for Rolex Fastnet Race 2027

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The Rolex Fastnet Race is the most popular 600+ mile offshore race in the world. Known for its challenging conditions, the 695 nm route starts off Cowes and takes the fleet across the Irish Sea to the Fastnet Rock and.... read more
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Rolex Fastnet Race

Farr 65 – Celeste of Solent

Designed for the Millennium Round the World Race and launched in 2003 as Hugo Boss for Formula 1 racing. The Farr 65 is a comfortable ocean racing yacht built with performance in mind. With the aim to be faster than her contemporaries at the time, she has a spacious open cockpit, twin wheels, a Lewmar pedestal grinding system and a...
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