Race to the Lonely Rock (well, almost)

The inaugural Lonely Rock Race served up a range of testing conditions for a diverse fleet of predominately very experienced sailors and well-proven yachts. After a summer of weather noted mostly for successive heat waves, conditions for the first 608-mile Lonely Rock Race proved just how challenging this course can be.

Very light conditions were forecast for the start thanks to a complex weather situation left over from the extensive thunderstorms of the previous week. On the second day that would give way to a slow transition towards westerly winds of 14-18 knots. After that, an extra-tropical low-pressure system promised fresh to frightening conditions on the way home from the Fastnet Rock, with the possibility of winds