The Rolex Fastnet Race starts August 16 and classic yacht Dorade is joining forces with grand prix racing machines Comanche and Lucky, and entering the event’s Team Challenge for the Martin Illinworth Trophy. The trio will make up the New York Yacht Club Team for the 603-mile ocean race. To win the challenge, the team must have the lowest accumulated corrected time in IRC.
Ken Read, Skipper of the 100-foot Supermaxi Comanche:
“It’s an honor to hear Comanche spoken in the same sentence as Dorade, one of the most famous race boats of all time. Having both boats like Dorade and Comanche on the start line for races like these, reminds people of the historical development of sailboat racing. You look at Dorade, which was at the cutting edge of its time, and you look at Comanche, which is the cutting edge monohull in this event, and it’s unbelievable that they are competing side-by-side; thanks to rating systems and events like the Fastnet Race, opposites attract. It’s a wonderful thing that these two opposites can attract, and be on the same team for an event like this.
“What Matt has done with the boat, preserving history, can be applauded in a huge way. It’s an honor for the Comanche program to be involved. Who knows, they may end up doing the race faster than us, because the weather forecast is so light, and those aren’t exactly our conditions with Comanche.
“From a team standpoint, it’s kind of fun because you have someone else to root for. Usually you are just focused on yourself. This team concept is really fun; we partnered up with Snow Lion for the New York Yacht Club team during the Transatlantic Race, and I found myself always checking in to see how they were doing. We ended up winning the Yacht Club Team Trophy.”
Bryon Ehrhart, Owner of the Reichel/Pugh 63 Lucky:
“Dorade is a love story. She was ‘the’ performance yacht of her time. The passion of her current owner and crew shows that she still has the guts to perform to her pedigree.
“She was the Lucky, or better, of her day, and it’s inspiring to see her results now as she continues with that adventurous spirit. It is a privilege to be partnered with a yacht of her caliber.
“Selfishly, I think classic yachts like Dorade are simply beautiful to look at racing under full sail. I think our entire team understands and respects the passion that has gone into her preparation and continued outstanding performance. We come to events like the Rolex Fastnet in search of the highest level of competition, and Dorade is a very high level competitor – classic or otherwise.”
2013 Rolex Fastnet: How to Follow
Racing for all classes starts Sunday, August 16 at 1200 BST
Real-time tracking of Dorade will be available through YellowBrick Tracking: http://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/Tracking-Full-Page-Hidden/2015-fleet-tracking-race-player.html
For live updates during racing, tune into Fastnet Radio at http://www.fastnetradio.co.uk/
For team updates throughout the race, follow Dorade on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram. Visit the team’s website at http://dorade.org/. Hashtag: #DoradeSailing #ReturnToBlueWater
For event updates throughout the race, follow the Rolex Fastnet Race onFacebook and Twitter. Visit event website athttp://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/. Hashtag #RORCFR #RORC
Return to Blue Water Campaign
The Rolex Fastnet Race is the final event in a series of four major ocean races in the “Return to Blue Water Campaign.” Conceived shortly after Brooks and his wife Pam Rorke Levy bought Dorade in 2010, the campaign was initially called “Matt’s Crazy Idea,” but soon after the completion of a year-long refit Dorade began winning races, both offshore and in coastal regattas in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean and on the West Coast, proving that she could once again be competitive. The team silenced the campaign’s critics once and for all in 2013, when Dorade was the overall winner (on corrected time) in the 2013 Transpacific Yacht Race, 77 years after its first victory with the race. That was followed by an IRC class win in the 2014 Newport Bermuda Race. Earlier this summer, the team completed Dorade’s most significant victory, the 2015 Transatlantic Race, beating Olin and Rod’s 1931 record by 26 hours and taking second place in IRC 4.
Dorade Background
Dorade was designed in 1929 by Olin Stephens and built under his brother Rod’s supervision the following year in City Island, New York. Dorade’s 1931 Transatlantic victory helped the brothers launch their careers and established them as two of the sport’s most gifted innovators. Dorade went on to win many of the world’s most demanding ocean races, including the Fastnet and the Transpacific Yacht Race, and Olin Stephens became one of the most successful yacht designers of the 20th century, responsible for six America’s Cup wins. Brooks and Levy purchased Dorade five years ago; since then the boat has been restored to its original racing form, with the addition of modern safety and navigational equipment. The current campaign has adopted the rigor and discipline of a modern race program, continuously searching for ways to improve performance under all conditions, and relying on the combined strengths of a skilled and passionate team. For Dorade’s full history visit http://Dorade.org/history/