Maserati Multi 70 and Giovanni Soldini set sail for the 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, crossing the starting line off Cowes (UK) at 10.10 UTC (12.10 Italian time). The Italian trimaran is racing with 15 multihulls, including Cyril Dardashti’s 105’ Ultim 32/23 Maxi Edmond De Rothschild, skippered by Franck Cammas and Charles Caudrelier, who set the multihulls record of the race in 2019 (1 day, 4 hours, 2 minutes and 26 seconds). Maserati Multi 70’s direct competitor is Jason Carrol’s MOD 70 Argo: among the crew is also Brian Thompson, one of the most experienced multihulls skipper who raced against Soldini in many occasions.
For this edition of the historical 695-mile-long regatta, organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, there were 336 boats setting sail, divided in groups, with 24 knots of westerly wind and a cloudy sky: they will have to sail out of the Solent with a contrary wind and rough weather. After that they will cross the Celtic Sea and reach the Fastnet, off Ireland, before heading back to the finish line, off Cherbourg, on the northern coast of France.
Aboard Maserati Multi 70 for this challenge with Giovanni Soldini: Vittorio Bissaro, Guido Broggi, Ned Collier Wakefield, John Elkann, Oliver Herrera Perez, Francesco Pedol and Matteo Soldini.
Photo © Rick Tomlinson
