The Rolex Fastnet race has begun and once again will finish in Plymouth.
The race started in Cowes on 3rd August with sailors embarking on 605 challenging nautical miles, rounding the Fastnet Rock off the south west coast of Ireland, before returning to Britain’s Ocean City via the Isles of Scilly.
The race has finished in Plymouth since it first began in 1925. This year, the race village at Plymouth Yacht Haven will be open to the public with a range of free activities, from live music to stand up paddleboarding.
Visit the race village…
The race village is open for three days, from Tuesday 6th to Thursday 8th August, with a fabulous range of family friendly entertainment, live music and food stalls.
Families can get out on the water with free stand-up paddleboarding sessions run by the Mount Batten Watersports team. Learn a new skill and then paddle around an inflatable re-creation of the Fastnet Rock.
A stage will host a range of musical styles each day, from folk and blues to rock ‘n’ roll and soul, with performances from local musicians including Joanna Cooke and Jessica and The Rabbits. Visitors are also encouraged to walk the docks, see the boats and chat to the competitors about their race experience.
How to get there…
Plymouth Yacht Haven is located on the Mount Batten Peninsula and it’s easy to get there by car, bus or ferry.
There’s parking available along Lawrence Road and in the public car park near the Mount Batten ferry. Alternatively, travel by water. There are free return Mount Batten ferry tickets available for anyone visiting the Fastnet race village. To collect yours, simply pop into the Tourist Information Centre on the Barbican. Running from 7.30am to 11pm every weekday with two return journeys per hour, the ferry is one of the easiest ways to get there.
