Banque Populaire sets record pace

AS the Rolex Fastnet Race fleet breathed a collective sigh of relief that a tragedy was averted in the Rambler 100 capsize incident, progress continued unabated in the 608-mile race that started on Sunday.

First to round the famous lighthouse off the West Cork coast yesterday morning was Loick Peyron’s Banque Populaire in starkly different conditions to those experience by the 21 rescued sailors ten hours later.

Peyron’s giant 130-foot trimaran emerged from the drizzle and gloom in winds of less than ten knots. Minutes later, the smaller Gitana 11 skippered by Seb Josse chased the leader around the rock: both were sailing at speeds close to 20 knots.