Ready to Race

Chris will be competing in the Rolex Fastnet Challenge on Sunday 6^th August, which is considered one of the classic and most prestigious offshore races on the international sailing calendar, organised by The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC).

This “five day” racing challenge will see 397 yachts competing and commences in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, sailing around the iconic Fastnet Rock SW of Ireland before finally finishing in Plymouth some 605 nautical miles later.

In order for Chris to prepare and qualify for this tremendous challenge, he has carried out intensive safety training and completed over 600 nautical miles of offshore racing, alongside countless hours in the gym.

To help keep Chris motivated, Rolton Group held their first inaugural sailing day on the Solent on Friday 14^th July 2017. This hospitality day saw Chris and Associate Director Matt Colebrook host a selection of clients for a day of sailing on Impulse, the X46 yacht that Chris will be racing. The day included spinnaker training and some “around the cans” practice to show how much fun competitive sailing can be. The sailing day was a roaring success and thoroughly enjoyed by all – providing everyone with a mild taste of the challenges that Chris will face during the Fastnet challenge.

Caption: The Fastnet race course

The three offshore qualifying races (including the Cervantes Trophy Cup to Le Havre, the Myth of Malham to Eddystone and back, and the Channel Race, which is an oversized “Round the Island” race but extending one leg out to Cherbourg and another to Littlehampton) provided valuable opportunities for the newly formed team to really start working together while getting used to their yacht in a competitive setting.

Chris was delighted to see the latest practice race proving that in addition to racking up the miles, the team has really progressed and now work seamlessly together. See a short clip of Chris and his team undertaking the final RORC Offshore Channel Race here:

Chris’ chosen charity is the Central England Rehabilitation Unit (CERU), a specialist facility for post-intensive care patients who have suffered a brain injury, stroke or tumour. Peter Rolton, Chairman of Rolton Group, has witnessed first-hand the excellent care given by CERU to his son who was recently treated at this facility following a car accident last year, and is now at home and making excellent progress. This has also hit close to home for Chris, whose son suffered a serious head injury that resulted in a bleed on the brain in a footballing accident four years ago. More information about CERU can be found on their website: www.ceru.co.uk.

To support the vitally important work and excellent care given by CERU, Chris has set a fundraising target of £5,000 which he hoped to achieve in the run up to taking on the Rolex Fastnet Challenge in August. We’re delighted to announce that Chris has successfully achieved his target and then some, with a total of over £5,500 raised with just over a week to go before the big race.

Deputy Managing Director, Chris Evans commented:

“I am very excited to be embarking on this incredible sailing challenge and am very grateful for all of the support and donations I have received in the run up to the race. CERU is such a worthy cause that deserves all commendation for their efforts – my hopes are high for the biggest event on the sailing calendar!”

To donate and help achieve an even greater fundraising total, visit Chris’ JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-evans...

You can also keep up-to-date with his progress by liking his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/chrisfastnet2017.