Update on the race finish
No less than 450 boats registered (a record for this edition!) will start the mythical race on the next August 8th, at Cowes, with a new course headed to Cherbourg-En-Cotentin. The English organising club, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), continues to adapt to the health context, in collaboration with the Association, to allow the keeping of the race under the best possible conditions.
Thereby, considering the difficulties to enter the territory from the United-Kingdom, the organiser and the Association agreed to allow the registered person (excluding the UK) to reach the Race HQ of Cherbourg, which will open on Wednesday 4th August, and to moor few days before the race’s departure at Cowes.
They will be able to register to the organisation at Cherbourg and pull the tracking marker out, before starting the race, without having to put a foot in England. “We keep adapting to welcome the arrival of the Rolex Fastnet Race, as we are doing since the beginning of the pandemic. We had already anticipated the boats’ welcome at Cherbourg in advance. In this way, the Cherbourg’s port is becoming much more than only an arrival port”, evoked Jean-Louis Valentin, President of the Association Arrivée Fastnet Cherbourg.
The desire for a popular festival in accordance with health regulations
The last step of the end of lockdown, announced for the next June 30th, enabled the association to work on the keeping of the festivities around the race finish.
The Association’s members are now offering an event opened to the mainstream in accordance with health regulations. “The Association’s members always wanted, unanimously, the event to take place. Today, the last information are leading us to believe that everything will be possible with the public presence and in a festive and popular world. A very exciting news for the organisation, the territory and the numerous players involved around the race finish”, affirmed the President.
The Health passport to access the race village at the Plage Verte
“We introduced a welcome storyline of the race in the State’s services, with whom we worked in proximity since several months. The race village, located on the Plage Verte and Quai de la Hune, will open to the public from august 7th to 15th. The entries will be influenced by the health passport for visitors, whom will have to present at the entry a vaccination digital certificate or paper, or a negative result of a PCR test / antigenic, dated within the last 48h.” continued Jean-Louis Valentin.
The race village will also respond to other norms, as real time count and a flow direction, in order to regulate the gauge, numerous spots with hydroalcoholic gel and wear of masks.
A catering service will enable sailors and visitors to restore inside the race village, while enjoying activities. The Association will implement a maximum of tables and chairs with the contest of the city of Cherbour-En-Cotentin, in order to meet the obligation to eat sat down.
The Association and the communities, with territory players and local community network, are working together from months on the activities programme to bring a festive and popular world, around the race finish, in which the mainstream will be enable to participate.
The programme includes many daily activities for adults and children. “Everything have been thought out to allow everyone to enjoy these moments in optimal safety conditions, continues Jean-Louis Valentin. We also imagine activities on the Quai Alexandre III during the second part of the week, because there will be a lot of boats in the Bassin du Commerce.”
The open space on the Quai Alexandre III, from August 11th to 14th, will not be submitted to the health passport, because it will welcome less than 1.000 people at a given moment but will answer every other conditions.
Registration for highlights
During the week’s highlights, apart from the numerous boats arrival, the Association developed a programme that includes various activities: follow of the departure commented of the race, concerts, open-air cinema, spectacles… For these meetings, it will be necessary to register, for free, on the website rolexfastnetracecherbourg.com or in the tourist information offices of the Cotentin. Jean-Louis Valentin insists on this point.
“The registration system will allow us to control the gauges”.
A mapping video spectacle will also illuminate the facades of the Quai Alexandre III, on August 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th from 10pm to midnight. (Not subject to the registration model)
The programme and the registrations system are online on rolexfastnetcherbourg.com and will be transmitted in the race website rolexfastnetrace.com. The programme and hosting arrangements are subject to change.
The Association, linked with the Adèle and Tourist Office will also offer sea trips on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th August for an immersive trip near the competitors who are about to cross the finish line. Registrations online on rolexfastnetracecherbourg.com or in the tourist information offices of the Cotentin.
Information are relayed and updated through the association’s social media
@RolexFastnetRaceCherbourg on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn and the website rolexfastnetracecherbourg.com
