Taking place in August, the race is often provided with Westerlies that are strong to gale force in strength.

The succession of low pressure systems which advance on Ireland and Britain across the North Atlantic Ocean provide a constantly moving weather pattern for which Fastnet navigators must plan.

The race started off Cowes on the Isle of Wight on the south coast of England at the Royal Yacht Squadron.

After crossing the Celtic Sea, the race rounded the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland.

The race ran annually until 1931, and subsequently biennially apart from a break after 1939 during World War II, resuming in 1947.

A severe European windstorm during the 1979 race resulted in the deaths of 21 people (15 competing yachtsmen and 6 observers)[3] and the involvement of some 4,000 others in what became the largest-ever rescue operation in peacetime.

[4][5] Several books have since been written about the 1979 race, which remains notorious in the yachting world for its loss of life.

[5] The race drew further attention from outside the sport in 1985 when the maxi yacht Drum capsized after the keel sheared off due to a design error.

They were in the water for approximately 2.5 hours, before being rescued by a Baltimore based diving vessel, Wave Chieftain.

[16] The Naval Service patrol ship LÉ Aoife remained with the hull, worth $10,000,000 before the capsize, before it was towed to Barleycove by the Castletownbere-based tug Ocean Bank.

[17][18] The Fastnet Monohull Race record was set at 42hrs 39min by Volvo Open 70 "Abu Dhabi", skippered by Ian Walker.

Plymouth Yacht Haven was selected as host port RORC Increased the number of entries to meet demands.

Line Honours: 2 Days 15 Hours 42 Minutes - Comanche - VPLP/Verdier 100 Super Maxi Owned by Jim & Kristy Hinze Clark, Skippered by Ken Read The 2017 Fastnet Race started on 6 August 2017 and featured all 2017-2018 Volvo Ocean Race Teams.

Line Honours: 1 Day 18 hours and 55 minutes – Concise 10 – MOD 70 owned by Tony Lawson, Skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield.

[26] The adjusted time race was won by the Wizard, a Volvo Open 70, owned by David and Peter Askew and sailed by Charlie Enright.

Winners:[28] IRC Overall: Sunrise, a JPK 1180 owned by Thomas Kneen and navigated by Tom Cheney & Suzy Peters MOCRA Multihull: Allegra, a 84 ft Nigel Irens designed catamaran sailed by Adrian Keller IMOCA 60: Apivia saild by Charlie Dalin & Paul Meilhat The monohull race record is 42 hrs 39 min, set by Ian Walker's Volvo Open 70 Abu Dhabi (UAE) in 2011.

The other two Volvo Open 70 participating in the 2011 Fastnet Race (Groupama 4 and Team Sanya) also broke the previous record, which had been set by ICAP Leopard in 2007.