Prizegiving took place last night, Friday 19 August, at the 350-year-old Royal Citadel in Plymouth Hoe for the winners in the Rolex Fastnet 2011.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club declared the overall race winner on handicap the 72ft Rán – the second time that Skype founder Niklas Zennström’s British yacht has taken the trophy and the race’s first back-to-back winner in more than 50 years.

Second on corrected time was the canting-keeled 100ft Maxi ICAP Leopard, which the capsized Maxi Rambler 100 had been leading until her sudden overturn at the beginning of the home leg just around Fastnet Rock.

After the drama of last Monday (see Crew safe after Fastnet rescue) Rambler‘s hull had been towed to Barley Cove on the Mizen Peninsula on the south coast of Ireland, where she was righted and pumped out. A tug then took her to Baltimore Harbour where she waits at anchor, viewed by curious tourists, while the preliminary investigation by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board into the capsize gets underway. It is known that her canting keel snapped off suddenly but, as yet, not why. Her mast still sits off Fastnet, marked by a buoy.

Back at the finish line, honours also went to Abu Dhabi, which set a new monohull record for the race of 1 day, 18 hours and 35 minutes, as well as new course multihull record-holder Banque Populaire.

Pace slowed for the bulk of the 314-boat fleet on the return leg when, becalmed, some had to anchor for hours until the wind picked up again. Just six boats remain in the race over the weekend with the restored 1937 gaff-rigged ketch Maybird expected to be last home early on Sunday.

Full details and video http://fastnet.rorc.org

_{Image courtesy of Rolex / Daniel Forster}