“You can get out there and race your cruising multihull.”

When we think of racing multihulls, we imagine the exploits of the Ultimes, or the GC32s on the Extreme circuit or a Gunboat in the Caribbean 600. But not everyone has a Gunboat-plus budget. Well, there are plenty of opportunities for us to get out there and do some proper racing with our cruising multihulls, and the Fastnet is just one example. This year there were 12 entries in the MOCRA Class, up from 8 last time. The winning boat was a TS42, followed by three Dazcats (Hissy Fit, our test boat, gaining a very honorable third place), and in fifth place, Frenchman Joel Maladrel’s 34’ Normanni trimaran Tancrède. And it was also a TS that won this year’s ARC, and a Neel 47 in the ARC+, followed by a Fountaine Pajot. All of this is proof, if it were needed, that you can get out there and race your cruising multihull. But just getting back to the Fastnet, there’s a change in store for the next edition. I know this has upset a few Brits, but the finish line is being moved, from Plymouth, where it has been since 1925, to Cherbourg in France. Will this attract more French entries? Or from further afield? Let’s hope so!